Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary dies

[vivfox]

updated 25 minutes ago
DANBURY, Conn. - 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.
The trio mingled their music with liberal politics, both onstage and off. Their version of “If I Had a Hammer” became an anthem for racial equality. Other hits included “Lemon Tree,” “Leaving on a Jet Plane” and “Puff (The Magic Dragon.)”

They were early champions of Bob Dylan and performed his “Blowin’ in the Wind” at the August 1963 March on Washington.

And they were vehement in their opposition to the Vietnam War, managing to stay true to their liberal beliefs while creating music that resonated in the American mainstream.

The group collected five Grammy Awards for their three-part harmony on enduring songs like “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” “Puff (The Magic Dragon)” and “Blowin’ in the Wind.”

At one point in 1963, three of their albums were in the top six Billboard best-selling LPs as they became the biggest stars of the folk revival movement.

It was heady stuff for a trio that had formed in the early 1960s in Greenwich Village, running through simple tunes like “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

They debuted at the Bitter End in 1961, and their beatnik look — a tall blonde flanked by a pair of goateed guitarists — was a part of their initial appeal. As The New York Times critic Robert Shelton put it not long afterward, “Sex appeal as a keystone for a folk-song group was the idea of the group’s manager, Albert B. Grossman, who searched for months for ‘the girl’ until he decided on Miss Travers.”

Their debut album came out in 1962, and immediately scored a pair of hits with their versions of “If I Had a Hammer” and “Lemon Tree.” The former won them Grammys for best folk recording, and best performance by a vocal group.

“Moving” was the follow-up, including the hit tale of innocence lost, “Puff (The Magic Dragon)” — which reached No. 2 on the charts, and generated since-discounted reports that it was an ode to marijuana.

Album No. 3, “In the Wind,” featured three songs by the 22-year-old Dylan. “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” and “Blowin’ in the Wind” both reached the top 10, bringing Dylan’s material to a massive audience; the latter shipped 300,000 copies during one two-week period.

“Blowin’ In the Wind” became an another civil rights anthem, and Peter, Paul and Mary fully embraced the cause. They marched with King in Selma, Ala., and performed with him in Washington.

In a 1966 New York Times interview, Travers said the three worked well together because they respected one another. “There has to be a certain amount of love just in order for you to survive together,” she said. “I think a lot of groups have gone down the tubes because they were not able to relate to one another.”

With the advent of the Beatles and Dylan’s switch to electric guitar, the folk boom disappeared. Travers expressed disdain for folk-rock, telling the Chicago Daily News in 1966 that “it’s so badly written. ... When the fad changed from folk to rock, they didn’t take along any good writers.”

They also continued as boosters for young songwriters, recording numbers written by then-little-known Gordon Lightfoot and Laura Nyro.

In 1969, the group earned their final Grammy for “Peter, Paul and Mommy,” which won for best children’s album. They disbanded in 1971, launching solo careers — Travers released five albums — that never achieved the heights of their collaborations.

Over the years they enjoyed several reunions, including a performance at a 1978 anti-nuclear benefit organized by Yarrow and a 35th anniversary album, “Lifelines,” with fellow folkies Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Dave Van Ronk and Seeger. A boxed set of their music was released in 2004.

They remained politically active as well, performing at the 1995 anniversary of the Kent State shootings and performing for California strawberry pickers.

Travers had undergone a successful bone marrow transplant to treat her leukemia and was able to return to performing after that.

“It was like a miracle,” Travers told The Associated Press in 2006. “I’m just feeling fabulous. What’s incredible is someone has given your life back. I’m out in the garden today. This time last year I was looking out a window at a hospital.” She also said she told the marrow donor “how incredibly grateful I was.”

But by mid-2009, Yarrow told WTOP radio in Washington that her condition had worsened again and he thought she would no longer be able to perform.

