Singer-songwriter Tom Lehrer, a satirist who gained prominence in the 1950s and 1960s for his acerbic take on politics and social life, has died, according to reports. He was 97.
Thomas Lehrer ( April 9, 1928 – July 26, 2025) was an American musician, singer-songwriter, satirist and mathematician, who later taught mathematics and musical theater. He recorded pithy, humorous, and often political songs that became popular in the 1950s and 1960s.
Lehrer's early performances dealt with non-topical subjects and black humor (also known as dark comedy) in songs such as "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park". In the 1960s, he produced songs about timely social and political issues, particularly for the U.S. version of the television show That Was the Week That Was.
In the early 1970s, Lehrer largely retired from public performance to devote his time to teaching mathematics and musical theater history at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Lehrer's musical career was relatively brief. He once mentioned that he performed a mere 109 shows and wrote 37 songs over 20 years. Nevertheless, he developed a cult following in subsequent decades.
Lehrer's music became a staple of The Doctor Demento Show when it began national syndication in 1977.
Tom Lehrer - Pollution
All of the songs on the album were related to items then in the news. The album peaked at #18 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums on January 8, 1966 and was on the chart for 51 weeks. It earned a Gold Record (sales of 500,000 plus copies).
Dr. Demento praised Lehrer as "the best musical satirist of the twentieth century."
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