Back in the seventies, my Mom wore her hair long and straight - kind of like I do now - usually in ponytails, one on each side, or sometimes in a bun when she wanted to be fancy, or, rarely, just long and straight.
And of course, she was big on liberal causes, feminism, and protest songs.
In case you wonder why I liked Mary Travers so much... partly I always thought of her as my Mom... if my Mom sang. There she stood, in between Peter and Paul, a calm, magnanimous presence, calmly sharing her words of wisdom for all of us to hear. It was the smile that always got me - that sort of Mona Lisa-ish, half smile that let you know she was doing what made her joyously happy: singing, with conviction, about the things she loved and believed in most.
She also made protest music seem very approachable and friendly. I liked that. Still do.
My favorite memory is of the time J and I went to hear Peter Paul and Mary on one of their summer tours; this had to be back in the early nineties. In the middle of the show, each of them would come out and do a solo turn, and you'd discover that Peter was, well, pretty passionate about his causes, and Paul was a secret romantic... and Mary really was an Earth mother.
She came out, and addressed all of us as old friends she hadn't seen in a long time, and then she announced that she was very proud to be a Grandmother. And then she said, "and I brought pictures!" And she proceeded to unroll a 20 by 30 inch poster of a close up of her - very lovely - granddaughter. You could see it all the way out on the lawn, where we were. It was sweet, funny, and touching.
Mary Travers was one of those remarkable performers who transcended her work and became a cultural touchstone. For years she really was the female face of folk music, and she wore her unique kind of celebrity with an unmatched dignity, authenticity and an impressive unpretentiousness. And that voice! Never mind all the passionate songs where she embodies the cause... go back and listen to Leaving on a Jet Plane. Kiss me, smile for me. Tell me that you'll wait for me. Oh babe, I hate to go. The emotion, genuine and from the heart, is what made Mary's work so special... and all she wanted was to do was be part of something. Don't we all?
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