Peter, Paul and Mary

Peter Yarrow, Noel (Paul) Stookey and Mary Travers came together in the early '60s as part of the fertile Greenwich Village folk scene in New York. Singing with impeccable harmonies, mainly about social injustices, the trio was signed and released its debut album in 1962. Ignited by the hits "If I Had a Hammer" and "Lemon Tree," their self-titled debut rocketed to the top of the charts, staying firmly ensconced in the Top 10 for 10 months. The trio ended the year 1969 singing at the March on Washington, which Yarrow helped organize. With nearly a decade of success under their belts, they said goodbye to the '60s, as well as their unit, and rang in 1970 as individuals. Peter, Paul and Mary pursued solo careers with gusto, but in 1978, Yarrow helped organize an anti-nuclear benefit at the Hollywood Bowl and asked his friends to join him onstage. Since then, the trio has gone on to record a number of lyrically rich albums. They have also produced a number of television specials and children's albums. In 2005, Mary Travers underwent an unsuccessful bone marrow transplant in her battle against leukemia. She recovered well but eventually passed away on September 16, 2009.