Peter Yarrow: Peter, Paul and Mary Co-Founder and Co-Writer of Puff, the

Peter Yarrow was an American singer-songwriter best known as a member of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary and as a co-writer of "Puff, the Magic Dragon." Born on May 31, 1938, in Manhattan, he helped bring folk music and the protest songs of the civil rights era to a huge audience.

Yarrow co-formed Peter, Paul and Mary in 1961, and the trio debuted at The Bitter End in Greenwich Village. Their recording of "If I Had a Hammer" won two Grammy Awards in 1962. In 1963 the group performed at the March on Washington, and Yarrow co-wrote "Puff, the Magic Dragon," one of their best-known songs. In 2000 he helped found Operation Respect, a nonprofit that promotes tolerance and works against bullying in schools.

Yarrow married Mary Beth McCarthy in 1969, and they had two children, Bethany and Christopher. The couple divorced in 1981 and remarried in 2022. He died of bladder cancer at his home in New York City on January 7, 2025, at age 86, remembered for songs that became anthems for peace.

Achievements: Co-formed Peter, Paul and Mary (1961), won two Grammy Awards for "If I Had a Hammer" (1962), co-wrote "Puff, the Magic Dragon" (1963), helped start Operation Respect (2000).

Birth: May 31, 1938 - Manhattan, New York City.

Profession: Singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer.

Interesting Facts: Yarrow played the leftist intellectual Ira Mandelstam in the 2015 film While We're Young. In 2005 the FBI recovered his stolen Larrivee acoustic guitar in Florida.