Peter Yarrow, renowned folk musician and member of the legendary trio Peter, Paul and Mary, passed away Tuesday in New York at age 86 after a four-year battle with bladder cancer.
As a founding member of Peter, Paul and Mary, Yarrow helped shape the American folk music movement of the 1960s. The group achieved remarkable success with six Billboard Top 10 singles and five Grammy Awards during their peak years.
Yarrow co-wrote one of the group's most beloved songs, "Puff the Magic Dragon," which became a classic children's tune despite occasional misinterpretations about hidden drug references - claims Yarrow consistently denied, maintaining it was simply about the loss of childhood innocence.
The trio made their mark on the civil rights movement, performing Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" at the historic 1963 March on Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. They also helped introduce Dylan's music to mainstream audiences by turning several of his songs into Top 10 hits.
Born in New York in 1938, Yarrow studied psychology at Cornell University but discovered his true passion in folk music while working as a teaching assistant. After graduating in 1959, he joined forces with Noel Paul Stookey and Mary Travers to form the iconic trio.
Following an eight-year break in the 1970s, the group reunited in 1978 and continued performing until Travers' death in 2009. Afterward, Yarrow and Stookey performed both together and separately.
"Our fearless dragon is tired and has entered the last chapter of his magnificent life," said his daughter Bethany in a statement. "The human being behind the legend is every bit as generous, creative, passionate, playful, and wise as his lyrics suggest."
Yarrow is survived by his ex-wife Mary Beth McCarthy, daughter Bethany, son Christopher, and granddaughter Valentina.