Peter Yarrow, singer from Peter, Paul and Mary, dies aged 86
Peter Yarrow, the singer for American folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, has died at the age of 86. After batting with bladder cancer for the last four years, it has been confirmed that this was the cause of death.
Yarrow was born on May 31st, 1938, to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants who had settled on Rhode Island. While studying psychology at Cornell University, the singer began performing on campus, eventually leading to a long career in the music industry.
Yarrow sang the lead vocals on hit songs such as ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’, ‘The Great Mandala’ and ‘Day is Done’, collaborating with fellow band member Noel Paul Stookey to write the songs. After Mary Travers died in 2009, Stookey is now the last living member of the group.
At the height of their career, the group had numerous hit singles and one song that reached number one in the charts, which was their cover of ‘Leavin’ on a Jet Plane’, originally written and sung by John Denver. The band also wrote five top ten albums over the years, such as Weave Me the Sunshine and Lemon Tree and Other Great Songs.
In addition to their musical careers, the group was also very politically active. In August 1963, the band joined the march on Washington to sing a cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’. As they sang on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, it solidified the song’s association with the civil rights movement, becoming synonymous with a move towards progress and a better future.
Their interest in politics was also reflected in the writing of the songs, with ‘The Great Mandala’ telling the story of a war objector participating in a hunger strike and ‘Day is Done‘ spreading hope to his son about the possibilities of the future and the power of his generation.
The singer was also marked by some controversies, serving three months in prison in 1970 for “taking indecent liberties with a minor”. 14-year-old Barbara Winter described the ordeal she had suffered with Yarrow, speaking of the sexual assault she experienced in his hotel room after asking for his autograph.
Despite this conviction, president Jimmy Carter later pardoned him before the end of his presidency in 1981. There were several planned performances after this that were later cancelled, with one recent show in 2019 coming to a halt as the details of his conviction came to light again.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.