I did not know this until I saw your post. And I'm feeling awfully silly for shedding a tear so sentimentally. I never knew her, of course. But Peter, Paul and Mary music filled my childhood. My parents had several of their albums. Her tender harmony was one reason I resigned myself to, and eventually came to love, being an alto.

If you hear the train I'm on you will know that I am gone...

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

oh wow, this is a tough one for me too. i ADORED the three of them and LOVED her especially. wow, this week is particularly suckatious. swayze and now this. i used to live for folk music and still do when i remember to lsiten to it. lvoe love love and gratitude

thank you for this lovely tribute post!!!!!!! so much.

and you're extremely beautiful.

Trigger great memories. Great music.

Thanks for this. . .I can hear her right now

"Though the cities start to crumble
And the towers fall around us
The sun is slowly fading
And its colder than the sea

It is written from the desert
To the mountains they shall lead us
By the hand and by the heart
They will comfort you and me
In their innocence and trusting
They will teach us to be free"

In 1986 I saw Mary Travers at Carnegie Hall. It was a beautiful show. Afterwards, unlike many other 'stars', she came out from the backstage area, stood in front of the stage and talked with folks who stood around her like she was at a PTA meeting. A true artist who respected the people who loved to hear her.

Cindy--She was a beautiful alto, all around. Thanks for adding that.

wakingupslowly--My sentiments exactly. I'm knocked back by this one.

Theodora--Thanks for your kind words. She was easy to love, and yes, this week, and this year, has been particularly 'suckatious' in the death department.

Harvey--It's overwhelming the amount of great music that came from Peter, Paul, and especially, Mary.

Chicago Guy--I woke up to your comments, and the tears came again. Powerful stuff.

madcelt--This fits entirely with the image I have of her. Thanks for sharing it.

Thanks all of you for adding your comments and memories here. The world doesn't seem quite the same this morning putting her in the cold ground of history.

Beautiful tribute. I had the uncommon pleasure of hearing PP&M at the Cellar Door in Georgetown more than (gulp) thirty-five years ago and then meeting them backstage. What wonderful people and what moving musicians. I'm feeling a little past my prime, what with her death and the death of "Laugh In" star Henry Gibson.

I felt stunned last night hearing of this. The influence and change to society and the way those of us in that time were inspired by these three is immeasurable.
At age eleven I ran out in '63 to get a guitar and learn their songs. Never put it down afterwards. Secretly hoped it would help me find someone like Mary Travers that was dedicated to righting the wrongs in this world and who would not waver in the belief that the greater good of keeping the candle lit outweighed any earthly temptations to extinguish that flame. I did find that person. Thank you Mary.

1WomansVu--Does have a way of making some of us feel old. I hadn't heard about Henry Gibson until I saw you and someone else comment on it here. I was weaned on Laugh-In. Thanks for your kind words.

alsoknownas--Glad you picked up that guitar. And found your Mary. Thanks for sharing that story.

I also did not know until I saw your post. Various entertainers die all the time, but this one made me cry. Peter, Paul, and Mary are the sound of my childhood--on the record player, at summer camp, even at church (1970s folk Mass, before I quit Catholicism). I still remember singing "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" at camp, and realizing why it was so sad.

We have "Peter, Paul and Mommy" and my own kids grew up listening to it. The first day I bought it and played it in the car, my son, then in the 2nd grade, burst into tears listening to "Puff the Magic Dragon." He was so sad when Jackie Paper went away, leaving Puff all alone.

Peter Paul and Mary had that power to communicate through such simple songs that any camp counselor with a guitar could lead--but they did it so beautifully with their harmony and delicate guitar playing.

RIP Mary.

She meant so much to me. When I was fifteen, and a budding folksinger, she made an appearance at my synagogue as part of a benefit to support the release of Soviet "refusenik" Jews -- Jews who wanted to leave the Soviet Union to escape oppression and to be able to practice their religion freely. I still remember her up there on the stage, ending her set with "the answer is peace, and freedom. Good night!" She was so beautiful, and sang so wonderfully, and her commitment to social justice really shone through.

