To All, I am writing to express appreciation for Peter Yarrow's great legacy of movement-building through music, and other means through which he has created and carried a lineage of ways to imagine and organize together for the greater good. I met him at gatherings hosted by his daughter Bethany at her home in upstate New York that were full of activists, artists, local community members, folks from far and wide, plenty of good people just looking to live their lives to help others, in offbeat and/or on-beat ways. It was fun, and actually there were important eco-justice initiatives organized there too! Peter shared songs and stories and deep words of hard-won wisdom and encouragement. We should not forget the courage it took to be fighting Jim Crow and racial terror in the deep South of the 1960s or to oppose the Vietnam War when so many powerful forces wanted to suppress the truth. Also, when he talks about contemporary social problems, he brings an intelligence about the need for healing and repair that is rare in today's polarized, and combative world. I also heard him share like this in New York City and in the Black Hills. Peter reminds us that creativity, humor and kindness nurture courage. He reminds us that adversity can strengthen character. And that we can grow our imagination in community. Through his beloved Mary Beth, Christopher and Bethany, he has radiated out a culture of loving family that is happy to enfold and include others from all walks of life. I am among the many who are grateful to Peter for his life's work.

Sincerely, Karenna Gore  

I first met Peter at a young and impressionable age. Once a year he would have a youth group of kids on the Circle Line and sing to us. There wasn’t one of us that didn’t know Puff the magic dragon. Peter loved kids. Later in life I had the privilege of working with Noel Stookey and got to know Mary as well. But it was Peter who always made me feel loved and appreciated. Last year we tried to collaborate on a project for the Children of Ukraine but his cancer kept him from working on it. We enjoyed dinner in his neighborhood, his concerts which I loved going to and hour calls and texts. One of his last texts to me in September said: I would’ve loved to have gotten together with you, my brother, but Cancer is like a chronic disease, one that is a race between the technology being developed to impede its progress and the ability of the disease in its own Darwinian struggle. Big hugs, my brother and thank you for checking in XO.
Peter.

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- John Battiloro

Peter doesn't know me, but his music, both with Peter, Paul & Mary and with his solo performances, has been the soundtrack of my life. My parents were both big fans, and we had all of the albums (and, yes, I mean actual albums) playing on our RCA stereo all of the time. My sister and I grew up knowing all of the words of...and singing along with...all of Peter's iconic songs. It was a great thrill to see Peter, Paul & Mary performing live in NYC, along with my dad, not too long before Mary's passing. There are moments you remember all your life...and that performance was one of them for me. And, then, of course, I appreciated so many of Peter's appearances on PBS, both his performances and during the fundraising drives. His music, his passion, his dedication to good causes have been a source of true inspiration and admiration and respect for me. When I read about his work with Operation Respect, I saw how very closely it aligns with the some of the work we are doing at Temple Beth Tikvah (Wayne, NJ) with our Shine a Light program. Thank you, Peter, for all you have meant to me and my family...without ever knowing us. Thank you for modeling your good works for your son and daughter, who, no doubt, will carry on your legacy with honor. I shall continue to keep you in my mishabeirach prayers. Wishing you strength and, most importantly, comfort and peace.

Best,
Janice Paul

Wow, Peter Yarrow, the happy dragon of Peter, Paul, and Mary was knocking on our door, waiting to carpool the neighborhood kids to Malibu Montessori school.

We’d never met before, but; we felt connected. While Peter was organizing, leading and singing in anti-Vietnam War protests, we were marching in those protests.

Over the next 50 years, our relationship grew in love and respect as we worked together against the nuclear power plant in Morro Bay, problems in the Philippines, and most recently against Gun Violence in Schools.

After Peter organized singer-songwriters to travel to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to help surviving students manage their grief, he asked us to document some students with their results.

And there’s also Peter's zany sense of humor. We’ll always remember Peter, dressed as the Easter Bunny, romping down the beach, delivering eggs to kids on Easter morning! Peter is family.

Peter is LOVE, LOVE, LOVE
Beth & George Gage

Dear Peter,

When I first met you, we were both 30 years younger and I was a real estate executive with Toys “R” Us and as a sideline serve this president and chairman of the Toys “R” Us foundation.

We both grew older together and have suffered some of the same illnesses. I will never forget when you presented Toys “R” Us myself and Mike Goldstein a certificate on stage and you were proud of our sponsorship and we were proud to sponsor you.

You will conquer this illness and go on to continue your charitable endeavors.

I will never forget you, Paul and beloved Mary.

With all my love and Susan‘s love,

Michael 

As I surveyed the devastation of November 5th this year, I wondered whether I could retreat from the battlefield of social justice and turn my attention exclusively to private pleasures: family, music, photography, travel. I realized I couldn't and then started to survey the origin of my passion for achieving a just society. It certainly didn't come from my parents who, my G-d, voted for Richard Nixon in 1960. I then realized that it came from the soft and insistent music and lyrics of the folk music which I imbibed throughout the 1960's and, of course, Peter, Paul & Mary was the first among the folk artists to whom I listened: "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" and "Blowin' in the Wind?". These songs and others by P, P &M (as well, of course, the recordings, of Joan, Judy and Phil) imbedded themselves into my very being and made me the person who I am today and have been my entire life.
Without your music, Peter, I may well have become that big law attorney that my father wished me to be.

I want to thank you, Peter, for that and for the personal relationship we developed while I was at Warner Bros Records and afterwards. It was the thrill of a lifetime to become friends with one of the icons of my adolescence. Not just friends, but also colleagues, as you engaged me in your activities on behalf of, anti-bullying and gun control and safety. Also, thank you for your beautiful tribute to me on the occasion of my receiving The Spirit of Liberty award from People for the American Way.

Thank you, Peter, for turning my life toward the work of peace and justice. You are in substantial part responsible for the life I have led and the person I became.

Peace, Brother.... David Altschul

I first met Peter in the early 1970's when Alex Hassilev, with whom I was living, took me to McCabe's to see Peter do a solo gig. Alex thought we would appreciate each other politically and was he ever right! We went on to produce three Survival Sunday's at the Hollywood Bowel, anti-nuclear programs that featured a wonderful assortment of performers. Then we did a big rally up at Diablo Canyon, again with a star-studded cast of progressive performers. I learned so much about producing live events from Peter and we went on to do films together as well. I remember with great joy a fundraiser we did at 27 West 67th for our film about Allard Lowenstein. Peter went up and started singing and pitching at the same time, and when we got off stage, we had raised $60,000. Peter was also in the Lowenstein film and did a wonderful interview about Al, his dear friend. To cap it off, we used "Sweet Survivor" at the end of film and it was wonderfully emblematic of the whole project. So many memories, so many shows back stage, so many fundraisers. When Peter did a concert in Malibu by himself, he stopped midway and said "Everybody under 12 years of age, Julie and Carl (Rogers) please join me on stage. Carl and I got to sing Puff with the dragon himself. Flash forward to ONE STORY AT A TIME, the film we made with him and Linda Carroll during the pandemic. Having wonderful work at that time because of Peter, was such a gift. I love you Peter and have loved you for fifty years. Travel on, your songs will be sung forever!  

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- Julie Thompson

Peter,
What can I say?
You (along with Mary and Noel) were the very first inspiration for my life of commitment to peace. I heard If I Had a Hammer while driving a truck on the TO a cattle ranch in Raton, MN before my freshman year in college, and it transformed me into an activist. Decades later, John Garamendi introduced us, and we a have been partners ever since. Knowing you, traveling with you, and working with you has been a tremendous privilege and a personal joy. Operation Respect, your creation, has been among the most valuable new initiatives to build peace and promote cooperation in our lifetime, and the impact will be realized in the lives of tens of thousands of young people as they mature and throughout their lives.
Your legacy will be revered and it will endure for generations. Few people in any walk of life has made a greater impact for good.
We love you, and we are with you every step of the way. Be sure Bethany, Christopher, and Mary Beth know we are ready to help in any way we can. We will come to NYC to visit if you are up to it, but we don't want to intrude.
Take good care of yourself, and know you are loved and honored for all that you have done and for the amazing human you are. You and your spirit live on and on in all of us.
XOXOXO, Chic

