Anton Fig has seen some pretty famous backs from behind his drum kit: Bruce Springsteen. KISS [ tickets ] guitarist Ace Frehley. Roy Orbison. Tony Bennett. Miles Davis [ tickets ]. 15-plus years with Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra has offered the "Late Show with David Letterman" drummer the opportunity to play with some of music's greatest legends and aspiring young acts.

liveDaily correspondent Don Zulaica caught up with Anton during the middle of a Letterman taping to reminisce about some of the fondest memories, and how he came to be a fixture on the show.

LiveDaily: I remember that you played with Ace Frehley of KISS on his 1978 solo album. How did you come to meet him?

I met him only a few weeks before we did the album, and we've been friends ever since. I was playing in a band called Spider--we were calling ourselves Siren then--and we were looking for a bass player, trying different people out. I met this good bass player, Larry Russell, who ended up not joining Spider. But he was the one who said, "I've got this friend, Ace in KISS, and he's doing a solo record and looking for a drummer." So that's how we met.

Then what happened?

We played together one afternoon, did "Rip It Out" and a bunch of songs off that record. I didn't know who he was. I didn't know anything about KISS. I thought he was the rhythm guitarist. He didn't talk to me at all that day, but then he asked me to come back and do some more songs with him. Next thing I know, we're in Europe doing a tour, and we came back to do the record. That first album ["Ace Frehley"] is one of my favorites.

How did you meet Paul Shaffer and get involved with the David Letterman show?

I don't really remember the first time I met Paul, but I do remember that I did a Joan Armatrading record called "Me, Myself, and I," and Paul was on some cuts, and so was Will Lee [CBS Orchestra bassist], Marcus Miller, Hiram Bullock [former Letterman-band guitarist]. So I got to play with those guys on that record. And then I played on Paul Butterfield's last album before he died, and Paul was on that record as well. And soon after that he started asking me to sub on the show because Steve Jordan [former Letterman-band drummer] couldn't do it for one reason or another. So I was subbing in '83-84, and started on the show every night in '85.

What are some of the more memorable musical experiences you've had on the show? Who did you enjoy playing with the most?

My best has to be Miles Davis, a long time ago. That was a great thing for me, because I've always thought he was one of the most important musicians of the twentieth century. Now I never get nervous. ... I figure if it was good enough for Miles, it's good enough for anybody.

Who else?

James Brown--that was memorable. Steve Winwood, Tony Bennett, Bruce Springsteen. There's so many! I don't want to leave anybody out, there were thousands that were all great. I'm fortunate, it's really cool to be able to play with all these guys.

I remember the anniversary show where I got to play alongside Jim Keltner for Bob Dylan. And then when they had the big thirtieth anniversary Dylan special at Madison Square Garden, it was me and Keltner with Booker T and the MGs, and we backed up everyone from Clapton to Neil Young to Stevie Wonder. That was just awesome.