Facts: - instrument: vocals , piano - years active: 1945 -- 71 , 1980 , 1998 - caption: lehrer performing in 1960 - birth name: thomas andrew lehrer - label: reprise/warner bros. records rhino/atlantic records shout ! factory - genre: satire , comedy , science - birth date: 9 april 1928 - name: tom lehrer - background: solo_singer - image: tom lehrer - southern campus 1960.jpg - birth place: new york city , new york , united states - religion: none -lrb- agnostic atheist -rrb- - associated acts: joe raposo - occupation: mathematician , singer/songwriter , teacher , lyricist , pianist , composer Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of tom lehrer .
The answer to this question is:
thomas andrew lehrer known as tom lehrer -lrb- ; born april 9 , 1928 -rrb- is an american singer-songwriter , satirist , pianist , and mathematician .he has lectured on mathematics and musical theater .he is best known for the pithy , humorous songs he recorded in the 1950s and '60s .his work often parodies popular song forms , though he usually creates original melodies when doing so .a notable exception is '' the elements '' , where he sets the names of the chemical elements to the tune of the '' major-general 's song '' from gilbert and sullivan 's '' pirates of penzance '' .lehrer 's early work typically dealt with non-topical subject matter and was noted for its black humor in songs such as '' poisoning pigeons in the park '' .in the 1960s , he produced a number of songs dealing with social and political issues of the day , particularly when he wrote for the u.s. version of the television show '' that was the week that was '' .despite their of-the-moment subject matter and references , the popularity of these songs has endured ; lehrer quoted a friend 's explanation : '' always predict the worst and you 'll be hailed as a prophet . ''in the early 1970s , he mostly retired from public performances to devote his time to teaching mathematics and music theatre at the university of california , santa cruz .