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Noel “Paul” Stookey wrote The Wedding Song (There Is Love) as a wedding gift for Peter Yarrow and his bride. The song became an instant hit and Stookey directed all the proceeds to charity by establishing the Public Domain Foundation. The foundation has given away more than $2 million to promote and facilitate the creation of cause-related music and further its impact on issues and organizations of social and political justice.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the artist | Noel "Paul" Stookey |
| Song | "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)" |
| Proceeds donated to | The Public Domain Foundation |
| Amount donated | Over $2 million |
| Purpose of donation | To promote and facilitate the creation of cause-related music and further its impact upon issues and organizations of social and political justice |
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What You'll Learn
- Paul Stookey donated proceeds from 'The Wedding Song' to the Public Domain Foundation
- The Public Domain Foundation was created to receive royalties from 'The Wedding Song'
- The foundation has donated over $2 million to charities
- The charities supported by the foundation include soup kitchens for the homeless
- The foundation also supports organisations for social and political justice
Paul Stookey donated proceeds from 'The Wedding Song' to the Public Domain Foundation
Paul Stookey, also known as Noel Paul Stookey, is well-known for his composition "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)". The song was written as a wedding gift for Peter Yarrow and performed at his wedding. Stookey initially refused to perform the song publicly until Yarrow requested it at a concert where his wife was present. The song was an instant hit, reaching number 24 in the Billboard Hot 100.
Stookey demonstrated his commitment to social change and charitable causes by donating the proceeds from "The Wedding Song" to the Public Domain Foundation (PDF), a nonprofit organization. The foundation was established to receive the royalties from the song and distribute them to charitable organizations across the United States. In the years since its creation, the Public Domain Foundation has given away more than $2 million to promote and support cause-related music and its impact on issues of social and political justice.
The Public Domain Foundation has a unique approach to supporting charitable initiatives. It invites artists to submit songs with social and political significance, which are then competitively selected and promoted. The foundation's panel of judges, including renowned performers, selects finalists to perform their compositions at the annual Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. The top three finalists are given the opportunity to choose charities of their choice to receive donations from the foundation.
By donating the proceeds from "The Wedding Song" to the Public Domain Foundation, Paul Stookey not only supported various charitable organizations but also helped foster the creation and promotion of music with a social conscience. This aligns with his own career trajectory, as his solo work after Peter, Paul, and Mary emphasized faith, family life, and social concerns. Stookey's decision to donate the proceeds from his popular song exemplifies his dedication to using music as a force for positive social change.
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The Public Domain Foundation was created to receive royalties from 'The Wedding Song'
The Public Domain Foundation (PDF) was founded in 1971 by Noel Paul Stookey, a member of the musical trio Peter, Paul and Mary. The foundation was established to receive the royalties from Stookey's famous "Wedding Song (There Is Love)", which he wrote for Peter Yarrow's wedding. Stookey assigned the copyright of the song to the PDF, a non-profit 501(c)3 organisation.
The foundation was created to oversee the publishing rights and to receive all income from the song, which would then be distributed to charitable causes. Stookey did not want to copyright the song in his own name, but he also didn't want the record company to take the royalties. In the years since its founding, the PDF has given away more than $2 million to charities and organisations of social and political justice. This includes grants to charities such as Adopt-a-Minefield and World Relief.
The foundation also runs a Music to Life (M2L) contest, which invites artists to submit songs of social and political significance. A panel of judges selects ten finalists to perform their compositions at the annual Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. The top three finalists then choose charities to receive donations from the foundation. The PDF helps new artists build relationships with non-profits, which use the songs for promotional and educational purposes.
Stookey has emphasised that he did not want to profit from the song, instead choosing to donate all proceeds to charity. He has refused to perform the song publicly and turns down requests to sing it at weddings, stating, "It's not my song".
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The foundation has donated over $2 million to charities
Paul Stookey wrote "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)" as a wedding gift for Peter Yarrow. He refused to perform it publicly until Yarrow requested it at a concert in front of his wife. Stookey then established the Public Domain Foundation (PDF), a non-profit 501(c)3, to receive the royalties from "The Wedding Song".
The Public Domain Foundation helps new artists build relationships with non-profits that utilise their songs for promotional and educational purposes. It has given away more than $2 million to "promote and facilitate the creation of cause-related music and further its impact upon issues and organisations of social and political justice." Stookey has also established a flourishing solo career outside of his work with Peter, Paul and Mary.
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The charities supported by the foundation include soup kitchens for the homeless
Paul Stookey wrote "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)" as a wedding gift for Peter Yarrow. He refused to perform it publicly until Yarrow requested it at a concert where his wife was present. Stookey then directed all proceeds from the song to charity by establishing the Public Domain Foundation (PDF), a non-profit 501(c)3. The foundation has given away more than $2 million to "promote and facilitate the creation of cause-related music and further its impact upon issues and organizations of social and political justice."
The Public Domain Foundation invites artists to submit songs of social and political significance, which are then competitively selected and promoted. The charities supported by the foundation include soup kitchens for the homeless, as well as other organizations focused on social and political justice. The foundation has also given grants to Adopt-a-Minefield and World Relief, and it helps new artists build relationships with nonprofits that utilize their songs for promotional and educational purposes.
In addition to his work with the Public Domain Foundation, Stookey has had a successful music career. He has released 45 albums, including 28 with the group Peter, Paul and Mary and the rest as a solo artist. "The Wedding Song" reached number 24 in the Billboard Hot 100, and Stookey has also had success with other songs such as "I Dig Rock and Roll Music."
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The foundation also supports organisations for social and political justice
Paul Stookey wrote "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)" as a wedding gift for Peter Yarrow. He refused to perform it publicly until Yarrow requested it at a concert where his wife was present. Stookey directed all proceeds from "The Wedding Song" to charity by establishing the Public Domain Foundation (PDF), a non-profit 501(c)3 organisation. The foundation has given away more than $2 million to "promote and facilitate the creation of cause-related music and further its impact upon issues and organisations of social and political justice".
The Public Domain Foundation invites artists to submit songs of social and political significance, which are then competitively selected and promoted. A panel of ten judges, including Stookey and other performers, select ten finalists to perform their compositions at the annual Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. The three top finalists select charities of their choice to receive associated donations. The foundation helps new artists build relationships with non-profits that utilise their songs for promotional and educational purposes.
In recent years, the Public Domain Foundation has given grants to Adopt-a-Minefield on behalf of Kate Power's song "Travis John" and to World Relief for Zane Williams' song "The Big Picture". The foundation has supported a range of charitable organisations across the United States, from soup kitchens for the homeless to research initiatives. Stookey's work after Peter, Paul and Mary emphasised his faith, family life, and social concerns, and he remains active in the music industry as a solo artist.
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Frequently asked questions
Paul Stookey, also known as Noel Paul Stookey, is a singer-songwriter who was a member of the musical trio Peter, Paul, and Mary. He has 45 albums to his credit, 28 with the group and the rest as a solo artist.
"The Wedding Song" is a song written by Paul Stookey as a wedding gift for Peter Yarrow, another member of Peter, Paul, and Mary. It was included on his debut solo album and released as a single, reaching number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Yes, Paul Stookey donated all the proceeds from "The Wedding Song" to charity by establishing the Public Domain Foundation, a non-profit organisation.
The foundation has given away more than $2 million to charities across the United States, including soup kitchens for the homeless and research organisations.
The Public Domain Foundation promotes and facilitates the creation of music with social and political significance, aiming to impact issues and organisations of social and political justice.