Peter Yarrow raised me from a child (although he would not have been aware of that until I was nearly 60, when I met him in person for the first time.) Like Peter, Paul and Mary, I was “formed” in 1961. Luckily for me, my brother Dale Jones was 13 at that time, and it was he who introduced me to so many of the most important things in my life, including the magical music of PPM. I cannot recall a time in my life when the music of PPM was not playing somewhere in our home or our car - if not ringing out on our record player (and later on other formats!) then through my brother’s guitar and voice. Many of my earliest lessons in justice and humanity came as my brother explained PPM’s powerful lyrics to me starting in the 60s. When our daughters were born in the 1990s, I paid this forward by playing Peter, Paul and Mommy and then Peter, Paul and Mommy Too. I finally got to meet Peter in 2019 at Harvard Business School, of all places. I found myself sitting at a conference with mostly other “business people”, who shared a desire to leave the world a better place than we found it. Many participants had invited guests who shared that goal. To my overwhelming surprise, I saw Peter Yarrow (THE Peter Yarrow!!) sitting several rows in front of me. As a New Yorker, I at first played it cool and resisted the urge I felt to run up and fanboy him, but when he rose to walk at a break, I shamelessly threw myself at him, explaining to him how he had raised me. Peter, being Peter, hugged me and could not have been more engaging. Picking up on the theme of the conference, I asked what he was working on, and - as always - he was engaged in many wonderful causes, but he raised with me the work he was doing with “the Parkland Kids”, the survivors of the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy. Less than a week later, he had enlisted me to help in my small way. In the ensuing years, Peter has made my family and me feel part of his family, even completing the circle during COVID by singing to my brother over Zoom on his birthday and giving him a guitar with a loving inscription and marvelously whimsical self portrait! Dragons live forever, and this dragon, Peter, will live forever through the love that he showered on so many people. We love you, Peter! 

Peter, you changed the trajectory of my life. The Trio came to San Antonio and performed at the Hemisfair Area in 1969. I attended with my college girlfriend. The next year you came back. I bought tickets and thought she would be my date. There was a death in her family so I invited my brother (Christopher) to come with me on the prepurchased ticket. I learned somewhere that you and Noel and Mary would come out and talk to folks after the show if we waited until the crowd cleared out. About 45 minutes later, the three of you came out and went to different places on the arena floor. I went to you because I was a wantabe guitarist and I loved some of the songs you had written. You talked about your recent trip to India and gradually even the hangers-on began to drift away. I thing there were three or four others besides Chris and myself still there when a security guard appeared and told us that we couldn't be there. You said, "I'm Peter Yarrow and we performed tonight." He said, "You can go to the dressing room. These people have to leave. At that time, you invited us to meet your for breakfast before you had to fly out. Chris and I went home. I set an alarm, but my mother (knowing that we didn't get in until close to 4 am) turned the alarm off.

Two years later, you came back to San Antonio with a group called Lazarus. Rod Kennedy promoted the tour. We reconnected briefly and you said to me, "You have to be in Kerrville on Memorial Day Weekend. We are starting a festival up there and you would love it." I started making plans. I went to the festival for Saturday night. You and Charlie Sumners invited everyone to come to the "Folk Mass" on the Schreiner Campus the next morning. I was by myself. I slept in my car and was there.

I had just graduated from college. I was running a construction company. I did not have fond feelings for the church-- not hostile, just irrelevant. You and Allen Damron and Charlie brought a whole new perspective to worship, and I returned to the church as a youth director trying to help the kids in the church understand the relevancy. (There were other things happening in my life but a whole lot of it came together at Charlie's service.) I continued to come to the Kerrville Festival. Three years later, my commitments to the church and to my business collided and I had to make some hard choices. I shut my company and went to seminary. In that decade, I missed two festivals. In those days, KFF was only one weekend.

To make a long story shorter, I went to seminary in 1975. I was ordained in 1979. That year, Rod Kennedy invited me to join "the staff" and I was deeply involved with construction and maintenance on the festival grounds. When the festival was expanded to 11 days in 1981, I was invited to lead worship on the second weekend. I have a picture on my wall of you singing over my shoulder in 1983. For almost a decade, you were a major part of our worship services.

Kerrville became a significant part of my life. When Rod and Nancylee Kennedy sold Quiet Valley Ranch and the Folk Festival to a group of patrons, I was one of the original investors. That was in 1997 and 1998. Within five years, the new Executive Director had burned through the half million dollars we (collectively) paid, but had saddled the two corporations with an additional half million dollar debt. Skipping the details, you, Stuart Vexler, Vern Crawford, Lenore Langdorf and myself worked for three months to find a way to save the festival. We talked several times a week. In the end, it all worked out. We formed the Quiet Valley Stewardship Group and raised enough money to escape foreclosure on the land. It was in those days of 2002 that I think we became more than friendly acquaintances and became friends.

In 2011, I received a call from my brother Christopher who was a dean at the University of WIsconsin in Madison. He said to me, "We were sitting in the dean's lounge bemoaning how Scott Walker was working to break the public sector unions in Wisconsin. There are tens of thousands of people wandering the streets, not knowing what to do. One of the other deans said, we need to find a way to bring them together. If we could get Bono here, he could do it." Another said, "U2 is on tour in Africa. That won't work." Someone said, "Peter, Paul and Mary could bring them together but Mary's gone." Chris said, "All of a sudden, every eye in the room was on me. Someone said, "you've told us that your brother is a friend of Peter Yarrow. Can he get him to come?" There was silence on the phone and brother Chris broke it saying, "Well, can you?"

My heart sank. I had a sinking feeling and I didn't want to cash in all the chips that I may or may not have had. I said, "Send me some information and I'll look at it tonight." I was in the choir room at the church when I got my brother's call. I walked back to my office, and thought, there is nothing my brother can send me that will make any difference. My brother has asked me to do something and I either can or I can't. It was about four o'clock on a Monday after noon. I called your cell phone and you answered on the third ring. I said, "Peter, this is Walter Lee." He almost shouted at me, "What are you doing in Lybia. Don't you know it's dangerous there." I said, "Peter, I'm in Texas." You said, "Oh, goodness that's good. I thought you were Skyping from Lybia. What can I do for you?" I said, "Are you aware of what's going on in Madison Wisconsin.? You said, "Yes, we're following it very closely." I related my conversation with my brother and then asked the question, "Is there any chance that you might be able to go?" There was dead silence on the phone. I don't know how long it lasted. Then you spoke. "Walter, I don't think I can leave today." You turned to your staff and said, "When can you get me in and out of Madison this week." You came back within a minute and said, "I can be there Wednesday. I'll stay over night. Tell your brother that I'm staying with him and I'll need to fly out Thursday morning. Or I can fly in and out on Friday." I'll never forget calling my brother back within 20 minutes of his call and telling him that he could have you Wednesday evening or mid-day Friday. You went on Friday and sang to a crowd estimated to be 100,000 people in frigid temperatures. Your songs and your message are still up on youtube.com. It's a shame that the people did not prevail.

Peter, you have done so much for so many. I will be eternally grateful for our friendship. Thank you, my friend, my brother. You will live ever in my heart. 

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- Walter Lee

To my dear friend, Peter. I know people around the world will be sharing stories about how much your iconic songs have meant to them. Having grown up in the 60s, your powerful lyrics and anthems have meant so much to me too. As I have grown older, however, it’s been your unyielding activism and fight for civil rights that have meant even more. Few people have dedicated their lives -- their ever-waking hours -- to continue to fight for peace and social reform.

But having the rare opportunity to have gotten to know you through The Carter Center has meant even more. I treasure our conversations that were filled with love and laughter. I will forever value our shared work to promote respect and tolerance in schools. I think of you every day as I admire the painting you did for me. It proudly has a place in my home.

So, among the countless contributions to your legacy, your music is uniquely positioned at the center of American culture and your life’s work in social justice will continue to inspire generations. But it’s your friendship and generosity, Peter, that have touched me the most.

Peace and love,
Gail Shore
Balsam Lake, WI

Peter provided so much of the sound track of my life--not only in his music and voice, but with his indomitable spirit and values driven commitment.
Of course, If I Had a Hammer--I'd hammer out justice!, for the civil rights movement.
For Peace in Vietnam with The Great Mandala
For health care, for people with disabilities, for immigration reform, for every good cause for freedom and decency--Peter's music was there.
And PETER was there.
He often came at my request. And he most often came at his generous suggestion.
He was there to offer humor, whimsy and joy (Puff the Magic Dragon) and hope (Stewball)
He was there to call us to our better angels (Don't Laugh At Me)
and he was there to build the movement.
His children's books now populate my own grandchildren's shelves.
His voice in in my mind, his spirit in my heart. And I hope to carry on his commitments to making this a more just and caring world in all I can do.
Love you, Peter
--from Heather Booth  

Peter has been on my musical radar since the early days of Peter, Paul and Mary. My parents had several of their albums, and I listened to them regularly. Their music is still in my rotation, in fact. My fondest memory, however, is a fundraiser he attended for Senator Tammy Baldwin in 2012. Thanks to weather issues (at least I was thankful for them) he was not able to travel to his next destination after his first scheduled fundraiser. He then agreed to add a second fundraiser for Tammy in Green Bay, WI. I was fortunate to attend, and I, along with everyone else in attendance, were awed and inspired my his music, his performance, and his emotional exhortations to get out and work Tammy and President Obama. Exactly one week later, his inspiration (and the work he inspired) led to both of them emerging victorious. Despite the sorrow of the most recent presidential election, Senator Baldwin was re-elected. To me, this year's success still owes a debt to Peter from 12 years ago. Thank you, and God bless, Peter! 

