Jerry Samuels was a singer and songwriter better known as Napoleon XIV, who had a novelty hit with “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!”
- Died: March 10, 2023 (Who else died on March 10?)
- Details of death: Died at a hospital in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania of complications from dementia and Parkinson’s disease at the age of 84.
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Novelty classic
Samuels was best known for his 1966 single, “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” The odd hit was simply spoken word over percussion, ranting about a descent into madness after a lover’s abandonment. Samuels said he wrote it to experiment with a new technology that would allow pitch to be modulated without changing the tempo of the track; he used this technology to make his voice spiral upward as he ranted. The song made it to No. 3 on the Hot 100 and became a classic of the Dr. Demento radio show. Samuels also wrote “To Ev’ry Girl – To Every Boy” for Johnnie Ray (1927–1990), “As if I Didn’t Know” for Adam Wade (1935–2022), and “The Shelter of Your Arms” for Sammy Davis Jr. (1925–1990). In later years, Samuels ran a talent agency.
Tributes to Napoleon XIV
Full obituary: The Philadelphia Inquirer
