Noel Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul and Mary)
S5 / Episode 7
About this episode
Noel Paul Stookey is a founding member of one of the most iconic trios of all time, the legendary folk group Peter, Paul and Mary.
From helping ignite the 1960s folk revival to introducing the songs of Bob Dylan to a mass audience with their era-defining recording of “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and carrying anthems like “If I Had a Hammer” and “Puff, the Magic Dragon” into the cultural bloodstream, Noel’s voice became a soundtrack to a generation navigating protest, hope, and change. The trio’s performance at the 1963 March on Washington — where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech — placed their harmonies at the very heart of the Civil Rights Movement, underscoring music’s power to both reflect and shape history.
Beyond the trio’s monumental success, Noel has sustained a solo career grounded in faith, social conscience, and musical craftsmanship — highlighted by his enduring wedding anthem “There Is Love (The Wedding Song).” His commitment to service continues through Music to Life, the nonprofit he founded to mentor artists using music as a force for positive social change.
In this conversation, Noel reflects on the power of harmony, the responsibility of artists in turbulent times, and what it means to keep singing with purpose more than six decades into a remarkable career.