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- Jim Morgenstern

Dear Peter, precious friend and brother,
There are so many ways in which you have touched Trina and me and our children and grandchildren through your music, art, storytelling, and heartful sharing. You have done the same for millions of people across the world. We have seen you leverage the opportunity and responsibility that your talent, celebrity, and social capital give you to be a positive force and role model for people and groups. We have seen you give people hope, enabling them to embrace their common humanity and their connectedness to and with people whom they have never met. We have seen you uplift and unite many disparate people and groups-- even when people have been in places of grief, frustration, and despair. And we have seen you touch the hearts of leaders so that they could connect to their values and be more motivated them to do good.
Peter, you had a profound and humanizing impact on others, both directly and through others, including Trina and me. Let us share one such occasion. The setting was Dakar, Bangladesh in 2012, during a general strike. The context was work that Trina and I were doing with a wonderful NGO, BRAC. The specific occasion was a weeklong co--constructive collaboration between two Jewish Americans and 20 Islamic Bangladeshi BRAC staff. Our goal was incorporate culturally responsive social emotional learning into the 64,000 primary schools that BRAC ran for first-generation students in rural Bangladesh. The last session included a summative closing. The closing started with participants sharing what they had learned, how they felt about what they had learned it, and what they would do with what they learned. We concluded the intentionally evocative closing by listening to Palestinian and Israeli singers, Amal Murkus and David Bozer join you in singing “Don’t Bully Me” and “We Shall Overcome,” recordings that came out of your peace building work in Palestine and Israel, that you had often shared with us and others. We shared that historical context with our Bangladeshi colleagues as it was resonant with group conflict in Bangladesh. They spontaneously joined in the final song, singing We Shall Overcome in Bangla while you, Trina and I were singing in English, and Amal and David sang in Arabic and Hebrew. That 2012 memory has remained a vivid memory of an experience that reflected your biculturalism, multiculturalism, internationalism, and peacebuilding. Although we did not tape that memorable moment, we found a version of “We Shall Overcome” being sung in English, Bangla, Hindi, and Urdu, which was recorded to uplift people during Covid. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9EOKKyKy54 We share with you in recognition of your bountiful love and great work.
Peace and love,
David and Trina Osher

My dearest friend and “Uncle” of 43 years. Where to begin? I write this to you through tears because of the love that I have for you and our friendship. You have been such an important part of my life, and for that I will always be grateful. I so admire the warm, generous, compassionate, genuine person that you are. Your humor is one of a kind, we have shared so many laughs throughout the years, we really do “get” each other. My life will forever be better because you’ve been a part of it. I wish we could have more time together, but I wanted you to know that I will always cherish the times we’ve had and the time we still have. Thank you for being you and for being a blessing in everyone’s life, especially mine and my family. I have loved our back and forth texts that are more like novels with our silly pics/emojis that you and I appreciate even if we don’t always know what they are or what they mean, lol.
You’ve done so many incredible things in your life—for your family, in your career, and for all of us who care about you. What a difference you’ve made. A person like you doesn’t come along very often. You made so many tough times easier and the best times even better. I will hold every memory we’ve made together close to my heart forever. Thank you for everything. I love you with all my heart. ~Lisa

Peter-

I have been fortunate to know you for over 20 years now, ever since we met through the Guggenheim's "Learning to Read Through the Arts" program. From the moment we crossed paths, your warmth, openness, and kindness drew me to you, and we immediately became friends.

You are, without question, a one-of-a-kind man. There's a quote that comes to mind when I think of you: “A person who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” Your life has been anything but wasted, Peter. You’ve spent it pouring your energy into causes that matter, into people who need your kindness, and into creating beautiful moments of music and joy for all who are lucky enough to be around you.

Your humanitarian work, especially the creation of the Operation Respect platform, which helped Israel-Arab children connect with one another, is a testament to your belief in unity, understanding, and the power of empathy. The way you've dedicated yourself to breaking down barriers and building bridges between cultures is something that will leave an indelible mark on the world. You have made a difference—truly—a difference that echoes far beyond what most of us will ever know.

The memory of the many musical gatherings at your home, with friends and loved ones, will forever remain in my heart. You were always the most gracious, caring host, and those evenings were filled with music, laughter, and a sense of community that only you could foster. And who could forget those countless Rosh Hashanah holidays, spent with you, Valentina, Bethany, and so many others, when you would get up and sing "Puff the Magic Dragon" with such joy and spirit. Those moments, Peter, will always be with me and my family.

You will forever be remembered as “Peter,” the voice of Peter, Paul, and Mary, but to me, you are so much more. You are a true friend, a man whose kindness and generosity knew no bounds. I never had the honor of meeting Christopher in person, but I felt as though I knew him through your stories—your love for him was always so palpable, and I’m sure he is just as proud of you as we all are.

As you’ve touched the lives of so many, I want you to know that your legacy will live on in the countless people whose lives you’ve changed, the children you helped, the music you shared, and the friendships you forged.
Thank you, Peter, for being the light that you are, for showing us all what it means to live with purpose, compassion, and authenticity.

Xoxo,
Vivian Serota

On this Thanksgiving Eve, I want you to know how deeply grateful I am for the opportunity to work alongside you in your publishing endeavors. It has been both a pleasure and an honor to witness your music come alive through your books and to play a small part in your mission to make the world a better place.

As I reflect on the incredible adventures we’ve shared while building your publishing business, one memory shines brightly: having dinner with you and Kaylee in Los Angeles after a bookstore signing event. We laughed so hard—so freely and unabashedly—that I genuinely thought we might get kicked out of the restaurant! Thankfully, we didn’t, but that moment remains etched in my heart as a reminder of how work never feels like work when you’re surrounded by people you love and respect.

We’ve shared so many wonderful experiences together—traveling to Bologna, singing with children during book tours, having dinners with Sterling, Charlie, Marcus, Kaylee and Frances and so on. It was a very fun ride for us all.

Your music and books have left an indelible mark on the world, resonating in the hearts of both children and adults. I have no doubt that your passion, creativity, and advocacy have made—and will continue to make—a meaningful difference in countless lives, inspiring others to strive for something greater.

Peter, I will miss you deeply, but your spirit will live on in my heart forever.

Thank you for sharing your light, your vision, and your spirit with me. Much Much Love, Paula  

I had the honor of seeing PP& M each Easter, when they would come to the SF Bay Area. As a budding guitarist, I studied the guitar parts and the stunning harmonies. Recently my partner Judi and I spent a week at a resort in Mexico with Peter, as he was healing. He attended our concert and proclaimed us ”Folksingers!” And invited us to perform with him at his concert. We sang “Stewball” and “Blowin’ In the WInd” and he set us up like PP&M. It was truly an out of body experience for me. I couldn’t believe it was me singing those songs. We had lunch with him in New York last year and visited him at his home. He told story afternoon story , filling in the history of the music of my life. I will never forget being at a demonstration protesting Diablo Canyon’s nuclear power plant and hearin his voice as he led us all in “Blowin’ In the Wind’. It showed me the power of music to lift the spirit and nurture hope. Thank you, Peter!  

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- Bob Reid

I have been extraordinarily fortunate to spend time with Peter in a variety of settings over the years including at his beautiful home in New York, sitting around the living room singing all of the beautiful songs that he and Noel Paul and Mary gifted the universe with. He has met and supported our son who is on the spectrum and his pals at the Tarrytown Music Hall several times when they were offering their handmade candles and bracelets. I had been working with Elizabeth on a potential Operation Respect program for my upstate New York hometown after young people were prevented from inflicting terrible harm on their classmates. Covid unfortunately prevented further planning.
I was overwhelmed with happy tears when Peter walked into my surprise 65th birthday party at our friends the Clarfeld's. I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined sitting before this beautiful, loving man as he sang Happy Birthday to me and then led the entire room of friends and family in several hours of the songs that we all loved and knew so well.
My office is adorned with several of Peter's beautiful art pieces all respectfully framed, a daily reminder of the bounty of his artistic talent and gifts. There are many pictures around our home of our evenings at his home in New York and the concerts we attended and of course I have an entire photo album of the birthday party which I so treasure.
As anyone in my circle of friends and family will attest I have always and will always say of Peter that he is simply the dearest man on the planet.
Thank you Peter for all that you have given the world with your loving kindness and extraordinary talent and humanity.
Bless you and your family always. love and hugs, xox, Melanie  

My dearest Peter, one of the joys of my life has been meeting you as a result of having worked for Susan Polis Schutz for 20 years. All our time together was special, seeing that beautiful face of yours and talking with you so many times and sharing music and poetry -- it's meant the world to me. I always admired the way you believed in the goodness of people and their hope to get along together. I admired the way you brought music into the lives of young people from Israel and Pakistan, connecting them with the power of music. I admired your trips around the world and your wonderful music. I adore you, I love you, you are one of the most extraordinary human beings I've ever known.

