Tom Lehrer
Who Tom Lehrer is
Tom Lehrer was an American satirical songwriter and comedy-record act from New York City who sang his own songs at the piano. He sang them around Harvard and at parties from the early 1950s, and in 1953 recorded Songs by Tom Lehrer in a Boston studio and sold it himself, first around Harvard and in Cambridge record stores.
After two years in the Army he performed concerts of his material in venues around the world, and his live album An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer (1959) was nominated for Best Comedy Performance - Musical at the 1961 Grammy Awards. He wrote a satirical song each week for the television show That Was the Week That Was in 1964, released That Was the Year That Was in 1965, and wrote songs for the children's series The Electric Company.
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At a glance
- Born
- 1928
- Died
- 2025
- Albums
- Songs by Tom Lehrer, More of Tom Lehrer, An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer and 1 more
- On screen
- That Was the Week That Was and The Electric Company
Specials, shows and podcasts
Albums
- Songs by Tom Lehrer album, 1953
- More of Tom Lehrer album, 1959
- An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer live album, 1959
- That Was the Year That Was album, 1965
On screen
- That Was the Week That Was a satirical song each week, television, 1964
- The Electric Company songs for the children's television series
Comedians like Tom Lehrer
Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.
- Bill Cosby also in The Electric Company
- Reggie Watts also in The Electric Company
Career timeline
- 1928Born
- 1953Songs by Tom Lehrer (album, 1953) Album
- 1959More of Tom Lehrer (album, 1959) Album
- 1959An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer (live album, 1959) Album
- 1964That Was the Week That Was (a satirical song each week, television, 1964) On screen
- 1965That Was the Year That Was (album, 1965) Album
- 2025Died
Questions and answers
What TV shows and films is Tom Lehrer in?
That Was the Week That Was (a satirical song each week, television, 1964) and The Electric Company (songs for the children's television series).
How old were they?
They were born in 1928 and died in 2025.
Who are some comedians like them?
Bill Cosby (also in The Electric Company) and Reggie Watts (also in The Electric Company).
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Sources
- PBS NewsHour — Associated Press obituary of Tom Lehrer (27 July 2025) ↗ Born in New York City in 1928; mathematician and singer-songwriter; coffeehouses around Cambridge; concerts around the world after two years in the Army;…
- Library of Congress — interview with Tom Lehrer about Songs by Tom Lehrer (22 July 2015) ↗ Sang the songs around Harvard and at parties from the early 1950s; recorded Songs by Tom Lehrer in a Boston studio in 1953; sold it around Harvard and in…
- Recording Academy — GRAMMY artist page for Tom Lehrer ↗ Nominee, Best Comedy Performance - Musical, 1961, for An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer (as of 10 November 2026)
- UC Santa Cruz — UCSC News article on Tom Lehrer (August 2025) ↗ Died on 26 July at age 97 in Cambridge, Massachusetts; his 1965 album (as of 10 November 2026)
- Wikipedia ↗ died 26 July 2025
Updated · the record checked 10 November 2026