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April 11, 2013

Whatever Happened to Tom Lehrer?

While he encourages rumors that he’s dead, Lehrer is in fact readily available, listed in the Santa Cruz, California, phone directory. When people call he is usually polite and obliging. He lives half a year in Santa Cruz and half a year in Cambridge, Massachusetts, symbolic of his bipolar career in music and mathematics. Lehrer has lived a quiet, happy life on hold. He falls into a tiny category of celebrities who packed it in at the peak of their careers. As he points out, “There’s me, Garbo, Salinger, and Deanna Durbin.” -- The American Spectator

Posted by gerardvanderleun at April 11, 2013 8:54 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.

Your Say

The most brilliant song parodist ever, that one. It's a rare talent that can simultaneously mock a genre while providing a sterling example of it. His sense of timing, his facility for rhyme, his effortless meter, the cheerful bray he'd use for grim mordant lyrics - just marvelous.

Surprised he spoke to the Spectator. Not exactly a fellow kindly disposed to the right, if I recall.

Posted by: Lileks at April 11, 2013 10:37 AM

I first heard of Tom Lehrer on the old Dr. Demento show back in the early 1980's when I was in high school. Glad to hear he's still around and enjoying life. It is great when you can leave the stage before the audience demands it.

As to him talking to the Spectator...Lehrer is probably an old school Liberal. He is actually capable of talking to people with a differing political outlook unlike our current crop of Lefties.

Posted by: Mumblix Grumph at April 11, 2013 7:11 PM

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