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- Kareñ Bidgood

Along with a few friends from Rancho La Puerta, she accompanied him to a concert for migrants at a shelter. People were arriving en masse on caravans, and both she and Peter had presented at “the Ranch” just the week before. He had attended all her talks, asking profound, educated questions about love and communication. It wasn’t until a few classes in that she realized he was part of the legendary trio she had gone to hear in 1962 at the College of Marin. (she knew him then as “Peter, Paul and Mary”)
That concert in 1962 had been transformative. It was the first time she understood how music could speak to her soul. She went home, replaced her Paul Newman poster with one of Peter, Paul, and Mary, and played their records on repeat, feeling as if they were speaking directly to her. That connection to their music stayed with her—and she passed it on to her friends and family. When she heard Light One Candle in 1986, she knew she’d found a guiding song for her life.
Now, decades later, she sat beside him, ready to sing for the migrants—to support and uplift fellow humans who had suffered unspeakable hardships. During the concert, she noticed a girl sitting beside her, wearing tattered clothes and flip-flops. Despite her circumstances, the girls’ gaze was clear, her smile pure. She seemed to shine with a quiet resilience.
After the concert, she turned to Peter. “That was a great concert, but we need to talk about something else,” she said. “This girl—she just got off the caravan from El Salvador. We have to keep her safe.”
“Who is she?” he asked.
“Judith,” she replied.
“How can we keep her safe?”
“I don’t know, Peter,” she admitted. “But we have to.”
She was speaking from a place deep inside her, not logical or reasonable but intuitive. Peter understood instantly. “Let’s start a non-profit,” he said. “We’ll raise money for the migrants—and keeping her safe will be central part to our work.”
Neither of them doubted they could do it. The next day, they founded One Story at a Time, arranged the first concert in her hometown of Corvallis, Oregon, and helped Judith’s family find shelter, safety and a new life.
From that first connection, One Story grew, offering safety, education, and hope to countless people in need. Orquesta Guadalupe was born under the dedicated care of Ron Wakefield, several kids were encouraged and then sponsored to finish school and go on to college , medical needs were cared for, eyeglasses purchased and a badly burned child was supported to go to Shriners in the USA. Along the way, the two of them forged a friendship so profound that they became part of each other’s families.
Their bond was unshakeable, filled with trust and honesty. In their darkest moments, they called each other. In brighter times, they shared bad jokes that were always funny.
When she turned 80, Peter promised he would be there. True to his word, even as the cancer moved swiftly, he set up a Zoom call from NYC to Portland. He filled the room with his magic, exuberance, and unwavering belief in peace and kindness. He made everyone laugh and weep at the same time—it was his special gift.
My darling Peter, because of the work you have done all your life, and despite those who have tried to extinguish it, your light has never gone out. And it won’t now. Even as you leave us, it will continue to shine through the millions of lives you’ve touched and cared for. One of the deepest blessings of my life is our friendship—knowing your beautiful family, making mischief, and creating magic together for so many years.

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- Linda Carroll

My Brother, word has reached us that your challenges are great and that your spirit is indomitable. I am glad and honored to be among the cohort of your loved ones, collaborators, and allies, and to contribute something for you at this time. The message is simple: I love you; and in this declaration I speak for Liam and Katrina who know of what I speak and do likewise. I have been invited to remenisce with you about our times together now measured in decades: from our firsrt collaboration with Rod Kennedy (who would be here had he not gone before) over the Napa Folk Festival. Do you remember the night our dear Odetta was having so much fun that she wouldn’t leave the stage? or the day you married me and Katrina in the park; don’t forget the wedding ring you found for me and the hilarious way you carried away my ring size with a trinket-ring purchased at a seedy deli near the bus stop where we were awaiting the airporter; to the extraordinary trips to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Viet Nam; to the seranade (Day Is Done) we gave to Alex in his cell over the telephone the night before his paarole hearing; to the dress rehearsals before Carneigie Christmas programs; to the gifts you were always finding for Liam; through love affairs and painful breakups; the incubabtion of Don’t Laugh At Me. It is hard to stop. Where does the list end? It doesn’t. Remembering that memories are inherently retrospective, and that there is also the future, I remind myself that over the decades we have been absent from one another far more days than not. But I have not felt apart from you during those absences. I have always been able to find you in the light dancing in the trees, and grass, and flowers, and - of course - in the music. This togetherness I do not expect to leave you and me - ever. With all our heart, Bro Gene, Katrina, and Liam  

I’m 72 and you’ve been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a teenager, you made me think about war on a very personal level, “Cruel War,” “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”. Then my next door neighbor in the small town where I grew up and everyone felt like extended family, was killed in Vietnam. “Blowing in the Wind”
In college I sold my viola to buy a guitar so I could play and sing. I bought all your cassettes and later, CDs. I got my first teaching credential when schools were cutting music from the curriculum. For the next 21 years, my students, from 6th grade through high school, would sit on the floor learning many of your songs from stapled copies of a mimeographed song book.
I especially want to thank you for one particular song, “Weave Me the Sunshine.” It has been my musical mantra through many hard times and I am so grateful!
A few years ago, I saw you and Paul at Freight and Salvage in Berkeley, California. The entire concert filled my heart to overflowing, but when you sang, “Weave Me the Sunshine,” I felt like you were telling me for a lifetime to keep faith and hope, to carry on in goodness and love! Thank you, Peter Yarrow, for your profound influence in guiding and strengthening me to help the light of this world to grow.
In love and gratitude,
Cathy Lair   

I used to see Peter at the Kerrville Folk Festival when I lived in Texas in the 80s and up to 1992. One year at the festival I was playing banjo with my friend, John Bogard playing guitar. Peter was walking on the road and was about to pass our camping spot where we were playing a song. Peter stopped and listened to us while played until we finished the song. Then he started clapping his hands. It was quite an honor to be appreciated by one of our heroes when we usually would be the ones clapping in appreciation of him. I never forgot that moment as it gave me great confidence to continue playing music and practicing to become a better musician! Peter, you continue to be an inspiration and I am honored to have met you and to have had the opportunity to play and sing for you!!!  

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- Gary Cobus

Dear Peter,

“Thank you” just doesn’t seem to cut it when talking about someone who has been there for someone without having any idea. I was just a kid and I needed something; something that would help me put our crazy world into some sort of perspective. And then I realized that the “answer is blowing in the wind.”

Thank you for your heart, your love, for singing “bring back the baby, she’s part of the song” as I was walking my crying 9 month old out of your concert in 2001, thank you for your hugs throughout the years and for letting me indulge in sharing pictures of my grandson, Levi on text. Thank you for agreeing to sing with Caitie last year. It meant so much to her family and to me.
Thank you for being the catalyst for Rich and me to meet Sherrie Rosenberg. Your influence, music, and acts of love and kindness will carry on through everybody you’ve touched.
You are such a beautiful soul and I thank God we have been blessed to come in contact with it. It is now intertwined with mine. Love you so much.

