Mary Travers, 1936-2009
Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary was one of my favorite performers.
Because of the wonders of last.fm tracking, I know her group is my fourth most played overall, only below The Smiths, Yann Tiersen and Belle & Sebastian. I love Peter, Paul & Mary. Their music captures whimsy and love and cynicism and the passion that comes with true performers who sing with their entire being. When you put on a Peter, Paul & Mary track, you're brought back to a world where peace and equality are self-evident and, while the melodies are breezy enough to make you feel care-free, you never stop thinking.
At first I identified with her because her vocal range was similar to my own; we're both mezzo sopranos who tend toward the lower octaves. Everything she sang, I felt comfortable singing. She was one of my singing models. That's how I got to know and love her as an artist.
But if you've been a fan of Peter, Paul & Mary for a decade or two or however long, you start noticing that no matter her age, no matter the song, Mary always sang with her entire heart. She meant every word, every time, which would be phenomenally difficult to do when you've been singing some of these songs for over forty years straight. You could tell from her performance that she cared, that she loved, that she wanted to reach out to you with her voice. She reached me.
I was incredibly saddened to hear yesterday of her death two days ago. She will always hold an integral spot in my musical collection.
I tried to find a video of their performing Blowin' in the Wind for Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1963 peace march in Washington (where he gave his 'I Have a Dream' speech), but that video was no longer online (and if anyone knows an online location, let me know).
So instead, here's If I Had a Hammer--very classic PP&M--and then 500 Miles, a slower song and one of my favorites from them.
500Miles:Peter,Paul&Mary(live)sidney1964
Uploaded by la_shivi. - Explore more music videos.
Thank you, Mary Travers.
Because of the wonders of last.fm tracking, I know her group is my fourth most played overall, only below The Smiths, Yann Tiersen and Belle & Sebastian. I love Peter, Paul & Mary. Their music captures whimsy and love and cynicism and the passion that comes with true performers who sing with their entire being. When you put on a Peter, Paul & Mary track, you're brought back to a world where peace and equality are self-evident and, while the melodies are breezy enough to make you feel care-free, you never stop thinking.
At first I identified with her because her vocal range was similar to my own; we're both mezzo sopranos who tend toward the lower octaves. Everything she sang, I felt comfortable singing. She was one of my singing models. That's how I got to know and love her as an artist.
But if you've been a fan of Peter, Paul & Mary for a decade or two or however long, you start noticing that no matter her age, no matter the song, Mary always sang with her entire heart. She meant every word, every time, which would be phenomenally difficult to do when you've been singing some of these songs for over forty years straight. You could tell from her performance that she cared, that she loved, that she wanted to reach out to you with her voice. She reached me.
I was incredibly saddened to hear yesterday of her death two days ago. She will always hold an integral spot in my musical collection.
I tried to find a video of their performing Blowin' in the Wind for Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1963 peace march in Washington (where he gave his 'I Have a Dream' speech), but that video was no longer online (and if anyone knows an online location, let me know).
So instead, here's If I Had a Hammer--very classic PP&M--and then 500 Miles, a slower song and one of my favorites from them.
Click to view500Miles:Peter,Paul&Mary(live)sidney1964
Uploaded by la_shivi. - Explore more music videos.
Thank you, Mary Travers.