Peter Yarrow – the singer-songwriter best known for his work with the iconic country music trio Peter, Paul and Mary – has died.
He was 86 years old.
Yarrow leaves behind a complex legacy.
Along with his colleagues Paul Stookey and Mary Travers, Yarrow helped shape the musical tastes of an entire generation.
The group’s 1962 debut album went double platinum and won two Grammy Awards.
Peter, Paul and Mary went on to use their platform to promote the careers of lesser-known artists such as Bob Dylan.
The group’s cover of Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” is often credited with generating mainstream interest in their 1963 album. Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan,
a tarnished legacy
But Yarrow’s success also had a dark side. As he prepared to launch a solo career in 1970, he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old fan the year before.
As vulture According to reports, Yarrow served three months of a one- to three-year sentence after reaching a deal with prosecutors.
He was pardoned by President Jimmy Carter in 1981. In 2021, fan, Barbara Winter, confirmed that Yarrow had abused her on multiple occasions.
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That same year, a second woman sued Yarrow for allegedly raping her in 1969, when she was still a minor.
cause of death of peter yarrow
the new York Times has confirmed that Yarrow passed away after a four-year battle with bladder cancer.
Travers died in 2009, leaving Stuckey the only surviving member of one of the most influential groups of the ’60s.
Yarrow is survived by his two children and his wife, Mary Beth McCarthy, who was the niece of 1968 presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy.
Our thoughts are with Yarrow’s loved ones during this difficult time.