Mary Travers, of Peter, Paul and Mary, died today in hospital after battling cancer for several years. Read the full AP story at any of these sites: MSNBC, Yahoo or The New York Times. As someone who sang “Blowin’ in the Wind” along with my friend’s record as a pre-teen, walked out on a high school talent pageant runway to the music of “Leaving on a Jet Plane” and cried to the sound of “Day is Done” just a few years ago when a member of my family was overseas in a militarized zone, I feel that a piece of my life is gone. And yet all those wonderful songs will be with us for a long time. Mary will be remembered as part of the music that shaped many of our lives.

Christine Lavin has this update on Mary Travers on her website.

Update on Mary Travers from Christine Lavin

Update: For more recent (good) news see this post.

Christine Lavin has been encoraging people to send wishes to Mary Travers who is in the hospital awaiting a bone marrow transplant.

As you might know, Mary Travers of Peter Paul & Mary is in the hospital gearing up for a bone marrow transplant (six matches were found!) — she will be hospitalized for at least the next six weeks. I have set up an address where you and your listeners can send Mary ‘get well’ wishes — I will print them out once a week and send them over (she cannot have visitors, so this is a way to help keep her entertained). In case you don’t know, Mary is very funny, sarcastic, loves a good joke — so if you know any good jokes, I’m sure she’d get a kick out of them. Over the years PP&M have proven to be one of the most enduring folk groups that talks the talk AND walks the walk, supporting good causes and doing countless benefits, so here’s a chance for us to help support her during a difficult time. The address is getwellmary@aol.com. Thanks so much — Christine Lavin

Thanks to Lary Hoyt for pointing this out.