Ok, so if being a part of the SNL 40th show wasn’t enough, somehow jam-master Paul Shaffer wasn’t at the after-party and so, when a call went up for a keyboard player for the jam session that Dan Aykroyd and Jimmy Fallon were starting, I mounted the stage. Before I knew it, I was playing “I Saw Her Standing There” WITH PAUL F%#KING McCARTNEY!!!
A dizzying array of other folks hit the stage…yes, I played a bar band rock n roll version of “Shake It Off” with a guitar-swinging Taylor Swift, “Respect” with the voice and face from God, Ariana Grande, “Love Shack” with The B-52’s, “The Tide Is High” with Debbie Harry but then…PRINCE took the stage and I was part of an extended jam on “Let’s Go Crazy”!!! I’m not proud of bragging, but I had to share this, because…well…WOULDN’T YOU?!?!?!!! Now with video to prove it wasn’t just a dream! That’s me in the lower right hand corner, looking shell shocked!!
—Marc Shaiman is an Grammy, Emmy, Tony winning, and multi Oscar nominated American composer, lyricist, arranger and performer. He is best known for writing the music and co-writing the lyrics for the Broadway musical version of the John Waters film Hairspray.
