Peter Yarrow – the singer-songwriter best known for his work with the legendary folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary – has died.
He was 86 years old.
Yarrow leaves behind a complex legacy.
Along with his collaborators Paul Stookey and Mary Travers, Yarrow helped shape the musical tastes of an entire generation.
The group’s 1962 debut album went double platinum and won two Grammys.
Peter, Paul and Mary used their platform to promote the careers of lesser-known artists such as Bob Dylan.
The group’s cover of Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” is often credited with sparking mainstream interest in his 1963 album. Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.
A bad legacy
But Yarrow’s success had a dark side. As he prepared to embark on a solo career in 1970, he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old fan the year before.
as the the vulture After reaching a plea deal with prosecutors, Yarrow served three months to one to three years in prison, reports said.
In 1981, he was pardoned by President Jimmy Carter. In 2021, fans, Barbara Winter, confirmed that Yarrow had abused her On many occasions.
\
That same year, a second woman sued Yarrow for allegedly raping her in 1969, when she was still a minor.
Cause of death of Peter Yarrow
The New York Times confirmed that Yarrow died after a four-year battle with bladder cancer.
Travers passed away in 2009, leaving Stuckey as the sole surviving member of one of the most influential groups of the ’60s.
Yarrow is survived by his two children and his wife, Mary Beth McCarthy, niece of 1968 presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy.
Our thoughts are with Yarrow’s loved ones at this difficult time.
