MARY TRAVERS has died at the age of 72.
The singer, one third of the hugely popular 1960s US folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, passed away after a long battle with leukaemia.
A statement on the group's website said the singer succumbed "to the side effects of one of the chemotherapy treatments" she was undergoing.
Bandmate Peter Yarrow said she had handled her declining health "in the bravest, most generous way imaginable".
And he added that she sang with honesty and complete authenticity throughout her entire career.
He said: "I believe that, in the most profound of ways, Mary was incapable of lying, as a person, and as an artist - that took great courage, and Mary was always equal to the task."
Noel "Paul" Stookey, the trio's other member, praised her for inspiring activism, "especially in her defence of the defenceless."
He said: "I am deadened and heartsick beyond words to consider a life without Mary Travers and honoured beyond my wildest dreams to have shared her spirit and her career."
Peter, Paul and Mary had hits including If I Had a Hammer, Lemon Tree and Puff, The Magic Dragon.
Their biggest hit - and their only number one - was Leaving On A Jet Plane in December 1969.
They became known for their mixture of liberal politics with folk music that won them a loyal following of fans and also five Grammy Awards.
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