Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary dead at 72

Associated Press ^ | Sept. 16, 2009

[Free ThinkerNY]

DANBURY, Conn. (AP) - Mary Travers, one-third of the hugely popular 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, has died.

The band's publicist, Heather Lylis, says Travers died at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut on Wednesday. She was 72 and had battled leukemia for several years.

Travers joined forces with Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey in the early 1960s.

[MilspecRob]

RIP Mary

[brytlea]

Henry Gibson died?

[Mr_Moonlight]

Prayers for Mary Traver's spirit

While I may not agree with PP&M's ideology, especially Mary's, her heart was in the right place and she was honest and passionate about it. Good people ... what might be termed a 'pure liberal', untainted by smarmy corruption or personal scandal.

Misguided perhaps versus reality, but still good people (in an idealistic sense)

Over the past few years it had become a family tradition to go see PP&M whenever they played locally ... and those concerts were always a lot of fun, singing joyfully along with all those (Commie) songs they played (j/k, well maybe not! /laughs) ... but kidding aside, a PP&M concert was just a lot of fun for the family.

Oh, and as an aside, I always wore a US Flag pin on my lapel for those concerts ... got some 'looks' occasionally, but generally no problem

RIP Mary Travers ... your gift of music uplifted all of us

-- MM

[brytlea]

I thought that was Arte Johnson.

[Revolting cat!]

Henry Gibson died?

Yes, Don Gibson is dead too! It's a season on Gibsons!!

[MamaB]

We got to meet them way back in the early 1960’s when they came to MSU. Some of us got to go to a reception for them and got to talk with all 3. I still have a poster from when they came there and all 3 autographed it. They acted like they were starving and guess they might have been since they had just started out. Great memories. My daughter still remembers her late daddy singing Puff to her as a very young girl.

[Gay State Conservative]

...Stookey got nailed 2 years before (see my other post. Dylan encouraged Stookey to find religion and he did (probably to beat the rap).

Hmmm...I had heard about Peter but not Paul.I *did* read somewhere that he had found Christianity.I,personally,would be reluctant to question the sincerity of anyone who finds religion without firm evidence of insincerity.

[Revolting cat!]

I always think of their next hit record when someone says of dead artistes that they will be missed. Will they really?

I also know that one of the big singles of these dedicated stalinists is on an all time list of the worst rock’n’roll records. You oughta know which one.

[behzinlea]

Nice reminisces. Thanks for sharing.

[RoshYisrael]

I think that was Peter Yarrow, I may be wrong.

[June K.]

I had not heard this sad news.

I always loved their music and always will.

Thanks, MM.

Junie

[19th LA Inf]

I always thought there was some kind of sad irony in the fact that the early C-47 gunships in Nam got the name of “Puff the Magic Dragon”. The aviators who flew them had a different world view than PP & M for sure.

[hoagy62]

Here's a good link to "Puff"....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OiOlnoyljk

I can't listen to "Puff" without shedding a tear, since my late mother used to sing it to me when I was little. I certainly shed a tear (or a few) tonight when I watched this, knowing that those harmonies will not be heard again on this earth.

Sure, I know now that they're liberals...but that song is forever etched in my mind.

Thank you, Mary. Rest In Peace...ya done okay.

[Chode]

today

[Chode]

doh... i forgot.

[MamaB]

We got to see lots of singing groups and the trumpet player whose name I forget. Does anyone remember the Hootenanny? Is that how that is spelled? That was a whole lot of fun. Most events were held in Lee Hall which was right across from my freshman dorm. We got to see a trio, too but I have forgotten their name, too. Kingston Trio, maybe?

We had lots of fun that first college year and had many students who enjoyed the same things as we did. I ordered me a cowbell the other day and got it this week. Boy, is that thing loud!!! I had forgotten how loud some of them are. State is not doing too good this fall but that is no surprise. It is still a great school and the campus is beautiful. I remember that they went to Philadelphia to the Liberty Bowl in Dec. 1962 or Jan. 1963. My roomie was in the band and they got snowed in up there. They went up by train.

[NonValueAdded]

Prayers for her loved ones.

[Frantzie]

I had the link to Stookey’s crime in 1968 and Dylan told him to find religion. Still trying to find the link again.

Yarrow below.

http://jewishsurvivors.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_archive.html

Their fame was worldwide. But fame can have a price: any misstep is magnified. And in March 1970, unfortunately, Mr. Yarrow took a big one: he was arrested and convicted for what were termed “immoral and improper liberties” with a 14-year-old girl who came to his hotel room after a concert. He served three months in jail; 11 years later he was pardoned by President Carter.

Mr. Yarrow sounds a little sad, but clearly unsurprised, when the subject comes up. “It was 35 [actually, 36] years ago. You know, you make mistakes,” he says. “You feel terrible about it, make your amends. In that time, it was common practice, unfortunately–– the whole groupie thing.

“Was it reprehensible on my part? Yes. Was it common practice? Yes. Does that imply justification? No.”

Still, he can’t resist a little defensiveness. “In Washington, it was considered a felony. In New York, it would have been a class B misdemeanor.”

[Frantzie]

LOL! I will take The Ramones led by John Cummings akak Johnny Ramone. He loved Reagan and President Bush.

No Stalist music for me. I think Bob Dylan for the most part steered clear of Seeger and this bunch plus other folkies pro-Stalinism.

[RedwM]

but not so little girls.