Grammy-winning musician Peter Yarrow, of “Peter, Paul and Mary” fame, died of bladder cancer Jan. 7 at the age of 86.
The singer-songwriter was best known for legendary hits like “Puff, the Magic Dragon” and his cover songs “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” He is being remembered as a beloved member of the famous folk group that has left a permanent mark on the world of music. Yarrow died in his home in New York City, according to People.
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 23: Peter Yarrow attends the “While We’re Young” New York Premiere at Paris Theater on March 23, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
His family announced Yarrow’s health was failing and suggested his days may be numbered in a heart-wrenching living tribute shared on Instagram in December.
“He has kept his doctors in awe at his resilience as he has continued to perform and live life in his own generous and cause-driven way,” his children, Christopher and Bethany, wrote.
“It has been a long road and he has been a strong dragon, but right now he is very weak, and, at 86, his dragon days are numbered,” they said. They went on to ask fans to share their tributes to their father.
The family described the personal side of the famous singer.
“There is Peter Yarrow the folk activist legend, and then there is the man, a deeply compassionate man, who changed the lives of so many people in very personal ways,” they said.
Peter, Paul and Mary were famous for their songs “Day is Done” and “Light One Candle,” and earned the No. 1 spot on the charts when they covered John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane.”
They famously recorded a popular cover of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” which they performed at the March on Washington, led by Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1963.
The folk group went on to collect many accolades over the course of their decades-long career, including five Grammy awards, six Top 10 hits, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The band dissolved in 1970.
NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 09: Peter Yarrow performs at City Vineyard on January 9, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images)
Off the stage, Yarrow was an avid activist. He organized peace concerts that protested the Vietnam War, and was an advocate for children and hospice patients.
He founded the Save One Child fund in 1996, an organization that provides free interventional radiological neurosurgical treatment to children. Yarrow also launched the anti-bullying educational nonprofit Operation Respect in 1999.
Fans and loved ones are taking to social media to share their grief as they remember the talented star that contributed so much of his talents to the world of music, and so much of his heart to his community. (RELATED: Creator Of Beloved Children’s Series ‘Thomas & Friends’ Dead At 81)
Yarrow is survived by his wife Marybeth McCarthy, as well as his son Christopher, daughter Bethany and a granddaughter.
