'This is Spinal Tap' star David Kaff dies at 79

David Kaff, the musician and actor renowned for his role in This is Spinal Tap, has passed away at the age of 79.

Kaff, known for portraying the keyboardist Viv Savage in Rob Reiner’s 1984 comedy musical, breathed his last on Friday, July 11.

On Sunday, July 13, his band, Mutual of Alameda’s Wild Kingdom, confirmed their bandmate's passing in a heartfelt tribute.

"Our brother David Kaffinetti passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday," they wrote in a facebook post. "We are devastated by this event."

The psychedelic hard rock band based in the San Francisco Bay Area, remembered Kaff in the emotional post, "David always had a kind word and a quick wit that would slay you where you stand. Then he'd make you smile doing it!"

"RIP dear brother," they ended. The text was the caption of a picture of five bandmates.

Kaff continued to play the keyboardist of the fictional band Spinal Tap after the film’s release. He appeared as Savage in the band’s Saturday Night Live performance in 1984.

The band continued performing together during the first year after the film's release, but by year’s end, Kaff had departed the fictional group and did not participate in any additional promotional activities for Spinal Tap.