The music world is mourning the loss of one of its “folk heroes” with the tragic passing of Tucker Zimmerman. He was 84 years old.
A post to his Instagram page seems to confirm what other outlets are reporting: that Zimmerman and Marie-Clarie Lambert, his wife of 50 years, were both killed in a house fire that engulfed their home in Saint-Georges-sur-Meuse, Belgium.
“There are very sad reports from Belgian media this morning regarding a tragedy,” the post reads. “They report Marie-Claire & Tucker have lost their lives. Our love and prayers go to their family. When there is more news from the family we will post again. Love to all.”
Tributes to the couple poured in on social media from friends and fans alike. “Intensely tragic loss,” wrote one fan. “I’ve felt so thankful for getting to meet them through his music. The 2024 release felt like a gift—to reconnect with an old friend and meet the passed time. They leave a beautiful life and legacy of creation. RIP.”
According to American Songwriter, the fire erupted some time on Saturday morning. Several neighbors who saw the blaze contacted the authorities, but by the time first responders arrived it was already too late.
While Zimmerman, who emerged on the folk scene back in 1969 with his first album, Ten Songs by Tucker Zimmerman, was often referred to as a “cult folk hero,” he had a pretty impressive list of fans.
Tony Visconti, a renowned record producer who is best known for his work with David Bowie, expressed his sadness about the new to American Songwriter. “We had met up several times over the decades and made a podcast recently,” he said. “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.”
Bowie also counted Ten Songs among his very favorite albums.
“If you haven’t heard Tucker’s music, it was like a very dark version of Bob Dylan,” Visconti added, noting, “I’m all choked up.”
What Was Tucker Zimmerman Best Known For?
Zimmerman was 28 years old when he released his first studio album, Ten Songs, which was produced by Visconti. He remained a prolific artist over the next several decades, releasing 16 albums in total—the most recent being Music by River Words by Ear in 2025.
In 2003, while discussing his appreciation for Zimmerman’s musicianship, Bowie stated: “The guy’s way too qualified for folk, in my opinion. Degrees in theory and composition, studying under composer Henry Onderdonk, Fulbright scholarship, and he wants to be Dylan. A waste of an incendiary talent? Not in my opinion. I always found this album of stern, angry compositions enthralling.”
