Mary Travers (1936-2009)

Mary Travers occupied a special place in my life. My very first concert as a 15-year-old was seeing Peter, Paul and Mary at the Carter Barron amphitheater in Washington, D.C., and I collected and sang along to all of their Sixties LPs. My parents weren't into folk music, but because they were civil-rights activists, Peter, Paul and Mary were a conspicuous exception because of their deep involvement in the struggle for equality. More here.

Photograph by Richard Perry/The New York Times