Mary Travers: The Voice Of A Generation Who Shaped 60s Folk Music
Discover how Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary became a powerful voice in the 1960s folk music movement. Learn about her influence, iconic songs, and lasting impact on American music and civil rights.
Jul 20, 20253.5K Shares81.4K Views
Mary Allin Travers was born on November 9, 1936, in Louisville, Kentucky. When she was two, her journalist parents moved the family to Greenwich Village in New York City, where she grew up surrounded by the early folk music community.
As a teen, Mary sang with the group called the Song Swappers alongside Pete Seeger, including performances at Carnegie Hall. She also briefly appeared in the Broadway show The Next Presidentin 1958.
In 1961, Travers became a member of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, alongside Peter Yarrow and Noel “Paul” Stookey. Their harmonies and clear vocals helped bring folk music into the mainstream. They reached major success with hits like “If I Had a Hammer,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and “Puff the Magic Dragon.”
Even after the group disbanded in 1970, Travers recorded five solo albums in the 1970s and remained active in politics and social causes. She later reunited with the trio, and they continued to perform together until she passed away in 2009.
Early Life
Mary Allin Travers was born on November 9, 1936, in Louisville, Kentucky. When she was two, her journalist parents moved the family to Greenwich Village in New York City, where she grew up surrounded by the early folk music community.
As a teen, Mary sang with the group called the Song Swappers alongside Pete Seeger, including performances at Carnegie Hall. She also briefly appeared in the Broadway show The Next Presidentin 1958.
In 1961, Travers became a member of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, alongside Peter Yarrow and Noel “Paul” Stookey. Their harmonies and clear vocals helped bring folk music into the mainstream. They reached major success with hits like “If I Had a Hammer,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and “Puff the Magic Dragon.”
Even after the group disbanded in 1970, Travers recorded five solo albums in the 1970s and remained active in politics and social causes. She later reunited with the trio, and they continued to perform together until she passed away in 2009.
Career
Mary Traversrose to fame in the early 1960s as part of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Formed in Greenwich Village in 1961, the group became incredibly popular with songs like “If I Had a Hammer,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Puff the Magic Dragon,” and “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” becoming a defining voice of the 1960s folk revival and civil rights movement.
The trio helped bring Bob Dylan’s songs to mainstream audiences, most notably by performing “Blowin’ in the Wind” at the 1963 March on Washington attended by Martin Luther King Jr. They earned five Grammy Awards and frequently appeared in the Top 10, with three albums in the Top 6 in 1963 alone.
After the group disbanded in 1970, Mary recorded five solo albums during the 1970s and hosted a radio interview show. Though none matched the trio’s massive success, she remained committed to social causes through her music and speaking engagements.
Peter, Paul and Mary reunited in 1978 for a benefit concert and continued to record and tour off and on for decades, including performing at events promoting social justice and anti-nuclear activism. Their final performances took place in the early 2000s, with the trio finally ending after Mary’s illness before her death in 2009.
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