I was so inspired that my best friend and I snuck in to the artist's reception after the concert (what can I say, we were 15 and didn't have the hundred bucks to pay our way in) so we could meet her. I told her how much she had inspired me to try to do, in some way, what she had done. She responded with words of encouragement and a big hug, the sensory memory of which has never left me. I walked out of that concert determined to learn to play guitar (which I did) and use my voice and my music to promote social justice (which I've done, although without anywhere near the impact she had) and to follow my heart (hmm, I guess it's never too late for that one).

Her solo album is still one of my favorites, especially the song "Morning Glory." I am literally tearing up watching the tribute videos. What a beautiful voice, what a beautiful woman, inside and out. The world is truly a better place because of the beauty and spirit she brought to it. I miss her already.

Oh no- how sad! I grew up with my mom playing Peter Paul & Mary. She had a beautiful voice. Leaving on a Jet Plane remains one of my favorite ever songs.

When I posted this last night, the official Peter, Paul and Mary website was down, apparently to add the tribute information for Mary. It's back up today, with statements from both Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey. I recommend everyone go to that website and look at what's been added since the sad news yesterday.

First, great post and memorial to a fantastic artist. And, 72? When did that happen?!

RIP Mary Travers. We will miss you tremendously.

Thank you for "Erika" and this loving tribute. Peter, Paul, and Mary were so much a part of my childhood soundtrack that I can't really take in that Mary is gone. Just a year or so ago, I bought a Peter, Paul, and Mary concert album (now on CD) that I remember loving as a child, including the goofy stories they told in concert. I'm not sure what sparked me to buy it, but I did, and listening to "500 Miles" and "There Is a Ship" and "Jesus Met the Woman at the Well" again after a good twenty years brought one of those moments of being, when your past and present and future exist simultaneously. May Mary always exist in that moment.

This was wonderful.

I'm a stagehand, we have a condition called "stories you can't tell". There have been many times that I have seen things backstage or talked to people that I would love to be able to share with others but if I did no one would believe me. Therefore you just can't tell.

P,P&M came to town every year for many years. It was one of the concerts that many of us looked forward to. Being backstage with them was like being with family. Mary especially was somewhat of a cheerleader. She was a big person and would have looked just fine in a helmet with horns and holding a spear but she was far too peaceful.

Each of them took turns talking to the audience about life and events. Mary was always the one I waited for. There's something about a person that starts with "Take a stick of butter---" and a group that sings Puff early in their act so that the children can go to sleep.

P,P&M didn't perform to you as customers they welcomed you back as family and friends.

Thank you Mary for your part in making me the flower child I still am.

As one who works within the Folk Community this lose was not unexpected, but still hurt. Peter Paul and Mary gave legitimacy to the “Folk Scare” of the early 60’s. Folk Music had become very commercial and of course Peter Paul and Mary could have just had their hits and go into seclusion but they didn’t. They were very public with the politics. They marched with the masses. They spoke out.
Ironically as I recall, originally instead of Peter Yarrow and Paul Stooky, it was proposed to have Bob Gibson and Hamilton Camp. As I also recall Gibson and Camp wanted no part of it. Hamilton, Bob and Mary just doesn’t’ have that ring about it, and they were much different folk singers, they could have blended, but not like Peter and Paul did. Even if Bob had agreed he would probably had them breaking up in short order as he was quite the rouge at times.
For many a young man of that era Mary caught our attention and we fell in love. Unlike many other idolized women she was down to earth, genuine. We wished for a woman like Mary.

Mary was such a large part of my growing up. I loved her and her music. I'm so glad to see your post. I miss her.

I saw Peter Paul and Mary in concert. They had a real heart for peace and making the world a better place. She was a great talent. The world is a little less caring because of her death.

Art Lynch has an article this morning on Mary Travers' birthday and her memorial service. She would have been 73 today. Here's the link to Art's post, which I recommend to everyone, particularly the NY Times article linked therein: On Mary Travers