Legendary 1960s folk musician Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary dies aged 86 after cancer battle

The Grammy-winning artist, best known for the timeless hit "Puff, the Magic Dragon", passed away on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, following a battle with bladder cancer, according to PEOPLE.

Yarrow is survived by his two children, Bethany and Christopher, whom he shared with his ex-wife, Mary Beth McCarthy. Shortly before Christmas, his children provided an update on his health via social media, revealing the extent of his illness.

"As you may know, our beloved father Peter Yarrow has been battling cancer for some time," they wrote on Instagram. "He has kept his doctors in awe at his resilience as he has continued to perform and live life in his own generous and cause-driven way. It has been a long road, and he has been a strong dragon, but right now he is very weak and, at 86, his dragon days are numbered."

They added: "There is Peter Yarrow the folk activist legend, and then there is the man, a deeply compassionate man, who changed the lives of so many people in very personal ways."

Peter, Paul and Mary, comprising Yarrow, Mary Travers, and Paul Stookey, rose to fame in the 1960. The trio released 10 albums during their initial run before disbanding in 1970. Songs like "Blowin' in the Wind" and "If I Had a Hammer" became anthems for the civil rights and anti-war movements.

The group reunited in 1978, producing five more albums over the following decades, with their final release in 2003. Travers passed away in 2009 at the age of 72.