Iconic Woodstock Legend and 'Brand New Key' singer Melanie passes away at 76
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The world of music mourns the loss of a true icon, Melanie Safka-Schekeryk, known to her fans simply as Melanie. She passed away on January 23, 2024, at the age of 76.
The singer-songwriter rose to fame in the wake of the legendary Woodstock festival. She topped the charts with her unforgettable hit 'Brand New Key' and the Rolling Stones cover 'Ruby Tuesday’.
Melanie's children, Leilah, Jeordie, and Beau Jarred, announced the sad news, using a term of endearment their mother often used when addressing her fans.
'Dear ones, this is the hardest post for us to write, and there are so many things we want to say, first, and there’s no easy way except to say it…Mum passed, peacefully, out of this world and into the next on January 23rd, 2024.'
The cause of her death was not immediately disclosed.
Her children remembered her as 'one of the most talented, strong and passionate women of the era,' noting that 'every word she wrote, every note she sang reflected that.'
They also urged fans to light a candle in honour of their mother yesterday, January 24, at 10 p.m. Central Time, as a tribute to the woman who once sang about candles in the rain.
Born Melanie Anne Safka in Astoria, Queens, in 1947, Melanie graduated from high school in New Jersey in 1964.
Her parents insisted she pursue a college education, leading her to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
However, her passion for music remained undimmed, and she continued to perform at local folk clubs of Greenwich Village, a popular platform that launched the careers of artists like Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary.
Melanie's breakthrough came in 1969 when she signed with Buddah Records.
Her single 'Bobo's Party' topped the charts in France and gained popularity across Europe, leading to television performances and further exposure.
But it was her performance at the iconic Woodstock Music and Art Fair that same year that truly catapulted her into the limelight.
Melanie was one of only three solo female acts to grace the stage at Woodstock, an experience that inspired her first US hit, 'Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)', featuring the Edwin Hawkins singers.
As we remember Melanie, we celebrate not just her music but her spirit and the remarkable legacy she has left behind.
Her songs, her voice, and her message will continue to inspire and resonate with generations to come.
As her children poignantly put it, 'Our world is much dimmer, the colours of a dreary, rainy Tennessee pale with her absence today, but we know that she is still here, smiling down on all of us, on all of you, from the stars.'
May she rest in peace.
The singer-songwriter rose to fame in the wake of the legendary Woodstock festival. She topped the charts with her unforgettable hit 'Brand New Key' and the Rolling Stones cover 'Ruby Tuesday’.
Melanie's children, Leilah, Jeordie, and Beau Jarred, announced the sad news, using a term of endearment their mother often used when addressing her fans.
'Dear ones, this is the hardest post for us to write, and there are so many things we want to say, first, and there’s no easy way except to say it…Mum passed, peacefully, out of this world and into the next on January 23rd, 2024.'
The cause of her death was not immediately disclosed.
May Melanie rest in peace. Image source: X/@In___Memoriam.
Her children remembered her as 'one of the most talented, strong and passionate women of the era,' noting that 'every word she wrote, every note she sang reflected that.'
They also urged fans to light a candle in honour of their mother yesterday, January 24, at 10 p.m. Central Time, as a tribute to the woman who once sang about candles in the rain.
Born Melanie Anne Safka in Astoria, Queens, in 1947, Melanie graduated from high school in New Jersey in 1964.
Her parents insisted she pursue a college education, leading her to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
However, her passion for music remained undimmed, and she continued to perform at local folk clubs of Greenwich Village, a popular platform that launched the careers of artists like Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary.
Melanie's breakthrough came in 1969 when she signed with Buddah Records.
Her single 'Bobo's Party' topped the charts in France and gained popularity across Europe, leading to television performances and further exposure.
But it was her performance at the iconic Woodstock Music and Art Fair that same year that truly catapulted her into the limelight.
Melanie was one of only three solo female acts to grace the stage at Woodstock, an experience that inspired her first US hit, 'Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)', featuring the Edwin Hawkins singers.
Her songs, her voice, and her message will continue to inspire and resonate with generations to come.
As her children poignantly put it, 'Our world is much dimmer, the colours of a dreary, rainy Tennessee pale with her absence today, but we know that she is still here, smiling down on all of us, on all of you, from the stars.'
May she rest in peace.
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