Mary Travers has died

[janisian]

I regret having to pass this information on... from Peter Yarrow. She was always wonderful to me; for a short while we lived in the same apartment building. She fought a long, hard, good fight.

<<Surrounded by love with a spirit of quiet, grateful, celebration amongst
many friends who had gathered to be with her, Mary chose to leave us a few
minutes before 7:30 pm, this evening.

She was in no pain and was able to understand and respond to spoken words
even up to some time late in the afternoon, just a few hours before her
pasing.

I was able to convey the thoughts, messages of appreciation and love, from
many of you who contacted me.

It was an honor and a blessing to have been with Mary in this last, powerful
chapter in her life. She was Mary to a "T" until the end, nodding yesterday
when asked if she wanted to go shopping with the girls at the Mall, gently
(but clearly) slapping away the arm of a nurse who didn't stop doing
something to Mary when she asked her not to (all this with her eyes
unopened). I could sense her delight when I came to sit with her, massage
her fingers as I always did on tour, and tell her all the things worth
saying to express my love, for quite a long period of time during the day.

She was a giant of a person, in spirit and heart, till the end. Missing her
has only just begun.

Love to you all,

Peter>>

[Chet]

"I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again ... "

Farewell, Mary.

[dreamchaser728]

I'm sorry to hear that. She was a beautiful singer. I was just watching the trio on our local PBS station the other night. So sad.

It is also a sad day for television. Henry Gibson of Laugh-In died today as well. I had to update my websites with that sad news today also.

What a rotten day. :(

[hoops]

May she now rest in Peace
Peace
Noel

[Baz]

I am so grateful to her for all she has given.

Kenny Rankin's death came suddenly. Mary's has been seemingly imminent, for so long fighting.

The tears will come, but thank you's abound.

[Mary6906]

May she finally rest in peace and comfort.
I've been lucky to have been able to see them perform many times since I was a young kid, Mary will sadly be missed.

[Jim in Chattanooga, TN]

It seems like we are losing people every day.

Here's the story on Mary Travers from MSNBC.

The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32886244/?gt1=43001

[Jim in Chattanooga, TN]

I saw Mary perform in a small club in Dayton, Ohio in the late 70's. She put on a very comfortable show and when she sang "Blowin' In the Wind", she would just wave her hand in air and the crowd would sing the chorus. I bought her a cognac after the show.

Rest In Peace, Mary...

[JoanM]

I learned to play guitar by playing along with PP&Ms songs (scratched a lot of LPs) and remember the first time I heard them in Chicago in 1964. I still have the autographed program. Mary's voice and presence were always so strong. (She even sang on a song on one of the Bitchin' Babes CDs.) I kept up with PP&M through the years and last heard them a few years back at Ravinia. My head keeps hearing "music speaks louder than words" and "weave, weave, weave me the sunshine, out of the pouring rain..." Carry on Mary, carry on.

[GodSistah]

Rest in Peace, Mary...

[Bat]

Of all the groups, PP&M was my personal favorite of all time, and Mary Travis was so special! I am near tears finding this out...I was going to look at their page last night, but it got late, and there wouldn't have been any news on it yet, anyway...funny how I was thinking of her so hard. Some people just come into mind as if they want to say goodbye...but I'd never met her, just heard the group from an audience point of view...
Well, anyway, goodbye, Mary...you were fine, and I loved you.

[Rickster]

Such an inspiration...God bless you Mary! We love you! Rest in peace!

Here's a link:

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2009/09/16/2009-09-16_mary_travers_of_peter_paul_and_mary_dead.html

[Mary6906]

Joni Mitchell, Mama Cass, and Mary Travers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aYAUE6is7I

[Marcia Drummergal]

We were fortunate enough to have heard them in concert last decade. At one point, Peter and Paul left the stage to give Mary a "solo" portion of the set. I was stunned to see Peter walk by me (as we were sitting in the BALCONY!) I instinctively reached out to touch his shoulder. He turned around and asked me if the sound was good up there. I responded, "yes." Ever the professional, doing a sound check in the middle of the show!

I loved Mary. Not much to add to what everyone else has said. She will truly be missed by so very, very many.

Marcia :(

[Randy & Betty in Pa]

The world is a sadder place today.... PP&M was one act I never saw though I have always loved. They gave us all so much joy and laughter from there music. So many smiles and now she is gone... God Bless you Mary, Rest in peace knowing that your loved.

I think Bat's comments say everything I find the need to say.

Janis, thank you for personally posting this, I don't know why but for some reason there is comfort in that.

Prayers to Peter & Paul as well as their family and millions of friends that are shocked by Maary's passing.

Best.

R

[Cardiffgal]

http://www.marytravers.com/

[Dee]

Thank you for the music, Mary Travers. May your soul rest in peace now.

[Dougster]

"If I Had a Hammer" has been running through my head all morning. Mary we need you now in these times. Thank goodness your songs and spirit will last forever...

