Paul Stookey

Noel Paul Stookey (born December 30, 1937) is an American singer-songwriter and activist who is known for being a member of the 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary along with Peter Yarrow and Mary Travers. Following the deaths of Travers in 2009 and Yarrow in 2025, Stookey is the sole surviving member of the group. He continues to work as a solo artist and an activist.

Early life Stookey was born in Baltimore, Maryland. His family moved to Birmingham, Michigan, when he was 12 years old, and he graduated from Birmingham High School (now Seaholm High School) in 1955.

Stookey attended Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing, Michigan but did not graduate. While attending MSU, he joined Delta Upsilon fraternity. Though he credits a deep spiritual core for his work, Stookey "dispelled reports that he was born a Buddhist, saying his mother was a Roman Catholic and his dad was an ex-Mormon" and recalling the family's "eclectic attendance at church. I had no real spiritual sense until I was 30."

Personal life Stookey married Elizabeth "Betty" Bannard in 1963 and they have three daughters. After raising their family in Blue Hill, Maine, the couple lived for several years in Massachusetts while Betty served as the Northfield Mount Hermon School chaplain and they returned to Maine in 2005. Stookey continued recording his solo albums in his private studio—a converted four-story henhouse—on his Maine property. This studio, known as "The Henhouse," was also the origin point of the first broadcasts of WERU upon that station's inception in 1988.

Music career Peter, Paul and Mary Performing as Paul in the Peter, Paul and Mary trio, he participated in one of the best-known ensembles of the 1960s phase of the American folk music revival, and included some of his solo songs and extended monologs in their performances and recordings. In May 1963, Stookey discussed the evolution of his music and the formation of Peter, Paul and Mary on Folk Music Worldwide, an international short-wave radio program in New York City.

One of Stookey's songs, "Norman Normal", which appeared on The Peter, Paul and Mary Album (1966), inspired a Warner Bros. animated cartoon also titled Norman Normal (1968). Stookey co-wrote the story for the cartoon and voiced several of the characters.

In addition to his recordings with the trio, he released a number of solo works, several albums with the ensemble Bodyworks, and some anthologies. He was an important artist in the young Jesus music movement, which later bloomed into the Christian music industry, although his generally liberal political views distinguish him from many such artists.

Stookey was awarded the Kate Wolf Memorial Award by the World Folk Music Association in 2000.

Solo career During 1971 and 1972 Warner released a debut solo album by each member of the group. Each of these had similarly styled cover art. Stookey's album Paul and was the highest of the three on the music charts, reaching number 42 on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States in September 1971 and number 51 in Canada.

In 1973, Stookey performed at Carnegie Hall and released the concert as his second solo album calling it One Night Stand. With the release of One Night Stand, Stookey changed his name from Noel Paul Stookey to Paul Stookey.

Stookey's best-known song "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)" was included on his debut solo album. The song was also released as a single which reached number 24 in the Billboard Hot 100. He wrote the song as a wedding gift for Peter Yarrow, and refused to perform it for the public until Yarrow requested it at a concert where his wife was present. Stookey assigned the copyright of this song to the Public Domain Foundation (PDF), a nonprofit 501(c)(3).

After Peter, Paul and Mary Stookey performed as a member of Peter, Paul and Mary until the death of Mary Travers in September 2009. His work after Peter, Paul and Mary has emphasized his faith, family life and social concerns. He remains active in the music industry, performing as a solo act, and occasionally performed with the late Peter Yarrow.

In 1986, Stookey teamed up with Jim Newton, Paul G. Hill, and Denny Bouchard at Celebration Shop in Texas. The company, now known as Kidlinks, uses original musical compositions as music therapy to address the special needs of children. The company has produced three award-winning children's CDs used in hospitals, medical camps and homes across the country.

In 2000 Noel and his daughter, Elizabeth Stookey Sunde, founded the nonprofit Music to Life, which builds on the strong historical legacy of social movements' intentional use of music to educate, recruit, and mobilize.

In January 2011, centered on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Stookey participated in several events at Dartmouth College that celebrated King's life, including "Music for Social Change with Noel Paul Stookey and Company."

Production He also has production credits on a wide range of albums including jazz saxophonist Paul Winter, comedian Tim Sample and several singer-songwriters, among them Dave Mallett, Michael Kelly Blanchard and Gordon Bok. He was the founder of the Neworld Multimedia record label.

Discography

Albums

Year Title Record label 2022 Fazz:Now&Then Neworld Multimedia 2021 Just Causes Neworld Multimedia 2018 Somethin' Special – A Noel Paul Stookey Holiday Recollection Neworld Multimedia 2017 Summerfallwinterspring (four-song EP) Neworld Multimedia 2015 At Home: The Maine Tour (DVD and CD) Neworld Multimedia 2012 The Cabin Fever Waltz (EP with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra) Neworld Multimedia 2012 One & Many Neworld Multimedia 2012 Cue the Moon (digital download EP) Neworld Multimedia 2012 Capricious Bird (digital download EP) Neworld Multimedia 2012 One Voice and One Guitar (digital download EP) Neworld Multimedia 2007 Facets Neworld Multimedia 2004 Virtual Party Neworld Multimedia 2002 Circuit Rider (A Noel Paul Stookey / Bodyworks compilation) Neworld Multimedia 2001 There Is Love (A Holiday Music Celebration) with Michael Kelly Blanchard Neworld Multimedia 1990 In Love Beyond Our Lives (Noel Paul Stookey/ Bodyworks) Gold Castle 1985 State of the Heart (Noel Paul Stookey/ Bodyworks) Newpax 1984 There Is Love (A Noel Paul Stookey Anthology) Newpax 1982 Wait'll You Hear This (Noel Paul Stookey/ Bodyworks) Newpax 1979 Band & Bodyworks (Noel Paul Stookey/ Bodyworks) Neworld 1977 Something New and Fresh Neworld 1977 Real to Reel Neworld 1973 One Night Stand Warner Bros. 1971 Paul And (Released August 16, 1971) Warner Bros 1954 The Birds Fly Home (The Birds of Paradise, Stookey's high school band) Independent release

Singles Release date Title Peak chart positions US US(AC) CAN(Top 100) CAN(AC) July 31, 1971 "Wedding Song (There Is Love)" 24 3 31 12