Brenda and Rich Goldman

Hello Peter,
It's been a long while since we last spoke. I'm very sorry to hear that you've been ill. You have definitely been in my thoughts lately. I want to thank Bethany and Christopher for their thoughtfulness in reaching out to your extended family and friends across the land, around the world via this social media connection to be able to reconnect and show how much you are loved by so many.
Throughout the decades of your life and ours, with your tireless dedication, thank you for unselfishly standing up and giving a voice for others through your voice and music...you are truly a gift. Behind your gentle kindness, soft spoken calming voice and sparking smiling eyes is a powerful tsunami of awareness and overflowing passion for your fellow man, woman and the Earth. I'm so glad that one of those waves passed my way back in 1990.
Seeing you at the festival over the years was always a sweet blessing and I'm glad that my daughter and I could call you "family."
Much love to you and your family.
~Shirlynn~

One of my fondest memories was meeting Peter and Noel Stookey with you during your visit to Los Angeles when we went to the Writers’ Guild Theater. The songs they sang that night, some of which I had not remembered hearing, deeply touched my heart. I have never forgotten the feelings I experienced listening to them sing and speak, along with Theodore Bikel. Later, receiving the correspondence you and Peter shared made me realize the depth of his commitment to humanity, in addition to his musical gifts. Such a rare, loving and giving man. A true mensch, with a beautiful neshoma, whose life has enriched mine forever. I hope and pray that in Peter’s remaining time here he will be surrounded by love and comfort, knowing that he has truly made a difference in this world.
Love and prayers,
Aimee  

My dear brother Peter,

We first met 18 years ago, the Hebrew numeric for ‘chai’ or ‘life’. You breathe life into us all. Somehow, you walk into a room and whether there is 1 person, 100 people, or a crowd of 1,000 - each person feels personally embraced by you, personally affirmed by you.

As for me, as we became close friends and brothers over these years, you taught me how to feel new levels of compassion for others, to tilt the scales toward mercy while fighting for justice. To notice the unnoticed. To lift the unlifted. You model the virtue of humility, and how it opens us to love.

We have also unraveled between us the uniquely Jewish side of life, and its ever-unresolved challenges - you delving deeply into your generational family story, and feeling closer to that story as the years unfolded. And me, confiding in you the challenges of being the son of a survivor of Auschwitz, and my personal struggle against darkness and toward faith.

Of you dear brother, I always asked myself how could one human being be such a masterful artist, teacher, activist, friend and so much more, all at the same time? How could one human being touch so many lives so deeply? Your life has answered those questions for me. I have never met anyone remotely like you. While most people know you through your enormous musical gifts, those of us who have been fortunate to have you in our lives are also inspired by your activism, and how you have woven the values of your music into acts of justice and lovingkindness, day in and day out.

I love you, my brother. You are my model and mentor. What a gift you are to me and to so many others. Your love and friendship have changed my life. With unending gratitude and love, as ever…

Larry

Peter -

I have been blessed to know and work with you for about fifteen years, although I have been a fan for my whole life.  Your steadfast commitment to making the world a better place through song and activism is truly inspiring and it comes from the kindest of hearts.

I’ve always loved the “sound” of the early PPM records, so I suppose I have you to partly thank for my becoming a sound engineer. And since 2003, my work at WFUV has enabled me to collaborate with many of my musical heroes. It has been my highest honor to mix sound for you not only in the studios of WFUV, but also at concert venues and special events in the New York area. Each and every time was a joy.

I cannot thank you enough for your unwavering friendship, support, and encouragement over the years.  You are a giant among men, and you truly mean the world to me.

With gratitude,
Jeremy Rainer  

Peter, our most magnificent and loving dragon,

You have done more that any artist/activist we have ever known, to tirelessly use music and love to make the world a better place and to help all of us aspire to be the best we can be. We are awed by how you have done this with unlimited generosity on a global scale for decades. Whether it was singing in Birmingham, organizing a march in Washington or a concert at Shea stadium, getting arrested in front of the South African embassy, filming in Central America, hopping on countless planes to prop up democracy or sing for sick friends, quell bullying in schools around the world including hot spots like the Ukraine and Palestine, and unite a divided country… not to mention support PBS and enrich it’s programming…no one has done it so well and with such talent and a loving, joyful spirit as you! PETER YOU ARE UNIQUE!!!You helped change the world and influenced important social and political movements in hugely important and measurable ways.

Our friendship and work together has been one of the greatest gifts in our lives. Countless and memorable collaborations including after midnight edits and mix sessions, concerts and dinners fueled by oysters, Chinese food, wine, milkshakes, jokes, jamming, skiing up at Prospect Bowl, operas and, lots of hugs and laughter. We did well as a team…but you made it all possible, your vision, your impeccable ears, and world class talent. A thousand thank-you’s for letting us into your world. For us it was a privilege and an incredible ride.

We were amazed how you also found so much special time for your wonderful family and hundreds of friends, …and the Trio, Operation Respect, Newtown, Parkland, Braver Angels and so much more. To accomplish this you frequently worked all night and did it all again the next day. Just to get it “Peterized” and perfect. What a big and important load you carried. Most people don’t know how much magic the dragon toiled at because he was always a menche and worked just as hard spreading his love and making us laugh and sing in public.

(Just a side note from Jim: )I stood in line to get to get your autograph at County Center when I was 12. I think PP&M were my only autographs. You have been in my life since 1960. SO I was comforted to see your whiskered face peering at me from a few inches away at like 6 in the morning in a recovery room a few years ago… coming to after a piece of my lung was removed. It is an indelible image. You helped me select just the right surgeon and everything turned out fine. We were shooting together at a Braver Angels convention a week later. Brothers… Seeger’s Raiders…oyster eaters!!!

We will always be there for you and carry your love, mission, and music in our hearts and in everything we do. WE ARE FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR OUR DEAREST FRIEND! Hugs and sloppy wet kisses forever.
XOXOXOXO

Lots of Love,
Jim and Heather

In November 2014, my home burned to the ground and I lost everything. A day or two later, standing in front of the smoldering ruins, my phone rang (I had escaped the fire with it) and I was amazed to hear Peter’s voice. We were well acquainted from numerous backstage visits and I’d had the pleasure of attending one of the benefit concerts he hosted periodically in his New York apartment. But I was amazed, stunned even, that this man, so busy and involved, with thousands upon thousands of fans and friends, would take the time to call me and offer his help if needed. A few years prior, just weeks after I’d suffered a heart attack, I went to the Mariposa Festival in Orillia Ontario where he was headlining, and maintaining his usual frenetic schedule. Peter took the time to sit and chat a while, enquiring about my health, and I have a treasured photo of us sitting together that day (thanks Mike Giovinazzo!). Peter was always so, so generous with his time and friendship, and gave everyone his attention. I once asked him how he managed to keep up the pace and he replied that he was blessed with the ability to get sleep anywhere, anytime – on a train, in a limousine or on a plane – and it kept him going. Peter has been one of my (very few) musical heroes, and has been a hero in every respect – speaking for those who do not have a voice, teaching, entertaining, and so much more. Unknowingly, he’s been a mentor, a role model and teacher to me and I’m sure countless others. The trio’s music was the music of my youth and helped shape my life, my ideals and my passions. I’m so fortunate to have had Peter Yarrow as a part of my life.  

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- John Lodge

November 21, 2015 Peter and Christopher (and Mustard's Retreat) came to Kitchener Ontario to play for the 10th anniversary of our concert series. It was a wonderful night, as our singing audience raised the roof with Peter's direction. Peter had declined to eat before the concert, preferring to get Chinese food after the show. Well, by the time we got out, there was an Ontario blizzard happening and a foot or two of snow blowing around. We slip-slided our way to the restaurant by midnight, only to find they had closed early due to the storm. (Kitchener is not New York!) Peter was still needing dinner, so we slid our way back to our house, and Lori pulled together a "Chinese-ish" bunch of appetizers that suited him just fine. We also gifted him a 10th anniversary mug made by Lori (shown in the last picture). We hope he remembers our adventurous night whenever he uses it. A mighty fine night it was.   

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- Jack Cole

My dear Peter,
61 years since you expressed interest in contact lenses to cousin Leon! My Dad subsequently fitted you. We were given concert tickets and an after-party invitation to celebrate "Peter Paul & Mary", the trio's first album. THAT was OUR beginning.
You've worn many hats for many people, but above all else, for me it was your "friend & confidante" hat.
I have very few unsaid words for you, Peter. Over the past 5 years (since Pat's passing), I've shared old pictures and anecdotes that attest to our long friendship. You have often been my rock and voice of reason.You've been part of my life longer than anyone else.
The thought of never again speaking with you or hearing your laughter, brings a sorrow I've only known as a widow. How blessed I have been to have had your friendship for most of my life. To me, you have always been my friend, first and foremost. I know you've touched thousands of lives personally, but because of your selflessness, when we shared time, you always made me feel as if I were YOUR only friend.
I hope your grace and courage throughout this battle will always serve as guidance for me, as I continue my own journey.
You are SO loved. I know you KNOW that, yet I still need to say it just one more time. The void your absence will leave can never be filled.
Thank you for being such a constant in my life and for extending that to Joanna as well.
I will not say goodbye, for not one of us knows what lies ahead. Go gently, my dear Peter, and be truly free. I will always hold to seeing you in the golden sun of eternity. No pain, no suffering... only love and peace.
I love you forever and always.
Your friend,
Joanie   

Where do I begin, I do not remember a time in my life that didn’t have the trio in it. Dad worked for them all through the 60’s as their pilot and travel manager. I met Peter in 1978 at a concert in Santa Barbara. Little did I know the next time I saw him Dad would be dead (81) and I would be back stage in the Sydney Opera House (86) turning 16 being surrounded by the trio and Dick with all of them crying about his loss. It was from the stories Mary and “Uncle” Peter told of dad that I learned so much about him and about myself that night and on every additional visit.