[DaveM]

I remember when I first learned of her illness. In spite of myself, I said out loud, "but they can't die....!"

And now I cannot get those words out of my head. It is a terrible thing indeed when seemingly all that is good and gentle and friendly and uplifting in one's world begins passing, bit by ever more conspicuous bit, into the next.

We miss you, Mary. Please, sing one more for us every now and then if you have a mind to.

The first music book I ever owned when I started to play the guitar at age 9 was "Peter, Paul, And Mary: 10 Years Together". My life is literally different for these gentle folks having walked the earth. Those who are still walking will, I have no doubt, carry it on. But one great light is now dark.

Janis, please do pass along condolences from the Rudies if you will. No doubt each of us has our own memories here, but we have almost certainly all been touched by this.

[AceOn6]

So sad, mostly because she had more to give. Also, it reminds me that I'm mortal. I'm not ready to grow up yet!

[Colefan]

Janis,

I'm sorry you lost your friend.

Upon reflection of Mary Travers, and their music, the remembrance of swinging away on the backyard swing set with the big Sis singing PP&M songs (and the occasional showtune!)

Sat on my own swing set today in my own backyard and listened to Patty's "Mary."

Thank you Mary for that voice, your love of music.

To paraphrase- I hope those birds are singing you a million songs without any words.

[dragonlady]

Heard the news on NPR this morning...it was a bit of a shock to realizw we had lost yet another voice from our world...I'll miss her and hearing the three of them singing together.

-di

[Mimi]

Peter, Paul and Mary were among the very first folk voices I had in my live and at 13 or 14 I knew many of their songs by heart and could sing along...

And last night while cooking something funny happened to me: I was extracting the juice from a lemon when I found a pip with a really large green sprout in it... almost a little LEMON TREE... Hopefully it'll grow to become a really lovely lemon tree in Mary's honour.

Mimi

[Diny]

Rest in peace, Mary. I'll never forget you. Thank you for your music!

[Dougster]

Dave your words expressed what I am feeling. Beautiful.

[Baz]

one would be hard pressed to find many Janis fans who were not PPM fans, and vice versa.....certainly tastes vary, but they are linked by their commitment to taking their Art and using its power for social reasons as well as aesthetic. Songs that are beautiful to the ear and to the heart.

We must be most grateful to have such talent in our lives, and Mary had been in mine, like most of you, for 40 plus years.

For someone like Janis I'm sure there is pain that we don't feel but also inspiration to continue the creativity; as an active performer whose voice is among those special people, like PPM, like Tom Paxton, like so many of her peers, older and contemporary, that must be heard. This world has too much ugliness, and pain, and then the more normal goodbyes we experience now with Mary, to be cavalier about those who represent civility, and dignity, and beauty, in song, singing and composing.

[JoanM]

I sang for a Habitat for Humanity/WomanBuild event yesterday. Before my last song ("Weave Me The Sunshine") I talked about the influence Mary and PP&M have had on my life. I said that while thankful for the years and music Mary shared with us how sad it is that she is no longer with us. The next 10 minutes or so were filled with different women in the audience telling their connection to PP&M and how they had viewed Mary as a role model. There was a universal connection with social awareness and involvement. I know conversations like this are continuing among friends and fans. Her gift will not be forgotten. jm

[Baz]

Folks,
if you go to peterpaulandmary.com and it opens with a page dedicated to Mary, you will read Noel and Peter, and just like them, and apparently Mary, it was as honest as you can get. I never knew Mary, a hello which I remembered, she would not have, but I've worked with Noel and Peter. They wrote about her not as if she walked on water; she was a hard nosed, tough lady, honest as honest can get, and you will see how unique these people were as a trio and as individuals when you see how their pain is so palpable, and their recollections of Mary so unpretentious.
I don't know from them, but from friends closer to Noel and Peter, that this has been some ordeal for them; Mary has been so ill, she had back problems that were making tours impossible, well before the leukemia. And after her bone marrow transplant, and the 5 years it tacked on, there were so many moments when she might have given up; so difficult was the side effect of chemo, and the pulmonary problems she suffered.
This is such a sad time, but it is uplifting, yes uplifting, to see that despite death, the love of these people was real, it was cluttered like love always is, and the music will always live on.

a very sad Baz

[Roady]

Audio Podcast Remembering Mary Travers (http://vintagenewscast.com/?p=1342) with Gretchen Peters.

You can read it, play or download the podcast.

[Beth]

Peter, Paul, and Mary had a huge influence on me when I was a young person trying to make sense of the world. I learned to play guitar from their records and songbooks like many others. They gave me the gift of a lifetime of loving guitar and music making. They are what it means to be Folk Musicians. I am grateful to have lived in their time. I remember writing to Mary as a teen and having her write back. I was really thrilled. What a treasure that was for many years.

[Baz]

Peter and Noel Paul will be doing a duo concert in memory of Mary at what used to be called the Westbury Music Fair on Long Island........Dec 4........

B.