Peter Yarrow

Peter Yarrow
Yarrow in 1970
Yarrow in 1970
Background information
Born(1938-05-31)May 31, 1938
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedJanuary 7, 2025(2025-01-07) (aged 86)
New York City, New York, U.S.
GenresFolk
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Guitarist
Record producer
InstrumentsVocals
Guitar
Years active1950s–2024
LabelsWarner Bros. Records

Peter Yarrow (May 31, 1938 – January 7, 2025) was an American singer. He was known for his songs such as "Puff, the Magic Dragon", "Lemon Tree", and "I'm In Love with a Big Blue Frog". He was also a political activist and supported veterans' rights.

Yarrow was born on May 31, 1938 in New York City, New York to a Ukrainian-Jewish family. He studied at High School of Music and Art and at Cornell University. Yarrow was married to Mary Beth McCarthy (niece of Eugene McCarthy). They had two children.

In 1970, 14-year-old Barbara Winter went to visit Yarrow's hotel room in Washington, D.C. with her 17-year-old sister to look for an autograph. Winter said that Yarrow answered the door naked and made her masturbate him until he ejaculated. Yarrow served three months of a 1–3 year prison sentence. He apologized for the incident and was granted a presidential pardon by Jimmy Carter on January 19, 1981, the day before Carter's presidency ended.

Yarrow died of bladder cancer on January 7, 2025, at his New York City apartment, at the age of 86.

References

  1. ↑ Peter Yarrow Biography
  2. ↑ Alex Roth (March 3, 2006), "Jet fighter, 'Jet Plane' singer forged a bond", The San Diego Union-Tribune.
  3. ↑ Tim Grieve (January 28, 2005), "Howard Dean or anybody but?" Archived March 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Salon.
  4. ↑ Alan M. Dershowitz (December 15, 1991), "Winning Was Everything", The New York Times.
  5. ↑ Brocknell, Gillian (May 17, 2021). "A famed folk singer won a presidential pardon after molesting a child. Did he prey on others?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  6. ↑ Trex, Ethan, 11 notable presidential pardons, CNN, January 5, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  7. ↑ Farber, Jim. "Peter Yarrow, the Peter of Peter, Paul and Mary, Dies at 86". The New York Times. Retrieved January 7, 2025.

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