Folk Music Icon Happy Traum Passes Away at 86 After Battling Pancreatic Cancer

Happy Traum, a renowned figure in the folk music scene and a collaborator with Bob Dylan, has passed away at the age of 86 due to pancreatic cancer. His wife, Jane, confirmed to The New York Times that he died following surgery for the illness.

Traum, along with his brother Artie, released five albums, beginning with their debut "Happy and Artie." Artie Traum had succumbed to liver cancer in 2008.

Happy Traum's illustrious career included collaborations with Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Levon Helm from The Band, and reggae legend Peter Tosh. Notably, he participated in a historic 1963 recording session with Dylan, Seeger, Phil Ochs, and other folk luminaries, resulting in the influential album "Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1." This album featured a duet between Traum and Dylan, who performed under the alias Blind Boy Grunt, on the antiwar song "Let Me Die in My Footsteps."

A self-taught musician, Traum's career took off in the 1950s. He became a key figure in the Greenwich Village music scene during the 1960s. The New York Times lauded Traum as "an enduring presence in the folk world for more than six decades."

Traum leaves behind his wife, Jane, his daughters Merry and April, his son Adam, and four grandchildren.