Friday, October 9, 2009

Dead Page: Peter, Paul and Mary

MARY TRAVERS 1936-2009

Died September 16th at age 72.

Member of the very popular 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Joined Peter Yarroe and Paul Stookey and mingled music with their liberal politics. Their "If I Had a Hammer" became a anthem for equality. They had other hits with "Lemon Tree," "Puff (the Magic Dragon)," and "Leaving on a Jet Plane." There was a lot of controversy over possible drug references in "Puff (the Magic Dragon."

They were major backers of Bob Dylan early in his career and performed his "Blowing in the Wind" at the march on Washington in 1963. They were also very much against the Vietnam War.

They won five Grammys. When the Beatles came and Dylan switched to electric guitar, the folk boom was over, but they had one of their biggest hits with the tongue-in-cheek "I Dig Rock and Roll Music."

I liked their music, especially "I Dig Rock and Roll Music" and when they mimicked the people they were singing about.

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