Paul Shaffer: Not leaving 'Late Show with David Letterman'

Monday October 15, 2012 7:04 PM By Kirthana Ramisetti

Photo credit: Getty Images | Paul Shaffer attends the official Blues Brothers Revue at the Rialto Theater in Joliet, Illinois. (March 5, 2012)

Can “The Late Show with David Letterman” go on without its longtime bandleader?

Paul Shaffer recently gave an interview implying that he’s ready to say goodbye to the gig he has had since 1982, when Letterman began his talk show career on NBC.

The Bedford-based celebrity told TV Guide Canada, “We’ve been on 30 years so now we’ve got another two years … I’m going to be certainly ready to lie down after that, take a nap.” (Shaffer is an Ontario native, so perhaps that’s why he opened up to the magazine.)

He went on to say that "life is nutty -- anything can happen. I’ve been so lucky and blessed to be working this long in show business. And whatever happens now is just gravy to me.”

Conceivably, the talk show could still continue without Shaffer -- Todd Rundgren filled in for him in late September. And if Shaffer did leave, he and Letterman would no doubt see each other on occasion, as Letterman lives in North Salem, only a short drive away from Bedford on Route 121.

But what about the rest of us? It’s hard to image Letterman’s talk show without Shaffer, whose flashy suits and prodigious musical talent are as much a signature of the “Late Show” as its' nightly Top 10 lists.

UPDATE: Rest easy, Shaffer fans. The bandleader said that he has no plans to leave "The Late Show with David Letterman" anytime soon. According to Newsday's Verne Gay, Shaffer issued the following statement:

“In an interview with a reporter, I made two unrelated points which, joined together, seem to say something that isn’t true. It’s true that the show was recently extended for two years, and yes, someday when it’s all over, I will most likely take a nap. But I hope that day never comes. As long as the show goes on, I will be there for as long as Dave wants me on it.”  

Tags: Bedford , North Salem , Paul Shaffer , David Letterman , TV