Mary Travers of Peter, Paul, and Mary Died of Cancer at 72
It will be great sorrow the next time anyone hears “Leaving on a Jet Plane” or immortal fairy tale of “Puff (The Magic Dragon),” for the Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary has passed away Wednesday from cancer at 72 years old.
In 2006, Travers was still “feeling fabulous” in 2006, but her health deteriorated quickly this year as she battled leukemia. According to the Associated Press, her spokesperson, Heather Lylis, has confirmed that her death took place in Connecticut’s Danbury Hospital.
Travers was known for being the slinky, tall, leading blond in the famous folk trio, Peter, Paul and Mary when she started collaborating and performing with the then two bearded men, Peter Yarrow and Noel “Paul” Stookey. However, her passion for music started early on with her natural passion for life.
After her parents moved to Greenwich Village, she quickly fell in love with folk scene and began singing backup The Weavers. This was shortly after meeting Pete Seeger who lived in the same apartment building as her family.
However, when manager Albert B. Grossman was looking to “find a nobody that he could nurture and make famous,” Travers was selected and finally tasted stardom on her own with Yarrow and Stookey. Together, they wrote the infamous songs “If I Had A Hammer”(a song powerful about racial equality), “Leaving on a Jetplane,” “and “Lemon Tree.” Since Grossman was also managing Bob Dylan at the time, they were also famous for performing his song, “Blowin’ in the Wind.”
Helping Bob Dylan launch his career as they collaborated on each other’s albums, Peter, Paul and Mary went on to earn a few Grammys. After the band disbanded, Travers and her band members launched their own solo careers.
Linking her kindness to her music, fellow band member, Peter Yarrow, stated:
“It was, as Mary always was, honest and completely authentic,” he said. “That’s the way she sang, too; honestly and with complete authenticity.”
Travers’ other band member, “Paul” Stookey added:
“I am deadened and heartsick beyond words to consider a life without Mary Travers and honored beyond my wildest dreams to have shared her spirit and her career.”
Mary Travers is survived by her husband, Ethan Robbins and her daughters, Alicia and Erika.
Tags: Albert B, Alicia, Associated, BeatCrave, Bob Dylan, Connecticut, Dragon, Erika, Ethan Robbins, Greenwich Village, Grossman, Hammer, health, Heather Lylis, kindness, Lemon, Mary, Mary Died, Mary Travers, Noel, Paul, Pete Seeger, Peter, Peter Yarrow, Stookey, Weavers
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