A mathematician by training, he acquired a devoted following with songs that set sardonic lyrics to music that was often maddeningly cheerful.

A mathematician by training, he acquired a devoted following with songs that set sardonic lyrics to music that was often maddeningly cheerful.

Lehrer, a Harvard-trained mathematician, wrote darkly humorous songs, often with political connotations.

A child prodigy in mathematics who graduated Harvard at just 19, his darkly prophetic and cynical show tunes won him a cult following in the 50s and 60s

Longtime friend David Herder said Lehrer died Saturday at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Tom Lehrer death: Tom Lehrer, influential musical satirist of the 1950s and 1960s, dies at 97, leaving a lasting legacy.

Singer, songwriter and satirist who eschewed the limelight to return to teaching mathematics