Tucker Zimmerman, the folk singer who made his name with his 1969 album Ten Songs by Tucker Zimmerman, has died. He was 84.
He and Marie-Claire Lambert, his wife of over 50 years, were killed in a fire at their home in the Belgian town of Saint-Georges-sur-Meuse, outside the city of Liege.
His death was announced on Facebook by the acclaimed record producer Tony Visconti, who wrote: “I just received tragic news from Quanah Zimmerman, the son of singer and songwriter Tucker Zimmerman. Tucker and his wonderful wife, Marie-Claire perished in a house fire yesterday.”
Visconti, who produced Ten Songs by Tucker Zimmerman, continued: “I am stunned. I met Tucker and Marie-Claire in London, 1967. Tucker was a master musician and songwriter from San Francisco. His songs were biting and revolutionary.”
David Bowie often cited Ten Songs by Tucker Zimmerman as one of his favorite records. Visconti added of Zimmerman: “He was one of my oldest friends. David Bowie adored him. Tucker played a set of his songs at the Three Tuns in Beckenham, Kent and David gave him a proper psychedelic light show during David’s Arts Lab night.
“If you haven’t heard Tucker’s music, it was like a very dark version of Bob Dylan. I’m all choked up.”
Zimmerman was born in San Francisco on February 14, 1941. As a child, he was fascinated by music, and he played violin from the age of four.
He later studied music theory and composition at San Francisco State College, where he also began writing songs. In 1966, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and moved to Rome to study composition with Gofreddo Petrassi.
In January 1967, he met Marie-Claire Lambert while she was in Rome working at the Belgian embassy. “We have been together ever since,” Zimmerman wrote in an autobiography. “These 40 years later she is still by my side, guiding me, helping me, sharing tears and laughter.”
While living in London, Zimmerman met Visconti, who encouraged him to record his debut album. “He played bass on all the tracks,” recalled Zimmerman. “I’d come to London with the erroneous idea that I’d already paid my dues in the world of music. Not true. I had to start over from scratch. Without Tony I would not have survived, much less flourished.”
After two years in the United Kingdom, Zimmerman and Lambert moved to Belgium. From 1970 to 1984, he played hundreds of solo concerts all over Europe, mostly in Belgium, Switzerland and Germany.
In 1985, Zimmerman began writing novels, short stories and poetry. In 1996, he returned to songwriting and performing, initially with a blues band and later with his own Nightshift Trio.
In 2024, Zimmerman released Dance of Love, a new album produced by the Brooklyn indie folk group Big Thief, who also served as his backing band.
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