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340 entries.
Hello,
This letter is long overdue.
As my husband and I approach our 50th Wedding Anniversary, we are looking back. We are struck by how many decisions that we made then are still decisions we would make today. One such decision was to choose Peter, Paul and Mary’s ‘Wedding Song,’ along with a vocal piece by Heinrich Schütz, to be performed at our wedding ceremony in Old West’s Memorial Hall on the Dickinson College campus.
I also think back to 30 November 1962, when I was 11 years old and my Dad, a math professor at Dickinson College, drove me to Smith’s Music House/Appliance Store in downtown Carlisle, to buy a record. As we pulled up to the curb, I said, “Oh, Dad, look at her!” Mary Travers, then 25-years-old, was walking toward us from the Molly Pitcher Hotel, and I will never forget the moment. To me, she looked like an apparition! Dad simply responded, “That is Mary with Peter, Paul and Mary, who will be performing at the college tonight.” My husband, Joe, recently did a search of the Dickinson College Archives and provided me with the attached screenshot of the article in Page 5 of the Dickinsonian (https://archives.dickinson.edu/index.php/dickinsonian/dickinsonian-november-16-1962), announcing your arrival in Carlisle in 1962.
Fast-forwarding to 1969-70, I was a freshman at Bucknell University and attended your concert there. By then I was a serious fan and was sitting in the front row. You and I actually spoke at either intermission or the conclusion of the concert. It is another of my cherished memories.
My brother, John, and I teamed up in the early 1970’s to perform at several events. I remember singing several of your songs with him on guitar accompaniment. I attach a photo of us performing in 1973. When my husband, Joe, a 1970 Dickinson College graduate, and I, a 1973 Dickinson College graduate and music major, were married in 1975, my brother and his fiancé sang ‘Wedding Song.’ I also attach a photo of them.
I conclude by saying that I completed my graduate studies in music at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in 1988, eventually teaching music at Dickinson and Gettysburg Colleges and becoming known for my course entitled, “Women and Western Art Music.” I have very fond memories of my time spent in Baltimore. It was not until recently, while searching the Peter, Paul and Mary archives, that I was not surprised to learn that you were from Baltimore. That realization brought all of these memories full circle, and inspired me to finally try to contact you to say how important you and Peter, Paul and Mary have been in my life. Thank you!
DEar Noel,
I hope you and your family are as well as can be expected these days.
Any chance you might do any public events this summer? I'd gladly come up to Maine (or elsewhere) to hear you. You give us such sustenance in these very difficult days.
Thank you.
Bill
(born 1991, currently 34 years old). I grew up watching "Puff the Magic Dragon" series.
I was 5 years old on my grandparents old dairy farm in upstate NY. I used to walk down into the farm's valley area near the creekbed with my father. One day, I spotted what looked like a footprint in one of the creek stones. With a child's imagination, I identified it as Puff's footprint. From that time onwards, I named that part of the farm "Honalee". It became a magical location of the farm for me as a child, adolescent, and into my adulthood. It was a place of rest, of quiet, and spiritual nurishment. It became part of my identity, and it was my connection to the soil. Having moved around a lot growing up, Honalee was my place of refuge, it was my constant, and my anchor.
For 25 years, everyone in my family called it “Honalee”. It became such a normal title that it became part of my grandparent's vocabulary. "Hey Matthew -- are you going down to Honalee today?" "Your uncle is down in 'Honalee' today chopping up some firewood."
Then one day, I got engaged to this girl. My mother (and extended family) did not approve and made me choose between inheriting “Honalee” or marrying my wife. I chose my wife and was disinherited from the magical land of my youth. That was the day I never returned to Honalee again. It was as much banishment as it was refusal. Puff never knew why I never came back, and I was never able to tell him. I miss the place of my youth, I miss Honalee.
