Mary Travers of Peter, Paul & Mary Dead at 72

The folk icon, who's voice was one of the most popular of the 1960s, has passed away.

By Erik Pedersen Sep 17, 2009 1:00 AMTags

That soaring voice, one of the most powerful of the 1960s, has been silenced. Folk music icon Mary Travers died today of leukemia at age 72, according to her publicist.

As part of Peter, Paul & Mary, the singer had a string of hits during the folk-music boom of the 1960s, including "If I Had a Hammer," "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and "Puff (The Magic Dragon)."

Political as well as popular, Travers and her musical cohorts Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey performed at the 1963 March on Washington in support of the civil rights movement, traveled through Alabama with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and protested against the Vietnam war. 

The trio disbanded in 1971, but regrouped over the years for political rallies, anti-nuclear events and the Democratic National Convention in 2004.

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