Peter, Paul and Mary
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1961 in New York City, United States |
| Founder | Albert Grossman (manager, assembled the group) |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey, Mary Travers |
| Products | Folk music recordings and performances |
Number of employees | 3 (members) |
| Website | www |
Peter, Paul and Mary was a prominent American folk ensemble established in New York City in 1961 amid the American folk music revival. The trio consisted of Peter Yarrow (guitar, tenor vocals), Paul Stookey (guitar, baritone vocals), and Mary Travers (contralto vocals). Their song selections featured original compositions by Yarrow and Stookey, early material from Bob Dylan, as well as interpretations of works by other folk musicians.
The group enjoyed significant commercial acclaim throughout the early to mid-1960s, with their initial album dominating the charts for several weeks and playing a pivotal role in propelling the folk revival movement forward. Following Travers's passing in 2009, Yarrow and Stookey continued to perform as a duo until Yarrow's death in 2025, leaving Stookey as the only surviving member.
Travers acknowledged influences including Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and the Weavers. In 1963, Stookey elaborated on the band's origins and internal dynamics during an appearance on New York City's Folk Music Worldwide radio program. The 2004 film Peter, Paul & Mary: Carry It On – A Musical Legacy documents their continuation of the socially conscious themes characteristic of 1960s folk music.
The trio was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999 and honored with the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006.
Formation and rise to fame (1961–1969)
Manager Albert Grossman assembled Peter, Paul and Mary in 1961 after auditioning numerous folk artists from New York. He chose Yarrow, Stookey, and Travers, securing them engagements at The Bitter End, a key venue in Greenwich Village’s folk scene.
Their debut record, Peter, Paul and Mary, launched by Warner Bros. in 1962, included popular tracks such as "Lemon Tree", "500 Miles", "If I Had a Hammer", and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?". The album remained within the Billboard Top Ten for ten months, including seven consecutive weeks at number one. It sold over two million copies and achieved double platinum status from the RIAA.
In 1963, they released "Puff, the Magic Dragon", a song composed by Yarrow with lyrics adapted from a poem by Leonard Lipton, a Cornell University student. Although often misinterpreted as drug-related, the song actually represents the theme of lost childhood innocence. That same year, they appeared as the "mystery guest" on CBS's What's My Line?.
During the August 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Peter, Paul and Mary performed "If I Had a Hammer" alongside Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind", which became one of their most successful songs. They also helped popularize other Dylan compositions such as "The Times They Are a-Changin'" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", thereby enhancing sales of Dylan’s albums. In London in 1963, they recorded five live tracks for the UK television program Hullabaloo, which were later issued on DVD in 2020.
Their sole chart-topping single arrived in December 1969 with "Leaving on a Jet Plane", penned by John Denver. This track was also their last to enter the top 40 pop charts and marked their sixth single to sell over one million copies earning gold certification. The song had previously appeared on their platinum-certified Album 1700 (1967), which featured another hit reaching No. 9 titled "I Dig Rock and Roll Music". Following Eugene McCarthy’s impressive performance in the 1968 New Hampshire primary, they independently released "Eugene McCarthy For President (If You Love Your Country)". Their final entry on the Hot 100 chart was "Day Is Done" (No. 21), taken from their Grammy-winning album Peter, Paul and Mommy released in 1969.
Disbandment (1970–1978)
In 1970, the trio parted ways to focus on individual careers. That same year, Yarrow faced conviction for the molestation of a 14-year-old girl; he was later granted a presidential pardon by Jimmy Carter in 1981.
During 1971 and 1972, Warner Bros. issued debut solo albums for each member, all featuring a uniform cover design. Travers embarked on extensive tours while also creating, writing, and starring in a BBC television series. Stookey established the Christian ensemble Body Works Band and composed "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)" for Yarrow’s wedding to Marybeth McCarthy; this song gained international recognition through Petula Clark’s 1973 rendition. Yarrow co-wrote and produced Mary MacGregor’s chart-topping 1977 single Torn Between Two Lovers and received an Emmy Award for producing three animated specials inspired by "Puff the Magic Dragon."
Although separated, the group reunited for significant occasions: performing at the 1972 Together for McGovern benefit concert at Madison Square Garden supporting George McGovern’s presidential campaign, and participating in a 1978 anti-nuclear energy rally. These events culminated in a summer reunion tour in 1978, highlighted by a September 3 show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. That year, Warner released their album Reunion.
Reunion Era (1981–2009)
The positive reception of their 1978 reunion tour paved the way for a more sustained regrouping in 1981. The trio continued recording and performing live, averaging approximately 45 concerts per year until Travers passed away in 2009.[1] Following their reformation, original double bassist Dick Kniss rejoined, and multi-instrumentalist Paul Prestopino became part of the lineup in 1990.
To reflect evolving cultural perspectives, they adjusted some lyrics—for instance, altering boys to girls and boys in "Puff." On September 1, 1990, the group was honored with the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience award.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
In 2004, Travers received a diagnosis of leukemia, leading to the cancellation of several tour dates. After undergoing a bone marrow transplant, they resumed touring with a holiday concert on December 9, 2005, at Carnegie Hall. Some summer shows in 2007 were canceled due to Travers’s second surgical procedure.[1] By mid-2009, she was unable to perform; consequently, Yarrow and Stookey continued as a duo under the name "Peter & Paul Celebrate Mary and 5 Decades of Friendship."
Travers died on September 16, 2009, at age 72 due to complications from chemotherapy. That same year, Peter, Paul and Mary were inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
On January 7, 2025, Yarrow passed away from bladder cancer at age 86.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name With his death, Stookey remains the sole surviving member.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Discography
- Peter, Paul and Mary (1962)
- Moving (1963)
- In the Wind (1963)
- A Song Will Rise (1965)
- See What Tomorrow Brings (1965)
- The Peter, Paul and Mary Album (1966)
- Album 1700 (1967)
- Late Again (1968)
- Peter, Paul and Mommy (1969)
- Reunion (1978)
- No Easy Walk to Freedom (1986)
- Flowers and Stones (1990)
- Peter, Paul & Mommy, Too (1993)
- LifeLines (1995)
- In These Times (2003)
See also
- List of number-one hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
External links
- Pages with reference errors
- Articles with short description
- 1961 establishments in New York City
- 1970 disestablishments in New York (state)
- 1978 establishments in New York City
- 2009 disestablishments in New York (state)
- 20th-century American folk musicians
- American folk music groups
- Co-ed groups
- Grammy Award winners
- Mixed-gender musical trios
- Musical groups disestablished in 1970
- Musical groups disestablished in 2009
- Musical groups established in 1961
- Musical groups from New York City
- Musical groups reestablished in 1978
- Musical trios from New York (state)
- Warner Records artists