Folk Legend Peter Yarrow, Co-Writer of 'Puff the Magic Dragon,' Dies at 86
Peter Yarrow, folk music icon and co-writer of "Puff the Magic Dragon" who performed as part of Peter, Paul, and Mary, died at age 86 in New York after a four-year battle with bladder cancer, his publicist Ken Sunshine confirmed.
Peter Yarrow performing with acoustic guitar
Photo Credit: Peter Yarrow by Marsha Miller / LBJ Library
As one-third of Peter, Paul, and Mary, Yarrow helped shape the American folk music scene throughout the 1960s. The trio achieved remarkable success with six Billboard Top 10 singles, two No. 1 albums, and five Grammy Awards. They were particularly known for their activist-focused harmonies supporting civil rights and opposing war.
The group played a crucial role in Bob Dylan's early career, turning his songs "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" and "Blowin' in the Wind" into Top 10 hits. Their performance of "Blowin' in the Wind" at the 1963 March on Washington preceded Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I Have a Dream" speech.
Born in New York in 1938, Yarrow discovered his passion for folk music while studying psychology at Cornell University. After graduating in 1959, he established himself in Greenwich Village's music scene before forming the legendary trio with Noel Paul Stookey and Mary Travers.
The group separated in 1970 but reunited in 1978 for the "Survival Sunday" anti-nuclear-power concert organized by Yarrow. They continued performing together until Travers' death in 2009, after which Yarrow and Stookey performed both individually and as a duo.
"Our fearless dragon is tired and has entered the last chapter of his magnificent life," wrote Yarrow's daughter Bethany, adding that her father was "every bit as generous, creative, passionate, playful, and wise as his lyrics suggest."
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