The first LP I bought was In the wind, 12 yrs old. PPM expressed something deep in my intentions that led into a lifelong and continuing calling in medicine, using music for challenged groups. PPMs Album, my favorite, stayed with me, but faded for some decades. Now in these troubled times, Hurry sundown and Mon vrai destin stand as torches, playing daily in my inner and outer soundtrack - giving strength and hope, like a message lying dormant for a long time and now emerging as what needs to be heard, now: A song will rise! Thanks for your voice, expressing the depths of compassion for humanity that is the one commitment worth living for. Thanks, from the deep of my heart. Always, Audun
At the Academy of Music, you wrote on a box of candy for my Viet Name based husband that you wished him "to come home safely". We still have that paper although Bill is gone. There are no words to tell you what your music meant to both of us through our lives and we saw you many times when it meant not paying the utilities so we could hear you sing. Thank you for the good you've done. Your songs will live on long after you and those of us who were young with you will never forget. Thank you. Bill did come home "safely" - he just was never the same. We were together 60 years until Alzheimer's took him. Stay well. You are so well loved.
I just watched the PP&M special on WOSU. I inicreased my sustainer donation to $20/month to get the CD/DVD reward. I cried trough much of the show. I cried (again) for Mary, and for Peter. I was unbelievably disappointed when your concert with Peter in Columbus was cancelled!
Noel, I saw you play at the Community College of Beaver County PA with your band. The keyboardist was leaving to make her own career. So, that time of your touring... maybe 1979, when I came to faith. I love your finfger style picking and your melodic melodies. They challenge me in my playing. I started working on Miracles a while back. The 23rd Psalm is another. Now, hearing your One & Many CD, I have so many more I want to learn. Facets of the Jewel has such beautiful guitar work, and the meaning is powerful. In These Times is another that is so pertinent to today. I just worked out One & Many and Cue the Moon 🌙 and played them in Ohio at an open mic 🎤 last evening.
Question Noel...
The intro for Every Flower was taught to me by the late Al Mossburg, who recorded an album many years ago at your recording studio in Maine and he said he showed you the chord progression and it ended up becoming the intro for the song. Do you hae any recollection of this tale? Blessings, Brian
My wife and I took our children to hear you when Peter, Paul and Mary performed a Katrina benefit in Biloxi, Mississippi, in (I think) 2005 or 2006. You performed "Love Rules" and I would appreciate it if you would send me the chords.
We took our children backstage after the concert, and you put our son on your shoulders.
Lifelong fan (you wonderfully replied to a fan letter that I sent to you at age 14 in 1977). I have a technical question about guitar playing and frankly, it should've been for Peter Yarrow. He strums rather vigorously on "If I Had My Way". I've been attempting to teach my wrist to be loose and relaxed to build up speed with simply rhythmic strumming. I've improved and can strum as fast, but every time I try to play that song, I can't keep a grip on my flatpick -- it flies out of my hand. Do I just need to pinch it harder??? Is there a trick to keeping flatpick stable in my hand so I can strum fast and furious like in If I Had My Way??? TY
Noel, we had tickets for the April 2025 concert in Cerritos and were looking forward to another evening with P, P & M.
The Trio is always in my heart and on my mind. We will all miss the three of you but hear you are still performing. Just left Cerritos and a Kingston Trio event. Their closing song was "Last Night I had the Strangest Dream..." I wept and thought of you and Mary and Peter.
I am looking at a photo of you and me and my late wife taken at Cerritos several years ago. I will never forget our backstage meeting and hope to hear and see you again.
Don't let the light go out! You have changed the world and now it is up to us, your fans and admirers to carry forward.
Bob Williams
Costa Mesa, Ca (through San Francisco, The City)
Dear Sir , my husband, and myself are huge fans. The music of Peter, Paul and Mary changed our lives growing up. How we wish we had this support and encouragement at this time in our world. Our country is crashing and there aren’t enough of us to protest and bring action against.
Thank you
Hello, Mr.Stookey.
I have been a lifelong fan. My father, William Cowden, as a huge fan of 'Peter, Paul, and Mary", as am I.
I have all of the albums.
The first song that I coherently remember is "Puff the Magic Dragon".
I will be forever grateful to, not only you, but, all 3 of you. THANK YOU for what you have done.
