Peter, Paul and Mary was an American

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

group formed in New York City in 1961 during the

American folk music revival The American folk music revival began during the 1940s and peaked in popularity in the mid-1960s. Its roots went earlier, and performers like Josh White, Burl Ives, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Big Bill Broonzy, Billie Holiday, Richard Dyer-Benn ...

phenomenon. The trio consisted of

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

Peter Yarrow,

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...

Paul Stookey, and

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typically b ...

Mary Travers Mary Allin Travers (November 9, 1936 – September 16, 2009) was an American singer-songwriter who was known for being in the famous 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, along with Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey. Travers grew up amid the burge ...

. The group's repertoire included songs written by Yarrow and Stookey, early songs by

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, and covers of other folk musicians. They were enormously successful in the early- and mid-1960s, with their debut album topping the charts for weeks, and helped popularize the folk music revival. After the death of Travers in 2009, Yarrow and Stookey continued to perform as a duo under their individual names. Mary Travers said she was influenced by

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...

, and the Weavers. In the documentary ''Peter, Paul & Mary: Carry It On — A Musical Legacy'', members of the Weavers discuss how Peter, Paul and Mary took over the torch of the social commentary of folk music in the 1960s. The group was inducted into the

Vocal Group Hall of Fame The Vocal Group Hall of Fame (VGHF) is an American-based hall of fame that honors vocal groups throughout the world in every genre of music. Headquartered in the Columbia Theatre in Sharon, Pennsylvania, it includes a theater and a museum. It was ...

in 1999. Peter, Paul and Mary received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006.

History

Early years and popularity (1961–1969)

Manager Albert Grossman created Peter, Paul and Mary in 1961, after auditioning several singers in the New York folk scene, including

Dave Van Ronk David Kenneth Ritz Van Ronk (June 30, 1936 – February 10, 2002) was an American folk singer. An important figure in the American folk music revival and New York City's Greenwich Village scene in the 1960s, he was nicknamed the "Mayor of Mac ...

, who was rejected as too idiosyncratic and uncommercial, and

Carolyn Hester Carolyn Sue Hester (born January 28, 1937) is an American folk singer and songwriter. She was a figure in the early 1960s folk music revival. Biography Hester's first album was produced by Norman Petty in 1957. She made her second album for Tr ...

. After rehearsing Yarrow, Stookey and Travers out of town in Boston and Miami, Grossman booked them into The Bitter End, a coffee house, nightclub and popular

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

venue in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

. The group recorded their debut album, '' Peter, Paul and Mary'', and it was released by Warner Bros. the following year. It included " Lemon Tree", "

500 Miles "500 Miles" (also known as "500 Miles Away from Home" or "Railroaders' Lament") is a song made popular in the United States and Europe during the 1960s folk revival. The simple repetitive lyrics offer a lament by a traveler who is far from home ...

", and the

hit tunes "

If I Had a Hammer "If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)" is a protest song written by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays. It was written in 1949 in support of the Progressive movement, and was first recorded by the Weavers, a folk music quartet composed of Seeger, Hays, ...

" (subtitled "The Hammer Song") and " Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" The album was listed in the ''

Billboard Magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...

'' Top Ten for 10 months, including seven weeks in the No. 1 position. It remained a main catalog-seller for decades to come, eventually selling over two million copies, earning double platinum certification from the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

in the United States alone. In 1963 the group released " Puff, the Magic Dragon", with music by Yarrow and words based on a poem that had been written by a fellow student at

Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

, Leonard Lipton. Despite rumors that the song refers to drugs, it is actually about the lost innocence of childhood. That same year, they appeared as the "mystery guest" on the CBS TV game show '' What's My Line?'';

Dorothy Kilgallen Dorothy Mae Kilgallen (July 3, 1913 – November 8, 1965) was an American columnist, journalist, and television game show panelist. After spending two semesters at the College of New Rochelle, she started her career shortly before her 18th birth ...

correctly guessed their identity. That year the group performed "If I Had a Hammer" and " Blowin' in the Wind" at the August 1963

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, also known as simply the March on Washington or The Great March on Washington, was held in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic righ ...

