Anton Fig

South African drummer

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Anton Fig

Fig in 2014

Background information
Born|  (1952-08-08) 8 August 1952 (age 72)
Cape Town, South Africa
Occupation| Session musician
Instruments|

* Drums
* percussion

Website| antonfig.com

Musical artist

Anton Fig (born 8 August 1952) is a South African session drummer, perhaps best known as the drummer and second-in-command for Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band.[1] David Letterman, for whom the band served as house band on his late-night talk shows, often referred to Fig as "Anton Zip" or "Buddy Rich Jr." Fig is also well known for his work with Kiss, Ace Frehley and Joe Bonamassa.

## Early career

[edit]

Fig was born in Cape Town, South Africa. He began playing drums at the age of four. After performing in numerous successful local rock bands in Cape Town, becoming locally respected with bands like Hammak, he moved to Boston to further pursue his musical interests. His formal education included studies at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he studied jazz and classical disciplines, and graduated with honors in 1975. In 1976, he moved to New York City, where he began to establish a career as a freelance musician.

Fig was a member of the band Spider during both their album releases in 1980 and 1981 as well as on their 1982 album as newly renamed band Shanghai, together with famed producer Beau Hill and songwriter Holly Knight.

Fig was the drummer on Ace Frehley's 1978 eponymous solo album and subsequently became a member of the then ex-Kiss lead guitarist's solo project Frehley's Comet from 1984 to 1987. Fig also played drums on all but one song on Kiss' 1979 album Dynasty and every song on their 1980 album Unmasked; the use of Fig to replace usual drummer Peter Criss (producers thought Criss, who had a drug problem, had seen a deterioration of his skills[2]) upset Criss, to the point where, after appearing in promotional videos and tours through Unmasked, he left the band.[3][4]

Other artists Fig has worked with include Bob Dylan, Warren Zevon, B. B. King, Booker T and The MGs, Peter Frampton, Joan Armatrading, Cyndi Lauper, Link Wray, John Waite, Robert Gordon, Eric Johnson, Beth Hart, Oz Noy and Kix.

## David Letterman

[edit]

Fig was the drummer for the Paul Shaffer-led house band of David Letterman's late night television shows since 1986, when he debuted with "The World's Most Dangerous Band" on NBC's Late Night with David Letterman. When Letterman's show moved to CBS in 1993 and became Late Show with David Letterman, the band (and Fig) moved as well, adding a horn section and becoming known as the "CBS Orchestra".

During this tenure, Fig and the rest of the band have played with scores of artists including Miles Davis, James Brown, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Winwood, Bonnie Raitt, and Tony Bennett. Fig also played parts in several of the show's comic sketches, including the recurring gag, "Anton Fig's Guess The Expiration Date", in which Fig would be blindfolded and fed a perishable food product and attempt to guess the expiration date on the item solely from tasting it. The CBS Orchestra has also backed up a host of artists in other venues, such as Stevie Wonder, Faith Hill, Little Richard, and also B. B. King at the closing ceremonies of the summer 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. They also backed Al Green, Gloria Estefan, 'N Sync, and Eric Clapton for VH1's Save the Music concert at the White House.

The World's Most Dangerous Band is also the house band for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Additionally, they were the backup band for The Concert for New York City where they performed with David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy, Macy Gray, and James Taylor.

On occasions when Paul Shaffer has been absent from The Late Show or has guest-hosted, especially since the death of previous substitute bandleader Warren Zevon in 2003, Fig has filled in as bandleader.

## Other projects

[edit]

Some of the many recordings Fig has made include selections with Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, Gary Moore, Shanghai, Ace Frehley, Joan Armatrading, Rosanne Cash, Joe Cocker, John Phillips, Warren Zevon, Sebastian Bach, Oz Noy, Jed Davis, Joe Satriani, Paul Butterfield, Link Wray and Chris Spedding.

He replaced Peter Criss on the Kiss albums Dynasty (1979) and Unmasked (1980), playing drums on all tracks for both albums (except Criss' song from Dynasty, "Dirty Livin'"). Due to Kiss' management attempting to cover up any personnel problems within the band, Fig would not be credited until years later, and Criss appears in the video for "Shandi" off the Unmasked album.

