Peter Yarrow, namesake folk singer of the legendary trio Peter, Paul and Mary, has died, according to multiple media reports. He was 86.
Yarrow, co-writer of “Puff, the Magic Dragon” and other timeless folk hits, reportedly died Tuesday morning at his New York City home, surrounded by family, after a four-year battle with bladder cancer. His daughter Bethany confirmed the news through a statement to the Associated Press.
“Our fearless dragon is tired and has entered the last chapter of his magnificent life,” she wrote. “The world knows Peter Yarrow the iconic folk activist, but the human being behind the legend is every bit as generous, creative, passionate, playful and wise as his lyrics suggest.”
Peter, Paul and Mary sat atop the folk music sensation of the 1960s, and scored their sole No. 1 hit with “Leaving on a Jet Plane” (written by John Denver). Their debut album, “Peter, Paul and Mary,” was released in 1961, climbing to the Top 10 of the Billboard charts.
Including now-iconic covers of Pete Seeger’s “If I Had a Hammer (Hammer Song)” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?,” the record went double-platinum with more than 2 million copies sold. It was considered a major force behind the folk movement that swept the United States in the pre-Beatles era.
“Puff, the Magic Dragon” was co-written by Yarrow and based on a poem by a fellow Cornell University student. Long thought to be a wink to marijuana use, Yarrow insisted through the years that the 1963 sensation was merely about losing the innocence of childhood.
The trio disbanded to pursue solo careers in 1970, the same year Yarrow was convicted of sexually molesting a 14-year-old girl who had come to his hotel room seeking an autograph. Yarrow took full responsibility for the incident and was later granted a presidential pardon from Jimmy Carter.
Yarrow’s passing follows Mary Travers, who died in 2009 at age 72. That leaves Paul Stookey, 87, as the last surviving member of the group.