, best remembered for Martin Luther King Jr.'s "

I Have a Dream "I Have a Dream" is a public speech that was delivered by American civil rights activist and Baptist minister, Martin Luther King Jr., during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. In the speech, King called ...

" speech. The

song "Blowin' in the Wind" was one of their biggest hit singles. They also sang other Dylan songs, such as " The Times They Are a-Changin'", "

Don't Think Twice, It's All Right "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" is a song written by Bob Dylan in 1962, recorded on November 14 that year, and released on the 1963 album ''The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan'' and as the b-side of the ''Blowin' in the Wind'' single. The song was cov ...

", and "

When the Ship Comes In "When the Ship Comes In" is a folk music song by Bob Dylan, released on his third album, '' The Times They Are a-Changin, in 1964. Background and composition Joan Baez states in the documentary film ''No Direction Home'' that the song was ins ...

". Their success with Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" helped Dylan's '' The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan'' album rise into the top 30; it had been released four months earlier. In December 1969 " Leaving on a Jet Plane", written by the group's friend

John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, activist, and humanitarian whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singe ...

, became their only No. 1 single (as well as their final top 40 pop hit) and the group's sixth million-selling gold single. The track first appeared on their million-selling platinum certified ''

Album 1700 ''Album 1700'' is the seventh studio album by American folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary, released in 1967. It produced the band's most successful and final hit, a cover of the John Denver composition "Leaving on a Jet Plane". The album peak ...

'' in 1967 (which also contained their No. 9 hit "

I Dig Rock and Roll Music "I Dig Rock and Roll Music" is a 1967 song by the American Folk music, folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, written by Paul Stookey, James Mason and Dave Dixon. Background Credited to Stookey-Mason-Dixon, the song's lyrics reference contemporary rock ...

"). After

Eugene McCarthy Eugene Joseph McCarthy (March 29, 1916December 10, 2005) was an American politician, writer, and academic from Minnesota. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the United States Senate from 1959 to 1971. ...

's strong showing in the 1968

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

presidential primary, the group recorded "Eugene McCarthy For President (If You Love Your Country)" endorsing McCarthy, which was released without a record label. " Day Is Done", a No. 21 hit in June 1969 from the trio's Grammy Award-winning album ''

Peter, Paul and Mommy ''Peter, Paul and Mommy'', released on Warner Bros. in 1969, is the trio Peter, Paul and Mary's first children's album. It contains hits like "Puff the Magic Dragon", among others. The album reached No. 12 on ''Billboard''s Top LPs chart. The si ...

'', was the last Hot 100 hit the trio recorded.

Breakup (1970–1978)

The trio broke up in 1970 to pursue solo careers. Also that year, Yarrow was convicted of making sexual advances toward a 14-year-old girl. Years later, he received a

presidential pardon A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the ju ...

from

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

. During 1971 and 1972 Warner released a debut solo album, with the same style cover, by each member of the group. Travers did concerts and lectures across the United States. She also produced, wrote, and starred in a BBC-TV series. Stookey formed a Christian music group, the Body Works Band, and wrote " The Wedding Song (There Is Love)" for Yarrow's marriage to Marybeth McCarthy, the niece of

. Britain's Petula Clark also recorded a version of the song, which in 1973 charted strongly in the UK, Australia and others. Yarrow co-wrote and produced Mary MacGregor's '' Torn Between Two Lovers'' (No. 1, 1977) and earned an Emmy for three animated TV specials based on "Puff the Magic Dragon". While the group was de facto broken up and touring separately, it still managed to come together for a series of reunions before officially coming back together again. In 1972, the trio reunited for

Together for McGovern Together for McGovern was a political benefit concert held on June 14, 1972, produced by actor Warren Beatty to assist the George McGovern 1972 presidential campaign, 1972 presidential campaign of George McGovern, running as the anti-war candidate ...

, a concert at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

to support

George McGovern George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American historian and South Dakota politician who was a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator, and the Democratic Party presidential nominee in the 1972 pres ...

's presidential campaign, and again in 1978 for a concert to protest

nuclear energy Nuclear energy may refer to: *Nuclear power, the use of sustained nuclear fission or nuclear fusion to generate heat and electricity * Nuclear binding energy, the energy needed to fuse or split a nucleus of an atom *Nuclear potential energy ...

