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Mary Travers was an American folk icon and a part of the 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary along with Paul Stookey and Peter Yarrow. She emerged as one of folk's most influential voices with her distinctive alto-vocals which were evident in chart-topping songs like Puff, the Magic Dragon, If I Had a Hammer, and covers of iconic Bob Dylan songs like Blowin' in the Wind and more.
While Mary Travers is primarily known for her work with the folk trio, she also released five solo albums when Peter, Paul and Mary were on a hiatus in 1970. Travers died in 2009 after battling leukemia for five years.
At present, Paul Stookey is the only surviving member of the folk trio. Peter Yarrow recently passed away on January 7, 2025, at the age of 86. As per multiple reports, he had been battling bladder cancer for four years, which eventually led to his demise.
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Exploring the personal and professional life of Mary Travers
Born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1936, Mary Travers' saw her parents get involved in progressive politics at an early age, which would later influence her music. As a teenager, Travers performed with the folk group Song Swappers and also appeared in many recordings of folk juggernaut Pete Seeger. During that time, she was also a part of the Broadway show The Next President.
In 1961, Mary Travers got together with Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey to form a trio that would eventually leave a permanent mark in folk music. Named after its three members, Peter, Paul and Mary caused a paradigm shift in quintessential folk music, bringing it closer to mainstream pop culture. The trio were managed by Albert Grossman, who was also the manager of Bob Dylan.
In 1962, the trio released their eponymous debut album with Warner Bros. Records. It became a rare folk album to peak atop the Billboard 200 chart in the United States and had chart-topping singles like If I Had A Hammer and Lemon Tree. It was also the group's best-selling album.
The next year, they released albums Moving and In the Wind, which reached #2 and #1 on the Billboard 200, respectively. Overall, the trio released 20 albums containing some of the most popular singles in the genre like If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song), Puff (The Magic Dragon), Blowin' in the Wind, I Dig Rock and Roll Music, Don't Think Twice, It's All Right, and Leaving on a Jet Plane
Peter, Paul and Mary took a temporary hiatus in 1970, shortly after releasing their version of John Denver's Leaving on a Jet Plane. During the break, Travers pursued her solo career and released five albums: Mary (1971), Morning Glory (1972), All My Choices (1973), Circles (1974) and It's in Everyone of Us (1978). The group reunited in 1978 and released several new albums until Travers' death in 2009.
Mary Travers was married four times and had two daughters, Erika and Alicia. Her first marriage was with John Filler and she had her elder daughter Erika in 1960. Three years later, she married Barry Feinstein, a freelance photographer for musicians and other celebrities. The two had Alicia in 1966 following which they got divorced.
In the 1970s, Travers married Gerald Taylor, the publisher of National Lampoon. Her last wedding was to Ethan Robbins, the owner of a restaurant. The two lived in Redding, a small town in Connecticut where Travers spent the remainder of her life.
In 2004, Mary Travers was diagnosed with Leukemia. She died at the Danbury Hospital on September 16, 2009, because of complications related to a bone marrow transplant.
On November 9, 2009, a memorial service was held for Mary Travers at Riverside Church in New York City. The four-hour service was attended by several juggernauts of the industry to pay homage to one of the greatest figures of the folk genre.
