Peter and Paul say final farewells to Mary

Published on Thursday 17 September 2009 20:51

MARY Travers, one third of 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, has died aged 72. The singer, who helped popularise such tunes as Leaving on a Jet Plane and If I Had a Hammer, had leukaemia.

Bandmate Peter Yarrow said Travers handled her decline with bravery and generosity, showing her love to friends and family "with great dignity and without restraint".

"It was, as Mary always was, honest and completely authentic," he said. "That's the way she sang, too; honestly and with complete authenticity."

Noel "Paul" Stookey, the trio's other member, praised her activism, "especially in her defence of the defenceless". "I am deadened and heartsick beyond words to consider a life without Mary and honoured beyond my wildest dreams to have shared her spirit and career," he said.

The trio mingled their music with liberal politics both on an off stage. Their version of If I Had a Hammer became an anthem for racial equality. Other hits included Lemon Tree and Puff the Magic Dragon.