Working at folk festivals, Peter would always take time when he was there to catch up and tell me more stories about dad.

Peter, I love you and am sending love and light your way and to Bethany, Christopher, and the rest of your family. Thank you for being a part of mine and my history.

Your memories will always be for a blessing to me. XOXO Doc Shannon

Oh, so many stories, so many memories. The Christmas/Chanukah concerts, the dinners, Fire Island, a special event honoring Peter at LaGuardia High School (aka the High School of Music and Art), West 67th Street encounters and impromptu sidewalk chats. Of all of the memories, the one that stands out most vividly goes back years, and involves our oldest granddaughter Julia. Julia was about ten years old at the time, and already an aspiring performer with an angelic voice. We were all at the Kovners for dinner when Peter joined us, as he so often did, carrying his guitar. Sarah introduced him to Julia and her parents, who were visiting New York from LA. Julia's eyes widened. "Peter Yarrow?" she intoned. "Peter of 'Peter, Paul and Mary?' " She was gobsmacked, totally stunned. Peter smiled, and asked her a few questions about herself and her aspirations to put her at ease, then asked if she wanted to hear a song. Did she ever! She was so excited at the prospect of hearing Peter sing that she could only nod -- vigorously. He sang "Puff the Magic Dragon," of course, and Julia was in heaven. With Peter's encouragement, she sang the chorus with him, and soon we all joined in, enjoying an old-fashioned sing-along. Julia, now 25 and making her way as an actress and singer in New York, was thrilled, and remembers the evening to this day. We do, too, not only because it was a magical (pun intended) moment, but because of Peter's kindness. He is not only a brilliant musician, but a warm, generous person who understood Julia's excitement and made an indelible and happy memory for a starstruck child. He will always live in Julia's heart and in ours.  

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- Max Frankel & Joyce Purnick

It’s appropriate that I write this tribute to Peter on Thanksgiving Day because his friendship for some 50 years is one of the things that I’m most grateful for. I met him through our friends Carl and Debbie in California and when Peter, Mary Beth, Bethany and Christopher moved to New York CIty our friendship deepened. I often stayed at their apartment when they were out of town as a “homework helper” LOL. Besides his natural family, like so many, I felt a part of his extended one. There are so many memories of joining him at demonstrations at which he often performed with Petter, Paul and Mary or alone and celebrations, singing along at his concerts, laughing at our foibles and those of others, rejoicing when our favored politicians won and commiserating when they lost vowing to continue the good fight for those who work for social justice. I’m reminded of this quote from John Ruskin, "What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do" because it’s what Peter taught me through his example. His life and his impact on so many lives will always be with us. Siempre adelante!

Margot Jones

If I had never met you, Peter, I would still love you for the music you gave to the world. Throughout my 20’s I was angry and sad, a lot; I would soak in PP&M’s music like medicine. Emotionally numb, I remember times clutching a boom box against my body, wishing the shear vibration of Mon Vrai Destin or 500 Miles or the Unicorn Song or Weave Me the Sunshine could--like a defibrillator--jolt me back to life. If you only gave this world your beautiful, hopeful, healing music, it would have been enough!

But you wanted to know my story. Why didn’t my sadness drive you away? I came to realize it wasn’t entirely unusual for someone touched by a song to come pour out their heart to you. Peter, if you had offered kind words and encouragement to me one time, it would have been enough.

But like Puff the Magic Dragon, who in the animated series would drop out of the sky to help a troubled child find perspective and courage, out of the blue you would call me to check on me.

With you, I could laugh at absurdity. You gave me dignity. It took years, but I reached a place of peace.

I knew on one level that you were a man who sang for John F. Kennedy, for Martin Luther King, for Cory Aquino and the Dalai Lama. You were flying around the United States helping raise money for good political candidates, making regular appearances to sing to hospice patients and other patients, then later flying around the world with Operation Respect. And yet you made time for me.

I sometimes worried you were too giving and too generous and too trusting with strangers. I knew the fate of your friend Allard Lowenstein. But how could I tell you to dial it back when it was that very kindness that lifted me? I knew you were thoughtfully living the words of your songs:

The longer I live the more I find that people seldom take the time
To really get to know a stranger and make him a friend.

Thank you a million times for taking that time with me, Peter, and so many others: backstage crowds, coffeehouse friends, activist friends et al.

May those ripples of love and peace that you sent to all of us come flowing back to you, now; may you know they will forever swirl through this world, stirred by the wings of the thousands of little dragons you helped fly.
Love, always.
Dolores de Vera
writer, teacher, union activist

Dear, sweet Peter. I am flooded with so many memories of the past 50 years. Late night Japanese dinners with you and Mary Beth and a multitude of friends after concerts in Manhattan; visits with Vera; lunches with Penny; a summer night in Willmar with Mary Beth’s dad using his fogger to attempt to control the mosquitoes; Bethany and Christopher covered in sand at Broadbeach Road and many wonderful PP&M concerts. How fortunate I was to meet you through my budding relationship with your brother by choice Carl Rogers. A decade and a half later, in1984, you sat in our Venice, bungalow, cradling and singing to our newborn son. Fast forward to 2016, two weeks after Carl died you wrapped me in a warm blue shawl and a comforting hug before sharing a lovely meal at the Santa Monica Pier. Five months later, you once again flew across the country to sing Carl’s requests at his memorial. For us and so many others, you not only filled our hearts and heads with song, but somehow found time to be present for us as individuals. All the while, you were busy creating and nurturing
innumerable organizations to give us direction and hope.

I can’t imagine the world without you. We will have to somehow carry on… To walk in your footsteps to honor you and all you’ve worked for, for the world, we are leaving to our children and grandchildren… and all the children of the world. We will certainly get cues from your daughter and granddaughter.

I send you and the family abundant love. I hope you are comfortable and that you are able to take in all of the love that you were surrounded by, both in person and digitally.

I love you, dear Peter.

Debrah Wiley

Dear Friend Peter:
“We are the boat. We are the sea. I sail in you, you sail in me.” As we were together with people from many countries, teachers from many places, many fields studying our environment at Land Between the Lakes in Tennessee, we sang together. Our hearts were joined there as we broke bread before we sang. Yet the words rang out that when we work together, when we feel together, we are the boat and the sea. We sailed together and we felt a kinship with one another.
It mattered that our voices and hearts felt the need to be one to make our world a better place. The “magic dragon” spiriting us on to believe in the value of joining together in song. Because as you have reminded us, music does “speak louder than words”
Going back to the workshop Mark and you did for 500 people in Operation Respect and the KY School Safety program at Murray State University; you Stewball to a group of those assembled. In the moment you asked someone to join you on stage, that person connected to their life and that song as you encouraged her to interpret the song in the context of her heart and mind. Instantly, without hesitation, she shared a very piquant moment in her life, something that was deeply seated. She shared how that song really connected to her life’s learnings, and it mattered. It was so seamless and an important moment that I recall it as though your song rang out and beckoned her to think, to feel, to see how the music and lyrics had a deeper and resonant meaning.
I had asked if you would sing at the opening of the North American Association for Environmental Education. You led 1000 people in the audience with Bethany to believe in themselves to make a difference by working together, as they sang together. You beckoned us to join you on stage and sing. This Land Was Made for You and Me, as the chorus of dissonant voices joined one another in feeling the oneness of that moment. Never had I seen a moment where environmental educators and our association persons felt the need to have a common voice, the feeling that we can, when we take the time to feel our sisterhood and brotherhood.
Your selflessness has made me think of the importance of the difference you have made in our lives. We have sailed on the sea of lives together. Each time I have asked for you help you have transcended any shortage you have had of time because there has never been a time when you have not found a way to spirit us together with thought and song. I hope you know how much I have valued your friendship and your willingness to help us to think with song how important it is to “work together”.
It is interesting I was about to ask you if you had thought about a time when a group of people from across the globe could sing like “We Are the World,” the song, “Blowing in the Wind.” The need to encourage “oneness” in these times made me think of you as the “Magic Dragon” spiriting us into a global effort to sing and think and feel “together.” Uncanny that this came to me the other day as I thought of you and what you have done to help me and many others in environmental education. Surely I would be happy to help in any way in something along these lines. But this is not to ask you do anything, it is my attempt to be grateful on this Thanksgiving for your manifold gifts to me and many others.

