Peter Yarrow, a founding member of the renowned 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, has died at 86 after a four-year battle with bladder cancer. His family confirmed that he passed away on Tuesday, January 8, 2025, in Manhattan, New York City.
Fans, fellow artists, and longtime friends of the singer-songwriter are now reflecting on his enduring impact on American folk music, as well as his complicated personal history.
Together with Paul Stookey and Mary Travers, Yarrow helped define an era of modern folk music. The trio, formed in the early 1960s, recorded multiple hit albums and influenced countless listeners. Yarrow co-wrote one of their best-known songs, “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” in 1963. At the height of their success, Peter, Paul and Mary released 13 studio albums from 1962 to 2004 and earned five Grammy Awards out of 16 nominations, according to multiple reports. They used their platform to champion civil rights, oppose the Vietnam War, and promote other social causes.
Yarrow, Travers, and Stookey famously performed Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the March on Washington in August 1963.
Behind the scenes, Yarrow battled personal controversies. In 1970, he was convicted of taking indecent liberties with a 14-year-old girl in a Washington, D.C., hotel room. He served three months in jail. Over a decade later, he received a pardon from President Jimmy Carter in January 1981. Jarrow’s earlier petition requesting a pardon stated that such legal relief might help his two young children cope with the “sense of shame they will inevitably feel.” In 2021, Yarrow faced another allegation in a lawsuit claiming he raped an underage girl in a New York City hotel in 1969. The suit was settled privately.
Despite these legal troubles, Yarrow maintained a public presence, often engaging in charitable and activist endeavors. He opposed the Vietnam War, performed at major rallies, and later founded Operation Respect to address bullying in schools. Following Mary Travers’ death in 2009, Yarrow and Paul Stookey continued performing as a duo, playing classics at benefit concerts and carrying on the group’s musical legacy.
Prior to his passing, Yarrow’s children, Bethany and Christopher, created a “living tribute” website in hopes that friends and admirers would send encouraging notes, personal photos, or heartfelt videos for him. Before Yarrow died, Bethany shared a message about celebrating Hanukkah as a family, noting, “Peter is very weak physically, but his spirit is strong and his light is growing brighter every day”
Yarrow’s family life included his marriage to Mary Beth McCarthy, niece of the late Minnesota politician Eugene McCarthy. They wed in 1969 and divorced in 1981, but according to some accounts, they remarried in 2022. Yarrow is survived by his daughter Bethany, son Christopher, and at least one granddaughter.
Before his death, Peter Yarrow had been candid about his bladder cancer diagnosis, which he received four years ago. Reports indicate he underwent chemotherapy and immunotherapy, though the disease persisted. In his final months, Yarrow spoke publicly about living with an ostomy, aiming to encourage others in similar circumstances. The folk singer, who blended harmonies with activism for six decades, devoted his later years to continuing the social messages that originally propelled Peter, Paul and Mary into the national spotlight.
Carter’s pardon, Yarrow’s repeated expressions of remorse, and the legal settlements have all been noted in various publications. Though critics raised questions regarding accountability, Yarrow went on performing and organizing music events. His supporters remember him for his artistry and contributions to the civil rights era. He marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr., championed peace, and sang heartfelt songs dedicated to protest and unity.
After decades of touring, Yarrow died in his home city surrounded by family, as multiple outlets reported. At the time of his death, he was continuing to receive tributes on the “living tribute” website. He will be remembered by many in folk circles for co-creating a gentle soundtrack to social movements of the 1960s and beyond.
