John Stuart, in his Gorham kitchen last week, remembered the late Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary. Robert Lowell / American Journal

John Stuart of Gorham, following the death of Peter Yarrow on Jan. 7, recalled the glory days of Peter, Paul and Mary, the legendary folk trio from the 1960s.

Stuart, a singer and musician, once toured the country with the band of Noel Paul Stookey and still handles production work in his Gorham sound studio for his longtime friend Stookey.

The death of Yarrow at 86 leaves one trio member, Stookey of Blue Hill, still alive. Mary Travers died in 2009.

Stuart recalled he had first met and talked with Yarrow backstage at a New York show featuring folk artists. Stars who took part, besides Yarrow, were Stookey, Judy Collins and Merv Griffin.

“Peter was a sparkplug, he was politically involved,” Stuart said.

He said the trio sang in the famous Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “I have a Dream” civil rights rally.

Yarrow and the trio were perfectionists, Stuart said. “It took 99 takes to get ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’ recorded to their satisfaction.”

The trio’s commonly recognized list of recordings also include “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Lemon Tree,” “If I Had a Hammer” and “Leaving on a Jet Plane.”

“The group was completely iconic,” Stuart said.

It was a different era and the trio didn’t need to be surrounded by personal security when they traveled in those days, he said.

In 1979, Stuart began performing with Stookey’s band well after the Peter, Paul and Mary days together ended. Stuart said band members jokingly billed themselves as “Stookey and chopped liver.”

“I toured a lot with Noel,” Stuart said. “We flew everywhere.”

Noel Paul Stookey, who gained worldwide fame as Paul of the Peter, Paul and Mary trio, in a sound booth in John Stuart’s home studio on Mosher Road in 2012. Robert Lowell / American Journal

At one point, Stuart and the Stookey band were stuck in traffic and in danger of missing a commercial flight, but Stookey’s celebrity status got it held until they arrived at the airport.

“The pilot was a fan of Peter, Paul and Mary,” Stuart recalled.

The American Journal reported in 2006 that “Stuart arranged and sang on an album for Stookey produced in Stookey’s studio. That album was nominated for a Grammy Award.”

At a concert in Texas, Stuart recalled Yarrow’s fingers were adjusting his volume. “I didn’t want him playing around with my mix,” Stuart said.

Yarrow lived in New York and Stuart said Yarrow was down to earth and favored casual-but-distinctive attire when not performing on stage.

“He didn’t look like he was working on a truck,” Stuart said.

A few years ago, Yarrow was scheduled to visit Stuart’s Gorham studio to sing, but Stuart didn’t recall the reason Yarrow’s appointment didn’t materialize.

Stuart, last month, lost another music world friend, David Mallett.

“I’ve met a lot of fun people,” Stuart said.