Melanie, Woodstock Performer and 'Brand New Key' Singer, Dead at 76

The three children of musician Melanie Safke have announced her death

Melanie, who scored hits with “Brand New Key” and “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)” and performed at Woodstock in 1969, has died, her children Lelilah, Jeordie and Beau Jarred announced. She was 76 years old.

The musician – whose full name is Melanie Safka – died on Tuesday, her record label Cleopatra confirmed.

“This is the most difficult post for us to write, and there are so many things we want to say first, and there is no easy way but to say it… Mom passed away, peacefully, from this world on January 23, 2024,” shared her children in a post on Facebook.

“Our hearts are broken, but we want to thank each of you for the love you have for our Mother and tell you that she loved you all so much!” written by her children. “She was one of the most talented, strong and passionate women of the era and every word she wrote, every note she sang reflected that.”

“Our world is much darker, the colors of dreary, rainy Tennessee fade with her absence today, but we know she is still here, smiling down on all of us, all of you, from the stars,” their statement continued. .

No information was immediately released on the cause of death, but Cleopatra mentioned “disease” in their statement.

In honor of their mother, Melania’s children asked fans to light a candle at 10:00 PM CT Wednesday night.

Melanie Safka around 1970.

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Melanie was born on February 3, 1947 in Astoria, New York. While pursuing a singing career, she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 1967, she met her future manager, producer and husband, Peter Schekeryk.

She released two singles, “Beautiful People” and “Garden in the City”, after signing to her first label, Columbia Records. According to her last label, Cleopatra, she left Columbia Records in 1968 and joined Buddah Records, where she released her debut LP.

The following year, when the singer was 22, she performed at Woodstock – joining a historic line-up that included Joan Baez, Jimi Hendrix and the Grateful Dead.

“The terror continued to grow inside me,” she told The Associated Press in 2019. “The thought of performing in front of all these people and that huge stage — I was all alone. Then it started raining and I really believed that everyone would get up and go home. It’s raining, I’m free, I’ll go back to life as it was. Maybe I’ll be an archaeologist; maybe I’ll join the Peace Corps. Then they said, ‘You’re next’.”

In 1971, Billboard named her the best-selling artist of the year in the US after releasing several hits, including “Lay Down” and a cover of “Ruby Tuesday” by the Rolling Stones.

Melanie then founded her own record label, Neighborhood Records, and released her chart-topping single “Brand New Key”.

Melanie Safka in September 1972.

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Before her death, Melanie was working on her 32nd album, a tentatively titled dedication album Passive smoking. The album included versions of Morrissey’s “Ouija Board Ouija Board”, “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails, “Creep” by Radiohead, among others.

In addition, Melanie worked with the Cleopatra label to reissue her previous albums that were released after she left Buddah in 1971. The reissue will begin with the release of her 1984 live album. Just one night. Her three children will oversee the performance of the project, which will be published posthumously.

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