Melanie, Singer Who Performed at Woodstock and Topped Charts With ‘Brand New Key,’ Dies at 76 (2024)

Melanie, the singer who performed at Woodstock in 1969 and had major pop hits with “Brand New Key” and “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)” in the early ’70s, died Tuesday at age 76. News of the death came from her publicity firm, Glass Onyon PR.

No information on the cause of death was immediately given. But Melanie — full name Melanie Safka — had been in the studio earlier this month working on a new record of cover songs, “Second Hand Smoke,” for the Cleopatra label; it would have been her 32nd album, the label said.

Her three children, Leilah, Jeordie, and Beau Jarred, posted a message on Facebook, writing: “We are heartbroken, but want to thank each and every one of you for the affection you have for our Mother, and to tell you that she loved all of you so much! 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 dimmer, the colors 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.”

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Her children asked that tonight (Jan. 24), at 10 p.m. CT, “each of you lights a candle in honor of Melanie. Raise, raise them high, high up again. Illuminate the darkness, and let us all be connected in remembrance of the extraordinary woman who was wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend to so very many people.”

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Melanie’s first pop hit was “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain),” a gospel-flavored collaboration with the Edwin Hawkins Singers that reached No. 6 on the Hot 100 in 1970. It was followed in 1971 by “Brand New Key,” an inescapable hit that was taken as a sort of children’s tune by some and full of sexual innuendo by others. It reached No. 1, and was her only other top 10 hit in the U.S. In the UK, she also reached the top 10 with a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Ruby Tuesday.”

“It was the bane of my existence for a few years,” Melanie told the Guardian in 2021 about “Brand New Key,” which was perceived by many as a novelty song, due to its childlike tone. The singer said it was composed as a blues tune, but she sped it up in search of greater commercial appeal.

Melanie did not always get her due in the male-dominated folk-rock scene of the time, and was too rarely mentioned even in the company of female artists like Joni Mitchell. She speculated with the Guardian about why that might have been: “It wasn’t the age of smiling women,” she said. “It had to be much more broody and I was way too cherubic. Men can be cute. Randy Newman can sing ‘Short People’ and that’s OK because he’s a guy, he’s got something to say. But a girl? How could she possibly have any social significance?”

Safka was born in Astoria, New York on Feb. 3, 1947 and raised in Queens. She studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, but it was her interest in performing at the folk clubs of Greenwich Village that would lead to her ultimate career path.

She was a virtual unknown when she was helicoptered into the Woodstock Festival in 1969, before she had any hits on the radio. In 1989, and again in 2019, as the festival reached landmark anniversaries, she wrote about the experience for Rolling Stone.

“I had my first out-of-body experience. I was terrified,” she said. “I just left my body, going to a side, higher view. I watched myself walk onto the stage, sit down and sing a couple of lines. And when I felt it was safe, I came back. It started to rain right before I went on. Ravi Shankar had just finished up his performance, and the announcer said that if you lit candles, it would help to keep the rain away. By the time I finished my set, the whole hillside was a mass of little flickering lights. I guess that’s one of the reasons I came back to my body.”

That experience was the basis of “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain),” her breakthrough hit, and possibly her most popular song today, despite “Brand New Key” having been more ubiquitous in its day. Candles lighting up became a trademark of her shows for about a year after that, Melanie said, and that song “became so connected with my concerts that my shows were getting banned because fire departments wouldn’t approve them,” she said.

Her husband, producer and manager, Peter Schekeryk, died in 2010. She had been collaborating musically with her son Beau Jarred and daughters Leilah and Jeordie in recent years on recordings and in concert.

The singer did not lack for respect from many prominent younger performers. Miley Cyrus enlisted her for a duet of Melanie’s “Look What They’ve Done to My Song, Ma” in 2015. More recently, Jarvis co*cker did a live, on-stage interview with her in the U.K.

Melanie had her biggest hits at the outset of the ’70s with the Buddah label, which she left in 1971 to found her own label, becoming a pioneer for independent artists. She had recently signed with the L.A.-based Cleopatra label, which has been in the process of bringing together her entire post-Buddah catalog for reissue.

In early January, according to her label, Melanie recorded a cover of Morrissey’s “Ouija Board Ouija Board” for a forthcoming tribute album celebrating his music. (Morrissey was known to be a fan of hers, having covered “Some Say (I Got Devil).”) She had also just cut a version of and Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt,” for her planned covers album,“Second Hand Smoke.”

Other songs she had recorded for the new record included Radiohead’s “Creep,” the Moody Blues’ “Nights In White Satin,” Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence” and David Bowie’s “Everyone Says Hi.”

In their Facebook statement, the singer’s three children said, “We are planning a Celebration of Life for Mom and it will be open to all of you who want to come and celebrate her. The details will be announced as soon as they are in place. We look forward to seeing you there.”

Melanie, Singer Who Performed at Woodstock and Topped Charts With ‘Brand New Key,’ Dies at 76 (2024)

FAQs

Melanie, Singer Who Performed at Woodstock and Topped Charts With ‘Brand New Key,’ Dies at 76? ›

Melanie, the chart-topping folk singer of “Brand New Key” and “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)” who performed at the Woodstock festival in 1969, died on Tuesday. She was 76. Billy James, the singer's rep, confirmed her death to Rolling Stone, but did not provide a cause of death.

