US folk singer Mary Travers passes away at 72

LONDON - Mary Travers, a member of the hugely popular 1960s US folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, has died in the US. She was 72.

Heather Lylis, the band’s publicist, said Travers passed away yesterday at the Danbury Hospital in Connecticut. She had battled leukemia for several
years, reports The Times.

Travers joined forces with Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey in the early 1960s. The trio formed the folk band Peter, Paul and Mary, mingling their music with liberal politics, both onstage and off.

Peter, Paul and Mary had hits including If I Had a Hammer, Lemon Tree and Puff, The Magic Dragon.

They won five Grammies and released a five-disc box set of their greatest hits, Carry It On.

They were strong supporters of the civil rights movement and opponents of the Vietnam War. (ANI)