Peter Yarrow’s cause of death has been revealed.

The Peter, Paul and Mary musician died of bladder cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2021. Yarrow, 86, died Tuesday, January 7, at his home in New York City.

The Grammy-winning folk singer, songwriter and activist has “been battling cancer for some time,” his son Christopher and daughter Bethany wrote in a statement shared in December, asking fans and friends to leave living memorabilia for him Yarrow to leave behind.

“He has amazed his doctors with his resilience while continuing to achieve and live life in his own generous and practical way. It’s been a long road and he was a strong dragon, but right now he is very weak and at 86 years old his dragon days are numbered,” they wrote.

He interviewed former NFL player Rolf Benirschke this past summer The Phoenix MagazineYarrow talked about living with a stoma after having his bladder surgically removed during cancer treatment (a stoma is a surgically created opening in the abdomen that allows waste or urine to exit the body, according to the Mayo Clinic).

The singer said he underwent three months of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2021 – but “everything went wrong”.

“I had gastrointestinal problems, skin rashes, terrible nausea, lost my appetite and lost 25 pounds… a lot for a slight man in my 80s,” he said.

That’s when Yarrow had his bladder removed – and learned his treatment was unsuccessful. His doctors then suggested he try a new immunotherapy that might not cure his cancer but might prolong his life, and he went ahead.

“I couldn’t wait to go. I wanted to take on this cancer,” he told Benirschke. “I wanted the best chance, and if my best chance was going through another terribly punishing immunotherapy session, I just wanted to keep going.”

Yarrow said he hopes he can inspire others by speaking about his experiences with cancer and a stoma.

“I hope my words and story will help reassure my ostomy brothers and sisters. It’s a challenge, but life actually becomes better after an ostomy. For me, life has become more precious, more present and more rewarding,” he said.

Yarrow advocated for colonoscopies and early cancer screenings back in 2010 when he wrote and performed “The Colonoscopy Song” on CBS. The early show.

Just four days before his death, the star’s daughter Bethany wrote that Yarrow was “physically very weak, but his spirit is strong and his light grows brighter every day.”

In December, she shared a photo of his Peter, Paul and Mary bandmate Noel Paul Stookey visiting him and reading a preview of his upcoming autobiography.

“A day full of memories, presence, tears of gratitude and recognition of all these years of brotherhood and adventure,” Bethany wrote.