Paul Stookey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Stookey
Stookey in 1970
Background information
Birth name	Noel Paul Stookey
Born	(1937-12-30) December 30, 1937 (age 87) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Genres	Folk
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1950s–present
Labels	Warner Brothers-Neworld Multimedia
Associated acts	Peter, Paul and Mary Peter and Noel Paul

Noel Paul Stookey (born December 30, 1937) is an American singer and songwriter. He is famous for being part of the 1960s folk group called Peter, Paul and Mary. The other members were Peter Yarrow and Mary Travers. Paul Stookey is the last living member of the group. Mary Travers passed away in 2009, and Peter Yarrow in 2025. Today, Stookey still makes music on his own and works as an activist.

Paul Stookey's Early Life

Noel Paul Stookey was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. When he was 12 years old, his family moved to Birmingham, Michigan. He finished high school there in 1955.

Stookey went to Michigan State University (MSU). He did not finish his degree there. While at MSU, he joined a fraternity called Delta Upsilon. Stookey has said that his spiritual beliefs are very important to his work. He grew up in a family that went to different churches. He felt a strong spiritual connection later in his life, around age 30.

Paul Stookey's Personal Life

Paul Stookey married Elizabeth "Betty" Bannard in 1963. They have three daughters together. They raised their family in Blue Hill, Maine. Later, they lived in Massachusetts for several years. During that time, Betty worked as a chaplain at the Northfield Mount Hermon School. They moved back to Maine in 2005.

Stookey records his solo music in his own studio. It is a special place on his property in Maine. It used to be a four-story henhouse! This studio is known as "The Henhouse." It was also where the first radio shows for WERU were broadcast in 1988.

Paul Stookey's Music Career

Peter, Paul and Mary: A Famous Folk Trio

Paul Stookey was known as "Paul" in the group Peter, Paul and Mary. This trio was one of the most famous groups during the 1960s American folk music revival. They often included some of Stookey's solo songs in their shows. He also told funny stories during their performances. In 1963, Stookey talked about how Peter, Paul and Mary started. He shared this on a radio show called Folk Music Worldwide.

One of Stookey's songs was "Norman Normal." It was on their 1966 album, The Peter, Paul and Mary Album. This song inspired a cartoon by Warner Bros. It was also called Norman Normal (1968). Stookey helped write the story for the cartoon. He also used his voice for several characters in it.

Besides his work with the trio, Stookey released many solo albums. He also made albums with a group called Bodyworks. He was an important artist in the early Jesus music movement. This movement later grew into the Christian music industry. However, Stookey's political views were often more liberal than many other Christian artists.

In 2000, Stookey received the Kate Wolf Memorial Award. This award is given by the World Folk Music Association.

Paul Stookey's Solo Career

In 1971 and 1972, each member of Peter, Paul and Mary released their own solo album. Stookey's album was called "Paul and". It was the most successful of the three solo albums. It reached number 42 on the Billboard 200 music chart in the United States in September 1971.

In 1973, Stookey performed a concert at Carnegie Hall. He released this concert as his second solo album, called One Night Stand. After this album, he started using the name Paul Stookey instead of Noel Paul Stookey.

Stookey's most famous song is "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)". This song was on his first solo album. It was also released as a single and became a hit. It reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He wrote the song as a wedding gift for Peter Yarrow. Stookey did not want to perform it in public at first. But Peter Yarrow asked him to sing it at a concert when his wife was there. Stookey gave the copyright for this song to the Public Domain Foundation (PDF). This is a non-profit organization.

After Peter, Paul and Mary

Paul Stookey continued to perform with Peter, Paul and Mary until Mary Travers passed away in September 2009. After the trio, his music and work focused on his faith, his family, and social issues. He is still active in music today. He performs as a solo artist. Sometimes, he also performs with Peter Yarrow.

In 1986, Stookey worked with Jim Newton, Paul G. Hill, and Denny Bouchard. They started a company called Celebration Shop in Texas. Now, the company is called Kidlinks. They create original songs to help children with special needs. This is a type of music therapy. Kidlinks has made three award-winning CDs for children. These CDs are used in hospitals, medical camps, and homes.

In 2000, Noel Stookey and his daughter, Elizabeth Stookey Sunde, started a non-profit group called Music to Life. This group uses music to help with social movements. Music has a long history of being used to teach, find new members, and bring people together for a cause.

In January 2011, Stookey took part in several events at Dartmouth College. These events celebrated the life of Martin Luther King Jr.. One event was called "Music for Social Change with Noel Paul Stookey and Company."

Music Production Work

Paul Stookey has also helped produce many albums for other artists. These include jazz saxophonist Paul Winter and comedian Tim Sample. He also produced music for singer-songwriters like Dave Mallett, Michael Kelly Blanchard, and Gordon Bok. He also started his own record label, called Neworld Multimedia.

Paul Stookey's Discography

Albums

Singles