Mary Travers

About

Mary Travers was a folk singer/songwriter from Louisville, Kentucky who is best known for her work with folk music group Peter, Paul and Mary. Often shy about her singing, Travers had a modest start in the music industry. Her first gig came when she joined the Song Swappers, Pete Seeger's backup vocalist group, for his 1955 release, Talking Union. In 1961, she formed Peter, Paul and Mary with Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey, and the trio found immediate success among folk music fans. The trio's self-titled debut album featured the hit song "If I Had a Hammer," which won the group two Grammy Awards for "Best Folk Recording" and "Best Performance by a Vocal Group." Peter, Paul and Mary's second album featured the iconic song "Puff, The Magic Dragon." The band performed and recorded several songs penned by young musician and singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, exposing his music to a wide audience. After Peter Paul and Mary broke up in 1970, Travers pursued a solo career, releasing five albums, including her debut Mary in 1971, and her final solo effort It's In Everyone of Us, in 1978. Peter, Paul and Mary reformed in 1978 and was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999.