“Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee.”
Peter Yarrow, a third of the iconic folk music trio, “Peter, Paul and Mary,” has entered the last chapter of his magnificent life, dying at 86, his daughter Bethany confirmed in a statement released to media outlets.
The legendary musician passed away on Tuesday (American time), in his home in New York, after a four-year battle with bladder cancer. His spokesperson also confirmed the news of his passing to media outlets the same day.
"Our fearless dragon is tired and has entered the last chapter of his magnificent life. The world knows Peter Yarrow the iconic folk activist, but the human being behind the legend is every bit as generous, creative, passionate, playful, and wise as his lyrics suggest," his daughter Bethany said in a statement to media outlets.
"Driven by a deep belief that a more compassionate and respectful world is possible, my father has lived a cause-driven life full of love and purpose. He always believed, with his whole heart, that singing together could change the world,” she added.
Born on May 31, 1938, Yarrow grew up in a household that valued art and scholarship. He began taking violin lessons as a child, before switching to the guitar—embracing the music from folk icons like Woody Guthrie and Peter Seeger.
His time as a college student at Cornell University pushed him to pursue a career in music, hence the creation of the 1960s' legendary trio. Over the years, Yarrow, Noel Paul Stooke, and Mary Travers would go on to release folk-pop hits like “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” “If I Had a Hammer,” and “The Great Mandala.”
However, the group’s most enduring song penned by Yarrow is, “Puff, the Magic Dragon” from their 1960s album “Presenting Peter, Paul and Mary.”
The song was based on the poem by author Leonard Lipton, about a magical dragon named Puff and his human friend Jackie Paper. The two go on adventures in the magical land of Honah Lee.
Like the poem, Yarrow would live a life filled with adventures, releasing hit tracks, using his platform to organize protests against war, and speaking out against school bullying.
After an eight-year hiatus, the trio reunited in 1981; releasing five more albums before Traver’s passing.
“Please don’t stop believing in magic dragons. Hope dies when we stop believing, stop caring, and stop singing. He may have been a dyed-in-the-wool progressive, but his passion and music touched people of all ages and political stripes around the world,” the singer’s daughter said.
Yarrow is survived by his ex-wife Mary Beth, daughter Bethany, son Christopher, and granddaughter Valentina.
