Mary Travers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Travers
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Travers in 1977
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| Born |
Mary Allin Travers
November 9, 1936 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
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| Died | September 16, 2009 (aged 72) Danbury, Connecticut, U.S.
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| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1961–2009 |
| Spouse(s) |
John Filler
(m. 1958; div. 1960)Barry Feinstein
(m. 1963; div. 1968)Gerald L. Taylor
(m. 1969; div. 1975)Ethan Robbins
(m. 1991) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Virginia Coigney (mother) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
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| Associated acts | |
Mary Allin Travers (born November 9, 1936 – died September 16, 2009) was an American singer and songwriter. She was best known as a member of the famous 1960s folk group Peter, Paul and Mary. The other members were Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey. Mary grew up in New York City's Greenwich Village, a place known for its growing folk music scene. She also released five solo albums during her career. Mary had a deep singing voice, known as a contralto.
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Early Life and Education
Mary Travers was born in 1936 in Louisville, Kentucky. Her parents, Robert Travers and Virginia Coigney, were journalists. They were also active in a trade union called The Newspaper Guild. In 1938, when Mary was two years old, her family moved to Greenwich Village in New York City.
Mary went to a special school called the Little Red School House. There, she met famous musicians like Pete Seeger and Paul Robeson. Paul Robeson even sang lullabies to her! Mary left school in the 11th grade. She joined a folk group called the Song Swappers.
Mary Travers' Singing Career
In 1955, the Song Swappers sang backup for Pete Seeger. They helped on four albums when Folkways Records reissued Seeger's songs about unions. Mary thought of singing as just a hobby. She was a bit shy about it. But other musicians encouraged her to keep singing. She also performed in a Broadway show called The Next President.
The group Peter, Paul and Mary was formed in 1961. They quickly became very popular. They shared a manager, Albert Grossman, with Bob Dylan. Their version of Dylan's song "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" helped make Dylan's album Freewheelin' a top hit.
Peter, Paul and Mary stopped performing together in 1970. This was shortly after their biggest hit in the UK. It was a song called "Leaving on a Jet Plane" by John Denver. This song reached number one on the U.S. Billboard and Cash Box charts in December 1969. It was the group's only number one hit.
After the group broke up, Mary Travers started her solo career. She recorded five albums on her own:
- Mary (1971)
- Morning Glory (1972)
- All My Choices (1973)
- Circles (1974)
- It's in Everyone of Us (1978)
Peter, Paul and Mary got back together in 1978. They toured a lot and released many new albums. They continued to perform until Mary's death. The group was honored in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999.
Mary Travers' Personal Life
Mary Travers was married four times. Her first daughter, Erika, was born in 1960. Her second daughter, Alicia, was born in 1966. In 1991, she married Ethan Robbins. They lived together in Redding, Connecticut, for the rest of her life.
Illness and Passing
In 2004, Mary Travers was diagnosed with leukemia, a type of cancer. She had a bone marrow transplant in 2005. This helped for a while. However, she passed away on September 16, 2009. She died at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut. Her death was due to problems from the transplant and other treatments. She was buried in Umpawaug Cemetery in Redding, Connecticut.
Mary Travers' Legacy
A special service was held for Mary Travers on November 9, 2009. This was in New York City, on what would have been her 73rd birthday. Many people attended the four-hour service. They shared stories about Mary's impact.
Gloria Steinem, a famous feminist, said that Mary Travers "seemed to us to be a free woman, and that helped us to be free." Folk singer Theodore Bikel talked about Mary's roles. He mentioned her as a political activist and a popular music star.
Solo Discography
- Mary, Warner Bros., 1971
- Morning Glory, Warner Bros., 1972
- All My Choices, Warner Bros., 1973
- Circles, Warner Bros., 1974
- It's in Everyone of Us, Chrysalis, 1978
See also
In Spanish: Mary Travers para niños
- List of people from the Louisville metropolitan area
