RIP Mary Travers
 

One of the icons of my generation passed away today. Rest in Peace Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news...ydeadat72.html

DaffyKD

It was the first thing I heard when I turned on the car radio this morning, and I'll admit it -- I teared up. This one hits much closer to home for me than, say, Michael Jackson's death.

When I was growing up, my father always had music playing in the house. It might be Beethoven or Brahms, Carmen or The Pirates of Penzance, traditional Scottish music or Benny Goodman, the Chad Mitchell Trio or Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Often, it was Peter, Paul and Mary. My sister had wanted to hear them in concert so he took her and few of her friends, and he came home hooked.

It struck me as interesting after I grew up. My father was not particularly conservative, but he wasn't particularly liberal either -- just a typical, middle-of-the-road WWII vet. He certainly wasn't going to march in protest or anything, though he and my mother passed along attitudes on some things (like race) that were certainly more liberal than might have been typical in the small-town South of the 1960s. I wonder sometimes if he thought about the implications of having his kids constantly hearing and singing along to "The Times, They Are A'Changing," "Blowin' in the Wind," "If I Had a Hammer," and the like. (Yeah, I know none of those songs were original to PP&M, but that's who I heard singing them.) He just loved their music. It became one of those things we shared as a family.

In the soundtrack of my life, Peter Paul and Mary have provided lots of tracks. Rest in Peace, Mary Travers, and thank you.

I heard about it last night - I hadn't known that Mary had leukemia. For years, I've told people that even if you don't like Peter, Paul and Mary, you'll love their concerts. No matter what your political persuation, you had fun!
I will sincerely miss Mary. The world will sincerely miss her concerts - I hope that Peter & Paul don't try to replace her. May Mary rest in peace.

Oh wow. What MysticCat said about Peter, Paul, and Mary providing part of the soundtrack of his life...so true. I'm especially thinking of campfires back in the day with people playing PP&M's music on their guitars.