. This concert was followed by a 1978 summer reunion tour, including a September 3 evening performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. An album, ''Reunion'', was released by Warner in 1978.

Reunion (1981–2009)

Their 1978 summer reunion tour was so popular that the group decided to reunite more or less permanently in 1981. They continued to record albums and tour, playing around 45 shows a year, until Travers's 2009 death. After their reunion, double-bassist Dick Kniss (who had been their bassist in their studio recordings and with their 1960s tours) rejoined the group. Starting in 1990, multi-instrumentalist Paul Prestopino also joined the group. According to the flow of the times, they derived a way to change the lyrics of their songs; ''boys'' in the ”Puff” became ''boys and girls'', and ''dark side'' in the ”Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" became ''black side''. Some of their new songs, like "Don't Go Down To The Quarry" that criticizes an evil bet, continue the tradition of

protest songs A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre. Among social mov ...

. The trio received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience award on September 1, 1990. In 2004, Travers was diagnosed with

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...

, leading to the cancellation of that year's remaining tour dates. She received a bone marrow transplant. She and the rest of the trio resumed their tour on December 9, 2005, with a holiday performance at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

. The trio canceled several dates of their summer 2007 tour, as Travers had to undergo a second surgery. She was unable to perform on the trio's tour in mid-2009 because of the effects of leukemia, but Yarrow and Stookey performed the scheduled dates as a duo, calling the show "Peter & Paul Celebrate Mary and 5 Decades of Friendship". On September 16, 2009, Travers died at age 72, of complications from

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherap ...

, following treatment for leukemia. It was the same year Peter, Paul and Mary were inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

Discography

* '' Peter, Paul and Mary'' (1962) * '' Moving'' (1963) * ''

In the Wind ''In the Wind'' is the third album by the American folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary, released in October 1963, a few months before the arrival of the Beatles heralded the British Invasion. It was reissued on audio CD in 1990. The lead-off s ...

'' (1963) * ''

A Song Will Rise ''A Song Will Rise'' is the fourth studio album by the American folk music trio Peter, Paul & Mary, released in 1965. Track listing All tracks are composed by Noel Paul Stookey, Mary Travers, Peter Yarrow and Milt Okun, except where noted. ...

'' (1964) * ''

See What Tomorrow Brings ''See What Tomorrow Brings'' is the fifth studio album by the American folk music trio Peter, Paul & Mary, released in 1965 (see 1965 in music). Track listing Side one # "If I Were Free" (Travis Edmonson) - 2:43 # "Betty & Dupree" (Adapted a ...

'' (1965) * ''

The Peter, Paul and Mary Album ''The Peter, Paul and Mary Album'', also known as ''Album'', is the sixth studio album by the American folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary, released in 1966 (see 1966 in music). Allmusic entry for ''Album 1700''.Accessed May 26, 2009 The album ...

'' (1966) * ''

'' (1967) * ''

Late Again ''Late Again'' is the nіnth studio album by folk-pop trio, Peter, Paul and Mary and reached #14 on Billboard 200, ''Billboard's'' Top 200 Albums Chart. The same week that this album was released, group members Mary Travers (singer), Mary Traver ...

'' (1968) * ''

'' (1969) * ''Reunion'' (1978) * ''

No Easy Walk to Freedom ''No Easy Walk to Freedom'' is a 1986 studio album by American folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Its release coincided with the group's 25th anniversary. Produced by John McClure and Peter Yarrow, the album was nominated in the Best Contempor ...

'' (1986) * ''Flowers and Stones'' (1990) * ''LifeLines'' (1995) * '' In These Times'' (2003)

References

External links

Official home page
*
Peter Yarrow Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2017) {{DEFAULTSORT:Peter, Paul And Mary Musical groups established in 1961 Musical groups disestablished in 1970 Musical groups reestablished in 1978 Musical groups disestablished in 2009 American folk musical groups Grammy Award winners American musical trios Warner Records artists Musical groups from New York City 1961 establishments in New York City 1970 disestablishments in New York (state) 1978 establishments in New York City 2009 disestablishments in New York (state)