I know this was reported in the Celebrity Death Pool thread, but I think it should have its own thread here. The trio was an iconic part of the peace movement and while most of their hits were written by others, they staked out their spot and were wildly popular in their day.
He was convicted of taking improper liberties with a 14 year old in 1970 in a dressing room after a show. She just wanted an autograph. He served a few months in jail. This wasn’t his only indiscretion but the only one for which he was tried. President Carter pardoned him in January 1981.
My parents were folkies in the '60s, and so, I grew up listening to a lot of their records, including Peter, Paul and Mary. Their music has always been there in my life, and I’ll always remember getting to see them perform live in the '90s.
Rest in peace, Peter.
Peter wrote “Puff, the Magic Dragon” among other songs, or at least the music to a friend’s poem. Their music was as beautiful, meaningful, and moving as any in the 1960s. They were the first to bring national attention to Dylan, and other unknown songwriters. (Their version of the early John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane” is the definition of gorgeous.) And they not only advocated civil rights, and anti-war causes, but they kept doing it until they destroyed their career. I know, I know, they were manufactured by Albert Grossman, but they were manufactured at a Swiss watch level.
Manufactured they may have been, but they were hardly the plastic creations the Kingston Trio were (though I’ve always liked their music too). They fervently believed in the issues they championed. They also brought to the forefront many struggling young singer/songwriters of that era, like Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, John Denver and others, and gave new life to Pete Seeger, whose political beliefs had long rendered him persona non grata.
I still enjoy the music of P P & M today. Their original single version of “If I Had a Hammer” is always in my hot rotation. I was 10 years old in 1962 when I first heard that song, and it turned me into a lifelong folkie. (The single version is faster and more energetic than the LP version, and that’s why I prefer the single.)
His indiscretion with a young fan was disappointing and despicable to those of us who were fans at the time. Really, though, how many performers have taken advantage of adoring underage fans and simply not gotten caught. I really thought he would have been above that.
That blot on his career aside, their music always meant a lot to me. RIP Peter.
Agreed.
I goofed on the greatest hits. That’s a live collection, which is great in it’s way. To get the original recordings - they had amazing production from the beginning - the one to look for is The Best of Peter, Paul & Mary: 10 Years Together.
Yarrow was the shorter guy, right? I keep thinking ‘Tall Paul’.
Yup, “tall Paul Stookey,” but Paul was his middle name and outside the trio, he went by Noel.
From the Washington Post in 2021,
A famed folk singer won a presidential pardon after molesting a child. Did he prey on others?
Gift link
https://wapo.st/40nHUxr
Peter’s daughter Bethany has done some great work, including with a cellist, Rufus Cappadocia
Thanks. I’m not quite old enough to remember the Folk revival, so I was never sure about who was who except for my mnemonic.
The second daughter has denied she was abused and called her mother’s claims about her and Yarrow “lies” in your cite. Not that this changes the crime he committed against the other daughter.
I had a grade school teacher (grade 4, I think) who worked very hard to make our music class “relevant,” with current folk music, Broadway show tunes, and more. In those days, she had to type out all the lyrics and run them off on a spirit duplicator. She was not appreciated by the small town rowdies in the class, who likely made her life hell, but her love of music and dedication to teaching are still memorable. I wish I remembered her name. I still sing some of those songs.
The first concert I ever attended was Peter, Paul, and Mary. I was a junior in high school. They put on a great show. When I was learning a little guitar, I learned a lot of their music.
And I still love that music. Heard Leaving On A Jet Plane on the radio this afternoon. I got a little misty. RIP Peter (and Mary).
She also denied being in the room when Barbara was abused, even though Barbara testified in a sworn statement at the time that she was. And “In 2012, [Barbara] learned her sister was still in contact with Yarrow and had brought her granddaughter to meet him.” Who visits the man who molested their 14-year-old younger sister?
I loved Peter, Paul, and Mary, but I’m not mourning Peter.
Welcome to example #658,743 of the argument about art and the flawed individuals that create it. The usual questions are in order.
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Does the flaw automatically contaminate all the art and cancel the artist?
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Do you create a list of flaws and draw a line, above which are flaws which completely cancel and below don’t?
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Do you evaluate the artist case by case and flaw by flaw and made individual decisions?
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Do you not care about the artist and only care about the art?
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Do you keep your choice private or proselytize to others to heed your decision?
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Do you find it necessary to mention the flaw at every mention of the artist?
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Do you judge others for not heeding to your choice?
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Do you place art over the humans hurt by the artist?
As in the previous 658,742 arguments, no global answers are forthcoming.
Yeah, that.
It would have been my dad’s birthday tomorrow. He was the one who introduced me to folk music, to acoustic guitar, and to Peter, Paul, and Mary. Pete Rose, another person my dad greatly informed my opinion of, was my first experience of thinking “boy, it’s unfair that this person outlived dad” but I have to admit I’m feeling that significantly more strongly with Yarrow. I’d muse on their paths crossing in the hereafter, since dad was a talented guitarist; alas, atheism is another thing he gave me. Also, the part where my father managed to get through his eight-decades-plus without ever making one little mistakemolesting a 14-year-old.
But PP&M had a good sound and could be quite catchy and that’s hard to deny (I would put forth their cover of “500 Miles” alongside “If I Had a Hammer”). Incidentally I only realized a few months ago that it is indeed Mary Travers’ distinctive voice backing Seeger on e.g. “Solidarity Forever.”
I saw them several times and they had their points, but overall I found them musically lightweight and saccharine, though full points for their political commitments. Looking at the album Exapno linked to, for instance, there are two originals. “Puff” is a great song, but “I Dig Rock n’Roll Music” is unbearably smarmy and elitist. IMO, every one of the other eight were done far better by other artists.
(I think Exapno is exaggerating when he says their political idealism “destroyed their career”. It’s possible they might have been more successful if they had toned it down, but they continued to tour and play to large crowds until they were no longer physically able to do so)
My favorite line was when they introduced “Puff”, which was generally the second song of the night; “Most bands save the big hit for the encore, but in our case, the audience members who really want to hear the hit will be asleep by then”.
Hadn’t been aware of the molestation thing. Yuck.
I learned about the molestation reading his obit. It made me sad, because I’d liked the group. I guess he’s dead, so i can forgive him? I liked a lot of their music, though.