Folk Artist Peter Yarrow Dies At 86

Folk artist Peter Yarrow died on January 7 at the age of 86.
His passing follows a battle with bladder cancer.
Yarrow provided vocals for the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary.

Peter Yarrow, renowned for his heartfelt and socially conscious vocals as part of the iconic folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, passed away on Tuesday at his home on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. He was 86 when he died.

His publicist, Ken Sunshine, confirmed the death, attributing it to bladder cancer, which Yarrow had been battling for the past four years.

Peter, Paul and Mary, a group celebrated for their rich vocal harmonies, frequently shared singing duties, intertwining Yarrow’s clear tenor with Noel Paul Stookey’s warm baritone and Mary Travers’s soulful contralto. Yet Yarrow also took the lead on several of their most beloved recordings, including “Puff the Magic Dragon,” “Day Is Done,” and “The Great Mandala,” all of which he either wrote or co-wrote. Among these, “Puff the Magic Dragon” soared to No. 2 on the Billboard charts, while “Day Is Done” reached the Top 20.

A prolific songwriter, Yarrow often collaborated with Stookey, the group’s last surviving member following Travers’s death in 2009 at age 72.

During their peak, Peter, Paul and Mary became a fixture on the Billboard Top 40, scoring 12 hits, six of which cracked the Top 10. Their rendition of John Denver’s “Leavin’ on a Jet Plane” topped the charts at No. 1. The group also achieved five Top 10 albums, with two reaching the No. 1 spot.

Beyond their musical achievements, Peter, Paul and Mary were deeply intertwined with the social movements of their time. In August 1963, they performed at the historic March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the trio sang Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” which had become a Top Five Billboard hit that month. Their performance cemented the song as a civil rights anthem.

The trio’s commitment to progressive politics extended to their support for liberal presidential candidates Eugene McCarthy in 1968 and George McGovern in 1972. Yarrow’s lyrics often reflected this activism. “The Great Mandala” (1967) depicted the story of a hunger-striking war protester, while “Day Is Done” (1969), written as a message to his son, envisioned a brighter, more equitable future for the next generation.

With their singalong choruses and innocent charm, “Day Is Done” and “Puff the Magic Dragon” resonated with both children and adults. Later in life, Yarrow adapted both songs into illustrated children’s books. “Puff” also inspired a 1978 animated TV special, which proved so popular that it spawned two sequels.

Peter Yarrow’s legacy lies not only in the timeless music of Peter, Paul and Mary but also in his unwavering commitment to justice and hope through song. His contributions continue to inspire generations.

Rest in peace.

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