As a freelance drummer, Fig has also played live with Paul Simon, Booker T and the MG's, The Thompson Twins at Live Aid, and Jim Keltner for Bob Dylan's 30th anniversary concert celebration. In 1996, Fig released a drum instructional video and book titled In the Groove and Late Night Drumming, respectively.

In 2002, Fig completed his first solo record, Figments. Produced and co-written by Fig, the record represents three years of work and includes - among others singers and musicians - Richie Havens, Brian Wilson, Ivan Neville, Sebastian Bach, Ace Frehley, Al Kooper, Chris Spedding, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Blondie Chaplin, Paul Shaffer, Chris Botti, Randy Brecker, and Richard Bona.

In 2006, Fig worked with Blackmore's Night on The Village Lanterne. In 2007, Fig worked with Joe Bonamassa on his Sloe Gin album, in 2009 on his Ballad of John Henry album, and in 2014 on Different Shades of Blue.

On 4 May 2009, Fig joined Joe Bonamassa's band for their debut appearance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, where Eric Clapton made a guest appearance. A DVD capturing this performance was subsequently released. Fig was featured on Ace Frehley's album Anomaly, released on 15 September 2009.

## Discography

[edit]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2017)

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With Joan Armatrading

* Me Myself I (A&M, 1980)

With Frank Black

* Honeycomb (Black Porch, 2005)

With Joe Bonamassa

* Sloe Gin (J&R, 2007)
* The Ballad of John Henry (J&R, 2009)
* Black Rock (J&R, 2010)
* Dust Bowl (J&R, 2011)
* Driving Towards the Daylight (Provogue, 2012)
* Different Shades of Blue (Provogue, 2014)
* Blues of Desperation (J&R, 2016)
* Redemption (Provogue, 2018)
* Royal Tea (Provogue, 2020)
* Time Clocks (J&R, 2021)

With Martin Briley

* Dangerous Moments (Mercury, 1984)

With Paul Butterfield

* The Legendary Paul Butterfield Rides Again (Amherst, 1986)

With Rosanne Cash

* Rhythm & Romance (Columbia, 1985)

With The B. Christopher Band

* Surfing With A Vintage Lady (2021)

With Clarence Clemons

* Hero (Columbia, 1985)

With Joe Cocker

* Cocker (Capitol, 1986)

With Steve Cropper

* Fire It Up (Provogue, 2021)

With Rodney Crowell

* Street Language (CBS Records, 1986)

With Karla DeVito

* Is This a Cool World or What? (Epic, 1981)

With Bob Dylan

* Empire Burlesque (Columbia, 1985)
* Knocked Out Loaded (Columbia, 1986)

With Europe

* Bag of Bones (Edel, 2012)

With Peter Frampton

* Rise Up (A&M, 1980)

With Ace Frehley

* Ace Frehley (Casablanca, 1978)
* Frehley's Comet (Atlantic, 1987)
* Trouble Walkin' (Atlantic, 1989)
* Anomaly (Bronx Born, 2009)
* Spaceman (Entertainment, 2018)
* 10,000 Volts (MNRK Music Group, 2024) [5]

With The Graces

* Perfect View (A&M Records, 1989)

With Josh Groban

* Awake (143, 2006)

With Beth Hart

* Bang Bang Boom Boom (Provogue, 2012)

With Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa

* Don't Explain (J&R, 2011)
* Seesaw (J&R, 2013)
* Black Coffee (J&R, 2018)

With Mick Jagger

* She's the Boss (Columbia, 1985)

With Garland Jeffreys

* American Boy & Girl (A&M, 1979)

With Kiss

* Dynasty (Casablanca, 1979)
* Unmasked (Casablanca, 1980)

With Al Kooper

* Rekooperation (Music Masters, 1994)
* Black Coffee (Favored Nations, 2005)
* White Chocolate (Sony, 2008)

With Cyndi Lauper

* She's So Unusual (Portrait, 1983)
* True Colors (Portrait, 1986)
* Hat Full of Stars (Epic, 1993)

