Noel Paul Stookey is an American singer-songwriter. Stookey is known as "Paul" in the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary; however, he has been known by his first name, Noel, throughout his life. He continues to work as a singer and an activist, performing as a solo artist, and occasionally performing with Peter Yarrow.
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 in 2005, they returned to Maine. Stookey originally recorded his solo albums in his private studio—a converted chicken coop—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. Stookey is a born-again Christian.
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 monologues in their performances and recordings. 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 would later bloom into the Christian music industry, although his generally liberal political views distinguish him from many such artists. In 1986, Stookey teamed up with Jim Newton, Paul G. Hill, and Denny Bouchard at Celebration Shop in Texas. The company, now known as Hugworks, 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. Stookey was awarded the Kate Wolf Memorial Award by the World Folk Music Association in 2000.
After Peter, Paul and Mary
Paul performed as a member of Peter, Paul and Mary until the death of Mary in September 2009. His work after Peter, Paul and Mary has emphasized his Christian faith, family life and social concerns. He remains active in the music industry, performing as a solo act, and also performing occasionally with Peter Yarrow. 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. M2L revitalizes music to meet the challenges of the modern world and revolutionize the role activist artists can play in accelerating social change. Music to Life understands the complexity of contemporary causes and the diversity of musical genres. They blend this knowledge with multimedia technologies and programming techniques to develop unique musical experiences that amplify an organization's message, spark engagement with a cause, and empower activist artists to stand on the front lines of social change. In January 2011, Stookey participated in several events at Dartmouth College that celebrated the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., including "Music for Social Change with Noel Paul Stookey and Company."
Compositions
Stookey's best-known composition is "The Wedding Song ", that charted in 1971 and remains popular for performance during wedding services. 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, a nonprofit 5013 that facilitates the creation and impact of music for social change. Generating over $1.5 million for charity worldwide, PDF has facilitated the creation of M4SC through its Music to Life contest and other educational, entertainment and outreach activities, bringing together the global community, communicating how activism through music is alive and possible.
Production
He also has production credits on albums by several lesser-known singer-songwriters, including Dave Mallett and Gordon Bok. He was the founder of the Neworld Multimedia record label. Charting Single – Billboard
