Tucker Zimmerman has passed away at the age of 84. Zimmerman was an inspiration to many, including Big Thief’s Adrienne Lenker.

Beloved folk singer Tucker Zimmerman has died following a house fire at his home in Belgium. Zimmerman was a folk icon, often compared to the likes of Bob Dylan. Some, like Big Thief’s Adrienne Lenker, considered him to be one of the “greatest songwriters of all time.”

At his home in Saint-Georges-sur-Meuse, Zimmerman died alongside his wife, Marie-Claire Lambert, in a dramatic housefire around 8:00 am on Sunday. By the time local services showed up, the house was already in flames. Reports have cited the cause of death as asphyxiation, a condition where the body doesn’t have enough oxygen, which can result in unconsciousness, and in this case, death.

Local news outlets were quick to report the tragedy, which led to an announcement from Zimmerman’s label,

“It is with tremendous sadness we announce the passing of Tucker Zimmerman,” the statement reads. “His work was a sonic memoir; a tribute to the people, experiences and sounds that have shaped his 84 years. Both he and Marie-Claire were wonderful souls who loved one another deeply and brought light to so many people’s lives. We know we are not alone in saying how honoured we are to have known them both.”

According to David Bowie, Zimmerman Was Capable of Much More

The tragic accident follows Zimmerman’s recent collaboration with Big Thief on his 2024 album, Dance Of Love. The group acted as Zimmerman’s backing band and also helped produce the project. Lenker, the group’s lead singer, had been inspired by one of Zimmerman’s albums, Square Dance, and even went to Belgium to track him down. Their meeting resulted in a very real friendship between the two of them.

In a 2003 piece for Vanity Fair, musical legend David Bowie commented on Zimmerman’s 1969 album Ten Songs. He shared that, although Zimmerman chose the “Bob Dylan” style of music, he was probably capable of much more.

“The guy’s way too qualified for folk, in my opinion,” Bowie shared. “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, and often wondered what ever happened to him.”

Tucker Zimmerman was 84 years old when he passed.