Folk Singer Mary Travers Dead At 72

Popular blond folksinger Mary Travers who sang with Peter, Paul & Mary and had many huge hits such as "Puff The Magic Dragon" which hit #2 on the pop charts, has died due to chemotherapy complications related to her leukemia treatment. The folk trio also helped to popularize the songwriting of Bob Dylan with hits like "Blowin' In The Wind". Dylan was just 22 at the time. The trio also managed the awesome feat of having three albums among the top six best selling albums on the Billboard charts in 1963. prior to The Beatles, Peter, Paul & Mary were among the biggest pop success ever.

Mary Travers also had several successful solo albums as well, although her greatest success was with the very popular folk singer trio. Some of their songs such as "Blowin' In The Wind" became a popular anthem for the 1960's antiwar movement. The group often performed for antiwar and civil rights events. The group also performed for the historic 1963 March On Washington as well as took their part in the 1965 marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in support of voting rights.

Some in the folk music sphere considered the music of Peter, Paul& Mary way too commercial for their tastes, however their ability to entertain as well influence 1960's society cannot be understated. In some small part they probably helped to advance civil rights as well as advance social progress. They were simply superstars.