Who was Melanie that performed at Woodstock? ›

The festival's first day continued as the rain began to subside a bit, with an opportune performance by a beautiful young woman who wasn't even scheduled to play Woodstock. Melanie Safka, known professionally simply by her first name, walked on stage, sat down, and sang her songs from the heart.

What happened to Melanie's Brand New Key? ›

Melanie, the singer who performed at Woodstock in 1969 and had major pop hits with “Brand New Key” and “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)” in the early '70s, died Tuesday at age 76. News of the death came from her publicity firm, Glass Onyon PR. No information on the cause of death was immediately given.

What Woodstock singer died? ›

Melanie Safka, who won sudden fame as a 22-year-old folk singer playing for hundreds of thousands of people on the first night of the Woodstock Festival in 1969 and followed it up with a string of heartfelt and sometimes quirky hits, died Jan. 23 at 76.

What song did Melanie sing at Woodstock? ›

Melanie performed "Baby Guitar" and played a duet of "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" with Cash.

Who performed pregnant at Woodstock? ›

Joan Baez has continued to perform and has been a constant activist and promoter of peace. In 2013, she performed at Bethel Woods. She was accompanied by her son, Gabe who she was pregnant with during her Woodstock performance. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

Who was best performer at Woodstock? ›

No list of the most memorable Woodstock performances is complete without mentioning Jimi Hendrix and “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Long before he cemented his place in music history and stunned and saddened the world with his passing at the young age of 27, Jimi Hendrix was making a name for himself in the music world.

Why was the Brand New Key banned? ›

Possible sexual innuendo

Melanie has acknowledged the possibility of detecting sexual innuendo in the lyrics, but has denied any deeper meaning: [The song], "Brand New Key", I wrote in about fifteen minutes one night.

How old was Melanie Brand New Key? ›

Singer Melanie, who charmed the '70s with her songs “Brand New Key” and “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain),” has died. She was 76. News of the singer's death came from a post on her official Facebook page, written by her children Leilah, Jeordie, and Beau Jarred.

What song is Melanie known for? ›

Melanie is widely known for the 1971–72 global hit "Brand New Key"; her 1970 version of the Rolling Stones' "Ruby Tuesday"; her composition "What Have They Done to My Song Ma"; and her 1970 international breakthrough hit "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)", which was inspired by her experience of performing at the 1969 ...

Did someone have a baby at Woodstock? ›

At least two babies are reported to have been born at the festival – one in a car stuck in traffic to the site, and another born in hospital after its mother was airlifted from the site. But, despite the newspaper reports, no-one has come forward to admit they were one of the Woodstock Babies.

How old was Melanie when she played at Woodstock? ›

Melanie, born Melanie Safka, was only 22 but already a presence on the New York folk scene when she appeared at Woodstock.

Who was the man who never left Woodstock? ›

More than 400,000 peaceful people packed the town of Bethel to witness the Woodstock music festival in 1969, but none of them are like Duke Devlin. He's the hippie who came to Bethel and never left. “I haven't had a weekend like it since, let's put it that way," Devlin said.

Did Janis Joplin attend Woodstock? ›

On Sunday, August 17th 1969, in the midst of the three-day Woodstock Music and Art Fair in New York, Janis Joplin arrived at 2am to the stage and began to perform what is now seen as one of the most historic shows of her career.

Who was the youngest singer at Woodstock? ›

Happy birthday to Jocko Marcellino of Sha Na Na a.k. a. the youngest person to have performed at #Woodstock '69! Always thought it was Shrieve as well.

How much did Janis Joplin make Woodstock? ›

Jefferson Airplane, The Band, Janis Joplin: $7,500 Each

In the next tier of highest-paid Woodstock performers come some of the top music stars in the late 1960s, who received $7,500 apiece (equivalent of about $52,000 today).

What happened to Melanie from Woodstock? ›

Melanie, the husky-voiced singer and songwriter who was one of the surprise stars of the Woodstock music festival in 1969 and two years later had a No. 1 single with the disarmingly childlike “Brand New Key,” died on Tuesday. She was 76.

Who was Melanie Safka married to? ›

Melanie won an Emmy Award for writing the lyrics to the theme song for the television series Beauty and the Beast. With one exception, her albums were produced by her husband, Peter Schekeryk, who died suddenly in 2010. Her three children — Leilah, Jeordie, and Beau-Jarred — are also musicians.

Who was the famous woman at Woodstock? ›

There were many iconic female artists that took the stage at Woodstock, who's legacy still has left a mark on musicians and fans to this day. Pictured above are the amazing Melanie Safka, Cynthia Robinson and Rose Stone, Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, Joan Baez, and Nancy Nevins.

Does Melanie Safka still perform? ›

The song gained a resurgence in popularity 25 years later with its inclusion in the popular 1997 film “Boogie Nights.” Melanie remained active in the music industry for the remainder of her life. She went on what proved to be her final tour late in 2022 and published her memoir, “Lake Days,” in 2023.

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