Peter, Paul and Mary

Peter, Paul and Mary
Left to right: Paul Stookey, Peter Yarrow, and Mary Travers, c. 1968
Left to right: Paul Stookey, Peter Yarrow,
and Mary Travers, c. 1968
Background information
OriginNew York City, U.S.
Genres
DiscographyPeter, Paul and Mary discography
Years active
  • 1961 (1961)–1970 (1970)
  • 1978 (1978)–2009 (2009)
LabelsWarner Bros.
Past members
Websitepeterpaulandmary.com

Peter, Paul and Mary were an American folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival phenomenon. The trio consisted of Peter Yarrow (guitar, tenor vocals), Paul Stookey (guitar, baritone vocals), and Mary Travers (contralto vocals).[1] The group's repertoire included songs written by Yarrow and Stookey, early songs by Bob Dylan, and covers of other folk musicians. They were enormously successful in the early- and mid-1960s, with their debut album topping the charts for weeks, and helped popularize the folk music revival. After the death of Travers in 2009, Yarrow and Stookey continued to perform as a duo under their individual names.[2]

Mary Travers said she was influenced by Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and the Weavers.[3] In the 2004 documentary Peter, Paul & Mary: Carry It On — A Musical Legacy, members of the Weavers discuss how Peter, Paul and Mary took over the torch of the social commentary of folk music in the 1960s.

The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. Peter, Paul and Mary received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006.

  1. ^ Holden, Stephen (March 20, 1986). "Pop: Peter, Paul and Mary". The New York Times. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  2. ^ "Peter, Paul & Mary's Peter Yarrow & Noel Paul Stookey - Interviews - Tavis Smiley - PBS". Tavis Smiley - PBS.
  3. ^ William Ruhlmann (April 12, 1996). "Beginnings". Peter, Paul and Mary A song to sing all over this land. Goldmine. Retrieved 2009-12-13.