What is most important to me is to let you know how your kindness has mattered in my life and to those you have touched in my small sphere. Gail and I are sending our love because we have found that love and music are essentials to our lives and we know this also from the way you have spirited us on to believe in the value of love.
I see more clearly now, “we are the boat, we are the sea, I sail in you, you sail in me.
Sending to you from Gail and me our gratitude and love,

Joe (Baust)  

It was so hard to hear re how Peter is doing... I've been feeling kind of glazed this week, thinking of Peters' uniqueness of spirit and integrity and really standing up for so many important issues, (the Civil Rights Movement March on Washington being a pivotal moment for him), in a way that also inspires others to do so, as well and his fun spirit and wonderful little pictures he draws spontaneously and the multitude of wonderful inspirational songs and impact over the years. I first got to know him, a friendship that started in the 80's, through talking with him about one of his songs that I wanted to share with others (at a future work event) after a concert (Light One Candle). He gave me a card to contact him about getting the lyrics, I left a message, thinking it was an office number, one day I get back, my roommate says, You'll never guess who called! It was Peter, they got into a conversation about her work as a special ed teacher, I called back, we spoke on the phone for an hour and also got together that night and by a couple hours later, spoke about many aspects of our lives. (I spoke of my work as a social worker at Fountain House, a revolutionary mental health program, which spurred an international clubhouse movement, effectively integrating people with major mental health challenges into work, education, and life in the outside community by valuing what each persons' unique talents and spirit were) very similar to the way Peter relates to people. He recalled that he was at college, considering psychology and doing music on the side and when he saw how much he was reaching people with music, switched gears to do music as his main thing.

Peter has a unique quality of being an always friend. It didn't matter if we had last connected days, weeks, months or years ago, each time we talked, emailed, texted, it was as though we had just been speaking. It has a warmth, integrity and steadfastness to it and will always be treasured. Many years ago when I was volunteering overnight at a shelter, I heard and was upset about Iran having fired scud missiles into Israel, I called Peter and he helped me to feel less stressed about it, and after that call, the homeless guys staying at the shelter helped with that also. When his mother Vera was alive, I would sometimes visit her and true to her teaching background, would always learn something interesting from her. At one point, Peter passed on to me a piece of art given to him that he thought I would appreciate and as I knew my mother would love it, it ended up adorning my mothers' apartment, so that covers the mothers connection!

Children-Peter, is like a pied piper in the way he relates to children at various events, especially at the PS 6 annual concerts (you would see drawings of dragons in the hallways). He so integrated kids into the process, so that at a young age, they felt appreciated and that they had a right to be there in their uniqueness.
I was involved in connecting the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus to perform with him at a Clearwater Festival and we were in a PBS special program that he organized and that was done at Ethical Culture on the UWS and he made sure that I was included in that program. Over the years, I have raised some money from free will donations I asked people to give, at some of my events, to Operation Respect, an organization he has strong leadership in, creating harmony in the classroom and against bullying. (I also explored connecting for a while with Braver Angels, an organization that he was committed to, in relation to Walkabout and our connecting with a chorus that thinks differently from us, but that didn't end up being a direction the chorus wanted to go in at the time)

While I have written a number of songs, as they are nowhere near the caliber of his songs, I did not feel comfortable sharing them with him... I did get to sing a couple of them (including one about gun violence) at Peoples' Voice Cafe this season and, as President of the Board of Peoples' Voice Cafe, I had also talked with him about his doing a benefit concert for Peoples Voice Cafe, which he had generously agreed to do.
The one song of his that beats right in the center of my spirit is and always will be Sweet Survivor; with his determination to be a gentle and strong, clarion call for carrying it on, no matter what...cannot think of a message more important in these extraordinarily challenging times. At a Thanksgiving gathering with friends last night, without saying who it was for, after sharing the song Sweet Survivor, in relation to these times, I asked people, in relation to a friend who worked constantly to make the world a better place and was facing extraordinary challenges, to take a minute to close their eyes and hold him in light and love. The breadth of his spirit will always stay with me. Like the song Light One Candle, Peter continues to light candles in peoples' souls.
I feel blessed to know him and have him as a friend.

With love,
Bracha  

I grew up with music, especially folk music. So it was luck that I went to college with Christopher, and grew a friendship with him over the last 30 plus years. Peter was at our graduation, from Oberlin, of course, and my mom and grandmother was so excited to meet him. I've been lucky to listen to music with Christopher of both Bethany and Rufus, and of course Papa Yarrow, on stage at least twice in the last 20 years. The last time in the Seattle area, with Christopher on washtub bass, I joined on stage to sing Puff the Magic Dragon.
Papa Yarrow, you are in inspiration for hope, light, and love. I love your music, your message, and your son Christopher as a dear friend. May you continue to sing for a long long time.

Jessica Levine

Dearest Brother Peter,
I have been reflecting a lot about all the times I have been honored to be on the journey with you of sacred activism. Each day as I do my walking meditation, I have been bringing your presence along and will continue to do that for a while dear brother. We are a decade apart in age and you have been my guide of what the next decade of my life might look that if one faithfully commits to answering the call of what it is I am to do to continue heal the world. You embody such compassion and love Peter that you have been able to know from the deepest parts of your being, when, where and with whom you need to be with to do the soul work of the world. So many moments that have come to mind that I have been in your presence have to do with your deep love and commitment to the children of the world. Here are a few I remember:
You choosing to spend your 50th Birthday singing to over thousand children in Prospect Park who were part of then Model Peace Education Program singing with them "I am going to lay down my sword and shield down by the riverside, ain't goin to study war no more."
Do you remember the time you beckoned me to come to a café in Greenwich Village as you took out your guitar and sang "Don't Laugh at Me" to me. You were holding a big vision of what could happen with this song and by the time we were leaving I was convinced it would happen and I needed to also answer the call in how I was to be used. That day Operation Respect started to become a living reality and as a result millions of children have been deeply affected by that work in the world and feel more loved, seen and heard as a result.
Do you remember being in the Philippines singing to over two million people because you and Paul and Mary were invited to the anniversary of the nonviolent revolution and because those who were nonviolently marching before tanks were singing Peter, Paul, and Mary songs? And then to be able to gift President Aquino the 100 top essays from American children of what the nonviolent Philippine Revolution means to them. And finally visiting several other sites with you where children were waiting patiently to catch a glimpse of the three of you - and especially you because you used this opportunity to bring the message of nonviolence to thousands of American children first in doing that essay contest.
As you approach this next threshold in the journey we call life dear one, may you take some moments to look back and see, really see, the thousands of children who are more loved, seen and heard because you chose to live a life of action and service in the way that you did. I love you dearly and know that you will continue to be a living inspiration to me and so many others that your work will continue to affect so many more children and adults forever. "Some day we will all have perfect wings" - you dear one are ready for that. May you feel deeply the depth of the love and compassion and renewed purpose people feel just by touching into your soul right now.   

​

- Linda Lantieri

Dear Peter:
I was too young for the New York folk revival, and on the wrong side of the Atlantic. But I remember hearing Peter, Paul & Mary as a very young child and loving your songs, all so beautifully harmonised. Your music, and that of your great contemporaries, spoke to me even when I was too young to understand all that you were saying. I saw you live in London in 1982, on a PP&M reunion tour, the Royal Albert Hall. I was with my old friend and mentor Bob Shelton, and we all hung out a bit during sound check. The concert was wonderful. Fast forward to 2015, and the launch of FOLK CITY at the MCNY - a wonderful show and a moving performance. We spoke briefly and I told you about my idea for a festival celebrating Greenwich Village. You said we should talk and you called a couple of days later and offered lots of encouragement and advice. You said the festival must include activism. Fast forward again, to 2022, the fourth VILLAGE TRIP, and you came to the Bitter End for our celebration of Phil Ochs. And then, in September 2023, you asked if you might come and sing at LET FREEDOM RING, our evening of words and music honouring 60 years since the March on Washington and the continuing fight for justice for all. And you did come and sing, many songs, and everyone joined you on stage with Bethany at the Great Hall in Cooper Union. Cliff Pearson and I were so moved and teary-eyed. To have you with us meant so much - so too the wonderful email you sent a few days later. And then in April this year, I saw you and Noel in Boston, for the inaugural FOLK AMERICANA ROOTS HALL OF FAME AWARDS, when you were among the honorees and spoke so lovingly of Mary and your time together. And then you and Noel joined Joan Baez for 'Blowin' in the Wind'. Such an amazing conclusion to a weekend I will never forget. You have been a loving inspiration to so many, a light in the darkness, a voice in the wilderness. Because of you, the festival I crazily dreamed up is now titled THE VILLAGE TRIP - A CELEBRATION OF ARTS & ACTIVISM IN GREENWICH VILLAGE & THE EAST VILLAGE. Next year and always, we will honour your music and your memory. Your day will never been done, Peter.

