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From Variety: Peter Yarrow, one third of the chart-topping 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary — which helped popularize Bob Dylan as the voice of a generation — co-writer of the song “Puff, the Magic Dragon” and a prominent social activist, died Tuesday morning at his home in New York City “with his family by his side,” a rep confirms to Variety. Yarrow had been battling cancer for four years; he was 86.
Peter, Paul and Mary were a leading light of the booming folk-music scene of the early 1960s, which famously centered around the nightclubs and cafes of New York’s Greenwich Village. Yarrow had begun singing while a student at Cornell University and performed in New York and at the Newport Folk Festival, where he was spotted by manager Albert Grossman, who had a vision of “an updated version of the Weavers,” the legendary folk group featuring Pete Seeger. Singers Noel Paul Stookey and Mary Travers were soon recruited and, using Stookey’s middle name, Peter, Paul and Mary were born.
The trio signed with Warner Bros. Records and achieved success quickly with their first singles, “The Lemon Tree” and “If I Had a Hammer,” and won two Grammy Awards in 1962. But it was their cover of Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” released in June of 1963, which they performed while standing beside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at the historic March on Washington that August, that truly made them into a cultural force, not to mention superstars.
Many X users are posting an old video of the group singing the beloved song, “Puff, The Magic Dragon.”
Our cynical Internet has trouble embracing childlike innocence. Peter Yarrow vehemently defended ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’ as a song of childhood nostalgia. Peter, Paul, and Mary transcended generations. Peter Yarrow dies at the age of 86. pic.twitter.com/LGQCmby4jw
— Daniel Bennett (@DanielBennettNY) January 7, 2025
Another popular hit by the group was “Blowing in the Wind.”
Peter Yarrow, one third of the chart-topping 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary and a prominent social activist, has died. He was 86. https://t.co/8OzYJq3MWc pic.twitter.com/APmnJRAdyp
— Variety (@Variety) January 7, 2025
Rest in peace, Peter Yarrow. I’ve rarely met such a kind, committed activist and singer. I’m indebted that he wrote the Foreword to my book Folk City. I’ve raised my daughters on “Puff the Magic Dragon.” Let’s not forget that PPM made “Blowin’ in the Wind” a hit before Dylan. pic.twitter.com/SDtx8fYAgU
— Stephen Petrus (@stephen_petrus) January 7, 2025
BREAKING: Peter Yarrow, one-third of folk-music trio Peter, Paul and Mary, dies at 86. https://t.co/q0tmYkZspq
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 7, 2025
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