Hello, Noel Paul, I just now finished watching a PBS program on Peter, Paul, and Mary, and now I’ve discovered this page. I wanted to say how much I have loved the music from the three of you, and I listened to your albums all the time when I was a teenager.
Your music and your message have meant a lot to me. I particularly love “The Wedding Song,” and it’s been one of my favorite songs ever since it first came out and has remained so. It’s beautiful, and I never get tired of hearing it.
Thank you, Noel Paul, for the beauty and joy you have brought to the world.
WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOUR MENTEES? AMERICA NEEDS YOUR HELP. PLEASE DON'T FEEL THAT YOU NEED TO ANSWER ME. YOU HAVE BEEN AN INPIRATION FOR MY LIFE. LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED TO MOVE FORWARD. I WOULD BE HONORED TO HELP. BLESSINGS AND THANK YOU.
As a Teacher of young children, we have a wish for a new song where Puff The Magic Dragon is happy again. From a child's viewpoint,"dragons live forever".Puff could have more adventures with many children. Its kind of like the song, "The Marvelous Little Toy."
Dear Paul: Life long fan here! After my 71st birthday last October, I began many walks down My Personal Memory Lane.....where I found you, and the trio taking up residence! Many heartfealt thanks .....seems such a minor way to pay you tribute for the loads of encouragement and comfort you have brought me and so many others. We met all too briefly years ago in Ottawa at the National Arts Centre where you played with Pete Seeger. That was truly a meeting that changed my life. I was struggling with my as yet, young faith in Jesus....your kindness brought me through that struggle. Years later I married an ordained Pastor and we continued in ministry together until her passing in 2020. May the Lord richly bless you and your family in every way....and once again, THANKYOU!
Good morning Sir, I just wanted to say hello. My brother introduced me to "There is Love" almost 40 years ago when he invited me to his wedding in Texas and asked me to learn, play and sing it to him and his bride. In the last couple years I have been blessed with the pleasure of meeting your former band mate, Kent Palmer. He is a dear friend to the 1st person that I know of that started praying for my awakening and subsequent salvation. As we approach the arrival of Jesus' second coming, there is so much I don't understand. I thank God that for now I don't need to. Blessings to you and yours sir!
dear noel...i wish to extend my heartfelt sympathy on the loss of your friend peter...the folk music community of detroit as you may know is in sorrow after our recent loss of josh (donnie)white jr....decades ago tom and ed sarkesian tried to put me in touch with you with an idea of musical colaboration...it never panned out...i have watched your composition skills ferment with excelence over the years and congratulate you on those accomplishments....i wish you peace and all that is good in christ...david f. reske.
Hi Noel, Honored to have seen you at least five times in concert. First one with the Bodyworks band at Barrington College, in RI. Two others in Keene, NH, one with Betty. Another one was on Lexington, Mass. with Peter. Mourning his passing. Our last one was in New London, NH in that intimate setting. As a ball player, thanks for playing, one of my favorites, in right Field. Thanks for all of your music, poetry, and spirit. My Pastor wife and I are honored to listen to your music most days which leads us to get into, "good trouble." I had the honor of also meeting John Lewis twice. Thanks for your latest words about the folks of Ukraine. Hope to keep listening and responding to your music, humor and wit. Love, Mark PS: I talked with Betty in New London, NH and she says that you still do benefit concerts. I hope that you might considering doing one at our home church, First Parish Federated Church in South Berwick, Maine in June. Let me know how to get in touch with you about this possibility. Thanks, blessings, and God's love.
Paul, I just watched the P, P & M special on PBS. I lived in Lyndeborough NH in the late 70’s to 2004 and, although I never saw you, we all knew where you lived. In looking you up online I came across articles about Eddie Mottau and his musical career. My condolences on his passing. In true New England fashion, although we worked together in local politics and had mutual friends, my husband and I never knew any of that. There were several pics of Eddie with John Lennon online and I’m now watching a Beatles special on PBS. Talk about 6 degrees of separation! Have always loved your music and will be singing it all week long. Thank you for the music and the political activism.
