“Puff the Magic Dragon,” “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “If I Had a Hammer” are among the popular ‘60s folk songs Noel Paul Stookey will perform in Rancho Bernardo on Feb. 23.
Stookey — Paul of the singing group Peter, Paul and Mary — will be ed by Kevin Roth for the San Diego Folk Heritage concert.
While many of SDFH’s concerts are held at Templar’s Hall in Poway, organizers moved this concert to San Diego Oasis’ Rancho Bernardo center because a larger crowd is expected. Organizers said they anticipate a sell-out.
“This is my first concert since Peter’s ing,” said Stookey, who not only had a long career as part of the trio, but as a solo artist in the years after.
“People come hopeful and expecting Peter, Paul and Mary music, so I decided, by virtue of (Peter) being gone, to perform a few more,” he said.
Stookey, 87, is the last surviving member of the group known for its protest and folk songs during the ‘60s. Mary Travers died in 2009 after being diagnosed with leukemia five years earlier. Peter Yarrow died Jan. 7 after a four-year battle with bladder cancer.
After getting his start in a rock ‘n’ roll band during high school, Stookey was selected in 1961 to Travers and Yarrow when manager Albert Grossman formed the folk group after auditioning several musicians. They soon found success with original music and covers of others’ songs, and continued to tour and record albums until breaking up in 1970.
While they pursued solo careers, Peter, Paul and Mary reunited in 1978 for a successful summer tour. That led to them reuniting by 1981 and continuing to perform together periodically through 2009. When Travers became too ill to continue, Stookey and Yarrow renamed their show “Peter & Paul Celebrate Mary and 5 Decades of Friendship.”
Some of the music Stookey will perform in Rancho Bernardo will be songs he wrote, including “The Wedding Song (There Is Love).” He wrote the song for Yarrow’s wedding in 1969 and recorded it for a solo album in 1971.
The song has become popular for weddings, in part because of its religious connotations.
As a soloist, Stookey has produced a lot of faith-inspired music. While it started as Christian-based due to his early experiences, he said the music is intentionally broad so it can be inclusive of many faith traditions and denominations.
Much of the trio’s music throughout the 1960s was a commentary on society. And with some of the events in the United States today, their songs are still relevant.
“Yes, of course they are socially relevant when you factor in the hopefulness in the face of such challenges politically,” Stookey said. “It really requires faith, which to me is wonderful to incorporate, because faith into politics is needed to establish in others a sense of hope.
“Hope sometimes requires action, not just wishful thinking, as your body is on the line when vocally involved in the discussion,” he said.
During the ‘70s, when Stookey incorporated faith into his music, he said he focused not strictly on the words from scripture, but how they are a metaphor for many faiths and every heart in the context of a political environment.
As inspiration strikes, Stookey still comments on the political environment through his music.
In 2017 he penned and sung the parody song “Impeachable” to the tune of Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable” in reaction to President Donald Trump’s actions during his first term in office.
One of his more recent works is “Dance to the Manulenjo” — the latter word a combination of mandolin, ukulele and banjo. He referred to the manulenjo as “an instrument of democracy” when penning the song in 2023.
“It is a metaphor of who we are as Americans, a nation of immigrants,” said Stookey, who plans to perform the song during his RB concert.
Ten years ago he also wrote two new verses to “America the Beautiful” that speak about the U.S. being a nation of immigrants and of the country’s natural resources.
“It is very rewarding to have written them 10 years ago and to discover they have staying power and are even more appropriate now,” he said.
Roth, a singer/songwriter who is internationally known as a mountain dulcimer player, has been a frequent performer in Poway through San Diego Folk Heritage. He most recently ed folk singer Deidre McCalla for a concert last February.
Roth will open the concert, perform for about 20 minutes then turn the stage over to Stookey, who has two sets planned for the 2 ½-hour concert. They will together for “My Turn Now,” the first encore piece planned.
Roth has been playing the dulcimer for over 50 years, one of several instruments he plays. Over his career, he has released more than 60 albums and sang the theme song on the PBS television children’s show “Shining Time Station” that featured Thomas the Tank Engine.
“It will be nice to share the stage with Kevin,” Stookey said. “I was a producer for one of his albums and helped with others.”
While Stookey said he never imagined as a teen that his music career would take the path that it did, he has enjoyed its longevity.
“That I would up with the beautiful Mary Travers and talented singer Peter Yarrow, that was not taken into ,” he said. “But that has not changed my approach to performing, because I did not do it to accomplish fame or fortune.
“No, I never expected it to last this long, definitely not 60 years ago,” he said.
Stookey does not spend as many days on tour as he once did, estimating he does no more than 20 concerts per year versus the 200 or so he did annually during the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. Part of that is because of a decision he made in the 1970s to spend more time with family and reset his priorities.
Stookey, his wife and children moved to the coast of Maine in 1974, which allowed them to enjoy country life, grow some of their food and raise animals.
When he does perform now, he said his priority is fundraiser events, which take up at least half of his performance commitments.
As for which he prefers — performing or songwriting — Stookey said performing is easier, because what he pens must stand the test of time, while a performance is based on just that moment.
Tickets to the 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23 concert featuring Noel Paul Stookey and special guest Kevin Roth are $35 for general ission and $25 for SDFH . Buy at TicketWeb.com, where a small online fee will be added.
The concert will be held at San Diego Oasis, 17170 Bernardo Center Drive in Rancho Bernardo.
