Tom Lehrer, an influential humorist and pianist, passed away at 97 at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Renowned for his satirical songs in the 1950s and 60s, Lehrer showcased his remarkable piano skills and sharp wit in tracks that addressed serious issues like pollution and nuclear proliferation. A Harvard graduate at 19, Lehrer blended humor with activism, captivating audiences with songs including 'Poisoning Pigeons in the Park' and 'Who's Next'. He ceased public performances in the mid-1960s, reportedly due to the relevance of his material, though he briefly returned for a children's show in 1972.
Lehrer was always much more than the sum of his parts. A child prodigy, he graduated from Harvard at 19 and later taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
His activism was persistent, with songs including Who's Next about nuclear weapons, and Pollution warning that: You can use the latest toothpaste, then rinse your mouth with industrial waste.
The seemingly bottomless well of sly, even cynical creativity captured audiences from 1953 until it appeared to go dry in 1965.
Lehrer, in an interview with the satirical news website the Onion in 2000, dispensed with the second rumor, saying he had quit long before that happened.
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