Peter Yarrow: folk singer dies at 86

Peter Yarrow (1938-2025) is dead. The well-known folk singer of Peter, Paul and Mary died of cancer on January 7th at the age of 86 in the New York borough of Manhattan. Yarrow’s publicist Ken Sunshine confirmed this. Yarrow was battling bladder cancer.

The singer, who was also born in New York City, achieved worldwide fame with the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Among other things, he co-wrote the hit “Puff, the Magic Dragon”. The band was also successful with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind”. With John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane” the group made it to the top of the US charts. Yarrow was also politically active and spoke out against the Vietnam War, for example.

His daughter Bethany: “As you may know, our beloved father Peter Yarrow has been battling cancer for some time.” Yarrow amazed the doctors, but it was already clear at that point that the singer wouldn’t live much longer. “It’s been a long road and he was a strong dragon, but right now he is very weak and at 86 years old his days as a dragon are numbered.”

There is “Peter Yarrow, the folk activist legend, and then there is the man, a deeply compassionate human being who changed the lives of so many people in very personal ways.” Friends and fans were able to share their memories and appreciation before the singer’s passing. “These words and contributions are more than just stories – they are his true legacy that will endure long after his death.”