With love and deep respect, Liz and Cliff xxxx  

My dearest friend and brother, Peter,

Well, I can't begin to pretend there's anything ordinary about this missive, and the raw bittersweet emotion that accompanies it. It is, in fact, the most difficult I've ever written to you. In composing this, I find myself steeped in great sorrow and anticipated grief, yet with a heart full of joy and nothing short of the gratitude and love I feel for you. Ours has always been a friendship rooted in honesty, forthrightness, and completeness - words left unsaid were never our nature.

And, here we are, and here I am. Yet another opportunity to express the deep love, admiration and gratitude I have for you, and to tell you what a profound, once in a lifetime difference you’ve made in my life, in particular. I’m forever indebted to you, for the love, compassion, kindness and acceptance you graced upon us all over these past forty-three years.

This message I post now will deviate somewhat from the text I sent earlier, which I hope was read aloud to you. You know me - I have to share some of my prized memories of being together in your good company... the best company, really. But, where to begin! That was January in 1980, when I attended my first concert at the Front Row Theatre here in Cleveland. When I saw that the group would be performing, yet being only a little familiar to me—I still knew I wanted to go. It was just three days after my grandfather - my mom's father - passed away. My dad and I had planned to attend together, but he opted to stay home for shiva, so a neighbor accompanied me instead. After the show, when I mentioned playing guitar, you wrote down your address and phone number, telling me to send you a cassette to critique. That critique would finally occur when you invited our whole family to a show in Toledo in April 1981. I'll never forget playing those songs for you and Noel backstage on a borrowed guitar. That’s when our friendship really began.

Then life took that hard turn in November 1981, when my father passed away suddenly. You stepped in exactly when I needed it most, becoming what you later described in those college recommendation letters you’d write on my behalf, as "a combination of uncle, mentor, teacher and friend." Once I asked why you'd taken such interest in a fourteen-year-old kid, and you said you saw both a need in me and yourself as a young man. That was so you - always seeing straight to the heart of things.

And the memories just flood in! Remember surprising me at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in '82? Well, I do. There I was, a camper attending Kutz Camp in Warwick that summer. And during our day visit to the City, it was planned that I’d meet your assistant Kathleen, already a familiar voice to me, for lunch, in your absence. But, unbeknownst to me, you rearranged your schedule, and to my great delight and surprise— it was YOU who greeted me on the steps! Jennifer Alden was visiting at the time, and the three of us just cavorted through the museum, arm in arm. You had to show us your favorite—the armor room, no doubt! Then you sent us back to the apartment by cab, where Penny made us lunch of macaroni and cheese, watermelon, and milk. Such simple things become sacred memories.

You've been there for all our simchas and sorrows, haven't you? Even when you couldn't make Lisa and Jay's wedding, you flew in for that crazy post-wedding celebration dinner with all the bells and whistles, and then after we all sat in a circle at the house, serenading the new couple for hours. During our Mom's illnesses, your visits lifted her spirits like nothing and no one else could. Even stuck in that Colorado winter storm, you tried for hours to solidify plans to attend the funeral. The fact that you'd even consider leaving your once-a-year retreat still moves me deeply. But the inclement weather halted that plan. At your suggestion, a few months later, just after Madison's birth, we threw that celebration of life party for our dear mom Marsha-just like you'd done for Vera. It was exactly what we needed, and pure you to know that.

I treasure all our drives together - those magical conversations to and from airports, hotels, shows. How many times did I get us lost in those pre-GPS days? Like that infamous time I dropped you at the wrong hotel! You insisted it looked familiar, so you went in and I left. I didn’t realize my mistake until your morning call, when you alerted me as to the correct hotel. I felt horrible about that, but it still makes for a great story! "It's OK” you said, “everyone f**** up occasionally”. That was you - always showing such humanity, such patience, even when I tried it more than a few times over the years!

And then there's the music. OY, the music - don't EVEN get me started! Your sweet, angelic voice that touches the highest clouds, and brighten even the darkest days - I'll never know another like you. You've shown me how to be strong yet gentle, brave yet sensitive, thoughtful yet free-spirited. "You always have a choice," you'd say, and that's guided me more than you know.

The other day, I saw this touching film of Einstein in his later years, standing with friends in his yard in 1946. A young girl there - now elderly – was interviewed, and said something that made me think of you instantly. She recounted him having "tremendously twinkling eyes, like Santa Claus,” and, at other times, “he had extremely sad eyes—a very sad look, that held all the pain in his life. But they say the eyes are the window to the soul, and he had a very deep soul”. And that's you, my friend, with those sparkling and piercing eyes of yours—eyes that have seen so much and touched so many souls. I've watched them a million times - intense and hopeful, well-worn and tired, yet always with that spark of playfulness and joy that makes you purely you. And that’s how I’ll always remember you.

I was just thinking back to the catharsis of being with you in New York, at the time of Mary’s memorial concert. It was, as you know, one of those occasions to remember and acknowledge her many gifts, and to reaffirm life. I remember us eating together at (your favorite) Chinese restaurant down the street on W.67th. I’m reminded of how you were clearly going through your own grief and pain, and the permission you gave yourself to just be with it all. I anticipate allowing myself the same permission in grieving your loss, even as I’ll struggle, and fight back the tears and learn to embrace and incorporate your strong spirit into my life, however differently.

I'm not always sure where I am, but I'm always grounded in the love and gratitude I feel for you. You took that wide-eyed 13-year-old kid under your generous wing and taught him to fly. These last four decades have been an UNBELIEVABLE ride and gift, my friend. I’ll always cherish beyond measure, the gift of the friend that you’ve been to me. Here I am, quoting your own lyrics back to you. Words that I, and countless others, have long taken solace and comfort in… and you should, too. Thank you for all the joy and love and compassion you've given to me, and to the world. To say I'm better for having known you would be an understatement.

Your beautiful spirit will continue to guide me and live within me, forever and always, and your sweet voice will continue to soothe and resonate through me, as long as I live.

Go easy, my beloved and beautiful friend.

With all the love in my heart,

Chuck

My dear Peter,
You have been such an inspiration in my life, and in so many ways.
I first heard you singing. Those sounds stirred my heart. They were like a calling which made me dance.

One of my first choreographies as Founder and Artistic Director of Australian Dance Theatre, which celebrates its 60th anniversary next year, was called ‘This Train’ and set to seven songs of Peter, Paul and Mary. This dance work became an iconic work for the company during its first ten years from 1965 - 1975. Over this period ‘This Train’ was performed nationally here in Australia and internationally to Europe and South East Asia. It was later remounted on several occasions with different groups of dancers around the world.

I shall never forget our first meeting after one of your 1965 concerts in Adelaide, South Australia. The following night the three of you came, after your show, to see us dance ‘This Train’ especially for you all. It was an unforgettable night for us.

You had also inspired me with your activism and fight for compassion, justice and peace in the world. In 1967 I made another work called ‘Sundown’ which was my expression as a call for peace in Vietnam during the time of that horrendous War. This was also set to songs of Peter, Paul and Mary.

I met you later several times in Australia and in New York, often with my dancers who were also immensely inspired by you. During your visits to Adelaide my husband, Jan Dalman, took some wonderful photographs of all three of you, photographs which are still prominent in my collection.

In the 1980s, I think it was, during the Peter, Paul and Mary 25th Anniversary tour, you sent me tickets for your concert in the Adelaide Festival Theatre. In that huge theatre you dedicated one of your songs about Stew Ball, the racehorse, to me. Oh, how that made me blush, but it also stirred me on in my activism for peace and justice through the vehicle of my art form, the Dance. I also visited you in New York and I constantly followed your career over the years.

The last time we met was in 2019 when I was in New York with Michael Keegan-Dolan’s company Teaċ Daṁsa performing in Loch na hEala/Swan Lake. You came to see the show and then took me out to dinner. That was such a beautiful reunion with a sharing of our experiences over the past years.

Peter, I feel so blessed to have met you, to have known you for almost sixty years and to have danced to your beautiful voice.

Thank you for being in my life, and thank you for your wonderful work and artistry that you have shared around the world.
Please know that I and my personal and dance families are thinking of you and sending you all our love.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Cameron Dalman OAM, CdOAL, PhD
Founder: Australian Dance Theatre
Director: Mirramu Creative Arts Centre
Artistic Director: Mirramu Dance Company