With Andy LaVerne

* Severe Clear (SteepleChase, 1990)
* Standard Eyes (SteepleChase, 1990)

With Madonna

* Erotica (Warner Bros., 1992)

With Delbert McClinton

* Never Been Rocked Enough (Curb, 1992)

With Gary Moore

* After Hours (Charisma, 1992)

With Jennifer Rush

* Heart over Mind (Columbia, 1987)

With Joe Satriani

* Engines of Creation (Epic, 2000)

With Paul Shaffer

* Coast to Coast (Capitol, 1989)
* The World's Most Dangerous Party (SBK, 1993)

With Patty Smyth

* Never Enough (Columbia, 1987)

With Billy Squier

* Hear & Now (Capitol, 1989)

With The Rolling Stones

* Dirty Work (Columbia, 1986)

With Henry Lee Summer

* Henry Lee Summer (Epic, 1988)

With Chris Thompson

* High Cost of Living (Atlantic Records, 1986)

With John Waite

* Rover's Return (EMI, 1987)

With The Williams Brothers

* Two Stories (Warner Bros., 1987)

With Warren Zevon

* My Ride's Here (Artemis, 2002)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Hogan, Ed. "Biography: Anton Fig". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
2. ^ NJ.com, Mark Voger | NJ Advance Media for (14 December 2012). "Founding Kiss drummer Peter Criss tells story of survival in memoir, 'Makeup to Breakup'". nj. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
3. ^ Leaf, David; Sharp, Ken (2003). Kiss: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography. Warner Books. ISBN 0-446-53073-5.
4. ^ Kitts, Jeff: 'Back in black (and white)', Guitar World, September 1996, p68
5. ^ "ACE FREHLEY Shares Title Track of '10,000 Volts' Solo Album". 28 November 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* 2014 Audio Interview with Anton Fig from the Podcast "I'd Hit That
* Anton Fig at IMDb
* Rockin in the USA - Bands Touched by KISS - By Anthony Camponelli - KISSONLINE.COM | Archive

* v
* t
* e

Ace Frehley

* Ace Frehley
* Ryan Cook
* Jeremy Asbrock
* Scot Coogan

* Richie Scarlet
* Jason Hook
* John Regan
* James LoMenzo
* Anton Fig
* Jamie Oldaker
* Greg D'Angelo
* Tod Howarth
* Chris Wyse
* Todd Youth
* Philip Schouse
* Matt Starr
* Zach Throne

Studio albums|

* Ace Frehley
* Frehley's Comet
* Second Sighting
* Trouble Walkin'
* Anomaly
* Space Invader
* Origins Vol. 1
* Spaceman
* Origins Vol. 2

Live albums|

* Live+1
* Greatest Hits Live

Compilations|

* 12 Picks
* Loaded Deck

Singles|

* "New York Groove"
* "Do Ya"
* "Fox on the Run"
* "The Joker"
* "White Room"

Related|

* Kiss
* Frehley's Comet
* No Regrets: A Rock 'N' Roll Memoir

* v
* t
* e

Kiss

* Paul Stanley
* Gene Simmons
* Peter Criss
* Ace Frehley
* Eric Carr
* Vinnie Vincent
* Mark St. John
* Bruce Kulick
* Eric Singer
* Tommy Thayer

Studio albums|

* Kiss
* Hotter than Hell
* Dressed to Kill
* Destroyer
* Rock and Roll Over
* Love Gun
* Dynasty
* Unmasked
* Music from "The Elder"
* Creatures of the Night
* Lick It Up
* Animalize
* Asylum
* Crazy Nights
* Hot in the Shade
* Revenge
* Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions
* Psycho Circus
* Sonic Boom
* Monster

1978 solo albums|

* Ace Frehley
* Gene Simmons
* Paul Stanley
* Peter Criss

Live albums|

* Alive!
* Alive II
* Alive III
* Kiss Unplugged
* You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!!
* Kiss Symphony: Alive IV
* Kiss Instant Live
* Alive! The Millennium Concert
* Kiss Alive 35
* Kiss Sonic Boom Over Europe
* Kiss Rocks Vegas

