Sigh! Mary Travers [Peter, Paul & Mary] Dies

[Peter Lemkin]

Sad news to me. She, especially, but all of them, were a part of the Civil Rights and Anti-War Movements, etc. I had the unique pleasure to have had a private concert performed in my tent by Mary Travers once. We were camping in tents on the lawn in front of the Administration Bldg. on my University campus [at that time U.C.L.A.] over University support of things related to Deep Political 'stuff' via research and members of the Board of Regents. I was sitting in my tent with two other protesters when a voice said 'May I come in'. In came Mary Travers with her guitar. She sang some of the old favorite protest songs for the three of us and chatted with us. I'll never forget! Bye Bye Mary! Thanks for all your work for Peace and Justice!!!!!....if only there were a few more like that! I'm sad.

Ohmygod Peter. I am so envious. And so sad. I love PP&M and Mary Travers is one of my very favorite singers. I think her voice is the greatest, up there with Karen Carpenter's. And PP&M had substance.

Did you ever notice how elegant and graceful Mary was when she was singing? Esp when she was standing. I guess she was sitting when you saw her eh? You are SO lucky.

Feel free to share more details of your brush with greatness. Mary is..., was, a goddess.

She was very tall. Maybe 6'2", but graceful. I had really never given a thought to where she lived, but at that time she lived somewhere in the L.A. area. The demonstration was large and getting media attention, as the police were assembling to arrest us and take and destroy our tents, etc. She just took it upon herself to come to the UCLA campus with her guitar and see what musical and other support she could lend. As there was a light rain, we weren't all outside assembled talking or listening to someone talk. By chance she chose my tent to ask to enter [to be out of the rain] and talked with us on the issues at hand and asked if we'd like to sing along with her. We all knew the words - they were the old themesongs to political action. You could tell how deeply she believed in the words and, yes, she sat cross-legged in jeans and played and sang for us for over an hour and talked with us longer about the demo and the issues. She was just very nice and it was a total surprise and honor! She thanked us for doing what we were doing [as we were to spend the night and risk arrest though we were all students], and eventually left - giving us each a hug, kiss and the peace sign. She didn't act in any way as if she were special or famous. She had her trademark long straight blond hair and that special voice. So sad she died at 72 and had to battle the last years against leukemia. I had first heard and played their songs when I was a very young child. I'd seen her at large demos. Never expected to meet her one-on-one in such a strange place - my tent. I remember talking with her about how long the battle for Peace and Justice etc. had been going on and that we still were 'not there'. She smiled and answered that we'd just have to work on it a 'little longer and a little harder - and sing louder!" We lost a singing Peace & Justice warrior angel. "...the answers my friend, are blowin' in the wind...." "How many years......?" Seems the good, they die young all too often.