Sad news in the world of music and satire: Tom Lehrer, the singer-songwriter who captured hearts with his biting humor and witty songs, has died. He was 97 years old.
Lehrer breathed his last on Saturday, July 26, at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. News of his passing was confirmed by his friend David Herder to The New York Times and The Associated Press. Details regarding the cause of death have yet to be revealed.
During this time, there wasn’t an official comment from Lehrer’s representatives.
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Born in New York City in April 1928, Tom Lehrer showed an early flair for music. Under the guidance of his parents, Morris and Anna Lehrer, he started piano lessons at just 7 years old but would later transition to pop and show tunes. It was the foundation for his impressive songwriting career.
Academically, Lehrer was no slouch either. He graduated from the Loomis Chaffee School, a top college prep in Connecticut, and then enrolled at Harvard University, where he earned a math degree.
While attending Harvard, Lehrer began crafting clever songs for his classmates, including the famous satirical fight anthem “Fight Fiercely, Harvard!” He also created a performance showcase called the “Physical Revue,” named humorously after a scientific journal, and filled with his inventive academic bizarreness.
The demand for Lehrer’s unique musical style blossomed as he performed at various coffeehouses and gatherings around Cambridge. Eventually, he entered the recording studio to launch his career with the album “Songs by Tom Lehrer.”
The 10-inch LP, recorded in just one hour and costing a mere $15, initially sold out of its 400 copies. Subsequent reissues allowed the album to reach a staggering 350,000 copies sold. It was re-released in 1997 and later added to the National Recording Registry in 2004.
In his review of Lehrer’s work for the National Recording Registry, author Ronald L. Smith noted his influence in pioneering the dark humor genre. Smith recalled songs like the delightful ‘I Hold Your Hand in Mine,’ which spoke eerily to a severed hand, and ‘Be Prepared,’ urging Scouts to capitalize on their sisters.
Lehrer further impressively earned a master’s degree from Harvard in 1947, staying in their doctoral program while juggling his musical journey. His academic stints included teaching at prestigious institutions like MIT, UC Santa Cruz, and, of course, Harvard.
Tom Lehrer: A Short but Impactful Career in Satire
In addition to academia and music, Lehrer served two years in the U.S. Army after being drafted in 1955. His military background inspired many songs, including tracks from his second album, titled “More of Tom Lehrer,” which features a moving piece titled “It Makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier.”
Lehrer wrapped up his music career with the live album “That Was the Year That Was” in 1965, which cracked the Billboard 200 chart’s top 20. After a tour across Scandinavia and East Germany in 1967, he stepped away from the limelight according to National Recording Registry reports.
However, he didn’t completely walk away from music. In 1972, he joined the faculty at UC Santa Cruz, where he taught a course on musical theater alongside mathematics.
Despite the brevity of his musical career, Lehrer’s work continues to resonate and inspire countless musicians and comedians, including talents like “Weird Al” Yankovic, Swedish actor Lars Ekborg, and Argentinian singer Nacha Guevara.
At the time of his passing, Lehrer remained unmarried and had no children.
This article first appeared in USA TODAY: Tom Lehrer, the Legendary Political Satirist, Passes Away at 97
