21 hours ago
2
Folk singer-songwriter Peter Yarrow, most known as a member of the trio Peter, Paul and Mary, has died at 86 years old.
The Grammy-winning musician passed away at his home in New York City on Tuesday, January 7, after a battle with bladder cancer, according to People.
Weeks before his death, Peter’s children, Bethany and Christopher Yarrow, called for friends and family to share personal stories of their father as a “living tribute.”
“As you may know, our beloved father Peter Yarrow has been battling cancer for some time. He has kept his doctors in awe at his resilience as he has continued to perform and live life in his own generous and cause-driven way,” they wrote via Instagram on December 6, 2024. “It has been a long road and he has been a strong dragon, but right now he is very weak and, at 86, his dragon days are numbered.”
The post continued, “We’ve asked friends and extended family to contribute a written story, video or audio message about how Peter’s humanity, music, unwavering social activism and generous heart had touched their lives in ways big and small. There is Peter Yarrow, the folk activist legend, and then there is the man, a deeply compassionate man, who changed the lives of so many people in very personal ways.”
Bethany and Christopher added that the stories would be shared with their father and added to his website.
“Thank you for taking the time to honor him and contribute to this collective reflection of his spectacular, inspiring, singular LIFE,” they concluded. “These words and contributions are more than just stories — they are his true legacy which will endure long after he is gone. Puff the Magic Dragon is forever.”
Peter welcomed Bethany and Christopher with Mary Beth McCarthy, the niece of politician Eugene McCarthy. The couple tied the knot in 1969 in Minnesota. They later got divorced in 1981, but remarried in 2022.
Peter, along with Noel Paul Stookey and Mary Travers, became known for hits like “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” “Day is Done” and “Light One Candle.” The trio also reached No. 1 success with their cover of John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” Peter, Paul and Mary won five Grammy Awards throughout their career. The group disbanded in 1970, but they later reunited and continued performing until Mary’s 2009 death.
Peter was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2021 and underwent chemotherapy for three months, but “everything went wrong,” the musician told The Phoenix Magazine in summer 2024.
“I had GI tract issues, rashes, terrible nausea, lost my appetite, and I lost 25 pounds … A lot for a slight man in my eighties,” he explained.
Though Peter had his bladder removed, doctors told him that his cancer treatment did not work. He then underwent another immunotherapy treatment and continued life with an ostomy, a surgically created opening in the abdomen to help get rid of waste in the body.
“I was raring to go. I wanted to take on this cancer,” he continued. “I wanted the best shot and if my best shot was to go through what turned out to be another terribly punishing course of immunotherapy, I simply wanted to get on with it.”
Peter concluded, “It is my hope that my words and my story help to reassure my ostomy brothers and sisters. This is a challenge but life actually becomes brighter after you have an ostomy. For me, life has become more precious, present and rewarding.”
English (US) ·