Compilations|

* Double Platinum
* Killers
* Chikara
* Smashes, Thrashes & Hits
* Greatest Kiss
* The Very Best of Kiss
* The Millennium Collection: The Best of Kiss
* The Best of Kiss, Volume 2: The Millennium Collection
* Gold
* The Best of Kiss, Volume 3: The Millennium Collection
* Jigoku-Retsuden
* Kiss 40

Box sets|

* The Originals
* The Box Set
* Kiss Chronicles: 3 Classic Albums
* Kiss Alive! 1975–2000
* Ikons

Video albums|

* Animalize Live Uncensored
* Exposed
* Crazy Nights
* X-treme Close-Up
* Kiss Konfidential
* Kiss My Ass: The Video
* Kiss Unplugged
* Psycho Circus 3-D Video
* The Second Coming
* Kiss Symphony: The DVD
* Rock the Nation Live!
* Kissology Volume One: 1974–1977
* Kissology Volume Two: 1978–1991
* Kissology Volume Three: 1992–2000
* Kiss Rocks Vegas

Tribute albums|

* Hard to Believe: A Kiss Covers Compilation
* Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved
* A Tribute to the Creatures of the Night
* Kiss My Grass: A Hillbilly Tribute to Kiss
* Spin the Bottle: An All-Star Tribute to Kiss
* Gods of Thunder: A Norwegian Tribute to Kiss
* Lick It Up – A Millennium Tribute to Kiss
* Kiss My Ankh

Concert tours|

* Club Tour
* Kiss Tour
* Hotter than Hell Tour
* Dressed to Kill Tour
* Alive! Tour
* Destroyer Tour
* Rock & Roll Over Tour
* Love Gun Tour
* Alive II Tour
* Dynasty Tour
* Unmasked Tour
* Creatures of the Night Tour
* Lick It Up World Tour
* Animalize World Tour
* Asylum Tour
* Crazy Nights World Tour
* Hot in the Shade Tour
* Revenge Tour
* Kiss My Ass Tour
* Alive/Worldwide Tour
* Psycho Circus World Tour
* The Farewell Tour
* Alive 35 World Tour
* Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour
* The Hottest Show on Earth Tour
* The Tour
* Monster World Tour
* Kiss 40th Anniversary World Tour
* Freedom to Rock Tour
* Kissworld Tour
* End of the Road World Tour

Films|

* Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park
* Detroit Rock City
* Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery

Merchandising|

* Action figures
* Comics
* Kiss: Psycho Circus
* Pinball
* Pinball video game
* Kiss: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child
* Kiss Kasket
* Kiss by Monster Mini-Golf
* Los Angeles Kiss
* Bibliography

Related|

| Management|

* Bill Aucoin
* Doc McGhee

|

Songwriters|

* Bryan Adams
* Jean Beauvoir
* Michael Bolton
* Desmond Child
* Karl Cochran
* Stephen Coronel
* Sean Delaney
* Kim Fowley
* Bob Halligan Jr.
* Mikel Japp
* Holly Knight
* Bob Kulick
* Gerard McMahon
* Adam Mitchell
* Tony Powers
* Lou Reed
* Kane Roberts
* Jaime St. James
* Davitt Sigerson
* Ken Tamplin
* Bruce Turgon
* Jim Vallance
* Diane Warren

Articles|

* Discography
* Band members
* Songs
* Awards
* Kiss Army
* Operation Payback
* "Road to Europe"
* Rock School
* Gene Simmons Family Jewels
* The Elder

Bands|

* Black 'n Blue
* Black Sabbath
* Chelsea
* Eric Singer Project
* Frehley's Comet
* Grand Funk Railroad
* Mini Kiss
* Union
* Vinnie Vincent Invasion
* White Tiger
* Wicked Lester

Albums|

* Anomaly
* Asshole
* Cat #1
* Gene Simmons Vault
* Let Me Rock You
* Live to Win
* One for All
* Out of Control
* The Original Wicked Lester Sessions
* Origins Vol. 1
* Origins Vol. 2
* Rockology
* Space Invader
* Spaceman
* Trouble Walkin'
* Unfinished Business

* Category

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

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