Peter, Paul and Mary member Mary Travers passed away Wednesday at the age of 72.
The folk singer was battling leukemia for many years, and according to a band spokesperson, passed at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut. In 2004, the group was forced to cancel tour dates because on the onset of the illness, and continuing health problems made subsequent reunion activities difficult.
The group embodied some of the soft-footed bohemianism of the 60s, and songs like “Puff the Magic Dragon,” “Leaving On a Jet Plane,” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” are now campy in a Kumbaya way. But Peter, Paul and Mary matched the mood of an era, and in reality, the group had largely inorganic roots. Instead, the personality blend was envisioned and created by Albert Grossman, almost resembling the marketing eye behind many modern-day pop groups.
The other members of the group are Peter Yarrow and Noel “Paul” Stookey.