American musical satirist Tom Lehrer has died at the age of 97, as reported by several US media outlets. Lehrer, who was also a mathematician trained at Harvard, gained fame for his witty and darkly humorous songs that often carried political themes, achieving great popularity during the 1950s and 1960s. His friend, David Herder, confirmed the news to the New York Times.
Born in Manhattan in 1928, Lehrer was not only a musician but also a classically trained pianist who spent much of his career in academia. He held teaching positions at prestigious institutions such as Harvard University, MIT, and the University of California. Lehrer graduated from Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut and went on to Harvard, where he pursued mathematics and obtained his bachelor's in 1946, graduating at just 18. Though he began a PhD at Columbia University, he never finished it. He first started writing songs as a form of entertainment for friends during his time at Harvard.
Some of Lehrer's most famous works include "The Elements," a musical listing of the periodic table set to the tune of "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General," and the comically risqué "The Masochism Tango." His humorous ballads often tackled taboo subjects, as seen in "I Hold Your Hand in Mine," and the shocking "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park," which humorously addressed the topic of bird poisoning.
In 1953, he released "Songs by Tom Lehrer," a record that became a surprise hit, selling around half a million copies, despite facing bans from the BBC the following year. Following this success, Lehrer performed in numerous nightclubs and participated in events for anti-war and left-leaning groups. He also contributed songs to the US version of the satirical British show "That Was the Week That Was," including the famously controversial "Vatican Rag."
Lehrer's satirical works addressed nuclear weapons and more, most notably encapsulated in the song "We Will All Go Together When We Go," which humorously contemplated humanity's fate. He was involved with the educational children's show "The Electric Company" in the 1970s, and in 1980, a revival of his music appeared in the revue "Tomfoolery." Lehrer taught both mathematics and musical theatre at the University of California for nearly three decades before retiring in 2001.
In a notable move in 2020, Lehrer placed his songwriting copyrights in the public domain, allowing free access to his music for any performance or recording. He further stated on his website that he would no longer retain rights to his songs, encouraging others to utilize them. Though he indicated that the website would eventually shut down, it remained active at the time of his passing.