Mary Allin Travers was born on Nov. 9, 1936 in Louisville, Ky., the daughter of journalists who moved the family to Manhattan’s bohemian Greenwich Village. She quickly became enamored with folk performers like the Weavers, and was soon
performing with Seeger, a founding member of the Weavers who lived in the same building as the Travers family.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32886244/?gt1=43001

But the trio continued their success, scoring with the tongue-in-cheek single “I Dig Rock and Roll Music,” a gentle parody of the Mamas and the Papas, in 1967 and the John Denver-penned “Leaving on a Jet Plane” two years later.

[vivfox]

I Dig Rock and Roll Music is one of my favorite songs of all time and Puff the Magic Dragon was sung to me by my mother and sisters when I was a little boy in the
1960's.

Rest in Peace Mary. Thanks for the memories.

[SteveMacD]

'nuff said.

[LukeA]

This is sad. I can't believe I had no idea that she was sick.

We are definitely entering into an age (the next 10-15 years) when most of our classic rock heroes (Fleetwood Mac included) will die. I know this qualifies as something completely obvious, but, still.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by LukeA

This is sad. I can't believe I had no idea that she was sick.

Yeah, that's been a few years now. I knew this day was coming, and Peter Yarrow bascially said last month that they would likely never play again, so they knew. I just take a lot of comfort in the fact that her musical legacy will live on for generations, and that she stood for something real. I was lucky to have met all three several times over the years, and every time I walked away feeling as if I could do something real.

We are definitely entering into an age (the next 10-15 years) when most of our classic rock heroes (Fleetwood Mac included) will die. I know this qualifies as something completely obvious, but, still.

What's sadder still is that the industry has conducted itself in such a way where there aren't many new heroes waiting in the wings. There are a few, but it's limited.

[DestinyRules]

It feels like a part of our childhood has died with her.

RIP Mary.

[LukeA]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

What's sadder still is that the industry has conducted itself in such a way where there aren't many new heroes waiting in the wings. There are a few, but it's limited.

Oh, bull****. There are plenty of far-from-unknown successful veteran artists worthy of considerable acclaim and attention. Its unfortunate that they may not be feted as legends as PP&M were, but it doesn't make them any less magnificent. Its a different world we're living in, and its not entirely the music industry's fault for not replicating what had worked for what should be recognized as a limited period of time (30 or so years) prior. Its ever changing.

There are plenty of reasons to blame the music industry- this is not one of them. For those who appreciate good music, there will always be new artists to enjoy/older artists to discover & appreciate. If you want to feel bad for any of the entertainment related industries, feel bad for the concert promoters. Ouch.

[iamnotafraid]

Rest In Peace Miss Marry.
____________________


LukeA are you in a bad mood again?

[Ghost_Tracker]

And the HITS just keep on comin'!

[BombaySapphire3]

I'm listening to 500 miles at the moment..R.I.P Mary.

[jenniferuk]

Oh this is sad--had no idea she was ill. Guess this decides todays music selection--a little PP&M to start the day. RIP Mary.

[Steviefan49]

Originally Posted by DestinyRules

It feels like a part of our childhood has died with her.

RIP Mary.

I can't agree more... I was SO saddened to hear about this last night.. RIP Mary.. You've given us many years of your beautiful music..

[David]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

I was lucky to have met all three several times over the years, and every time I walked away feeling as if I could do something real.

I met them & chatted with them at the backstage party after a concert in Sacramento at the city auditorium. They were all so committed, even while casually chatting, to their various causes.

[gretchen]

Such a loss.

[StandbackStevie]

I was honored to have met Mary Travers a few times I worked for the owners of Mill House Antiques in Woodbury,CT Mary was good friends of there's and worked for them for a while was lucky to have met Mary a few times at there partys i would help out bartending and serving and cleaning up it was a fun great side job met a lot of rich nice people and some celebritys too and they were very nice to me and she was a sweet heart will miss her so lucky to have met a wonderful lady she will be missed very much so many people have died this year especially of cancer my ex boy friend died in June from Mylenoma its just been a very sad year especially the past few months. Peter,Paul and Mary had such a great harmony together with inspirational songs.