Singer Melanie, who achieved success in the 1970s with songs like “Brand New Key” and “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain),” passed away on Tuesday. We shall miss her. Her age was seventy-six.
Her kids, Leilah, Jeordie, and Beau Jarred, alerted everyone about it in a post on Wednesday. Her representatives stated in their statement that she had been “ill,” but no one knew what killed her.
We had a lot to say, therefore writing this piece was the most difficult for us. But there’s no simple way to express them all. Her daughters wrote, “Mom peacefully crossed over to the next world on January 23, 2024.”
They requested followers to light a candle on Wednesday at 10 p.m. Central time in remembrance of their mother.
They stated, “She was among the most intelligent, courageous, and passionate women of her era, and it was evident in all that she wrote and sang.” “Without her, the colors of a drab, rainy Tennessee are washed away, and our world becomes much darker. However, we are aware that she is still here and is grinning at us from the skies.
Not very long ago, Melanie—real name Melanie Safka—was recording a new album of cover songs. Her record label, Cleopatra, stated that Second Hand Smoke, the album, would have been her 32nd.
When Melanie was twenty-two, she performed at Woodstock. In 2019, she revealed to the AP that she was nervous about performing in front of hundreds of thousands of people at the music festival. The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, and Joan Baez were among the other performers. She claimed that as she waited for hours to perform, her anxiety was growing.
“The fear kept building up in me,” the woman stated. “The idea of me performing alone on that huge stage in front of all those people terrified me.” It began to rain after that, and I was certain that everyone would depart. I’m free, it’s raining outside, and I’m going back to my previous life. I might work as a Peace Corps volunteer or as an archaeologist.I was informed, “You’re next.”
On February 3, 1947, Melanie was born in Astoria, New York. She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts while attempting to pursue a career as a vocalist. She organized performances at folk clubs and coffee cafes in Greenwich Village. She married Peter Schekeryk in 1967 and he became her manager and producer.
Columbia Records published two singles: “Beautiful People” and “Garden in the City.” Her representatives claim that Clive Davis, however, refused to let her to make an album, so she switched labels from Columbia Records to Buddah Records, which released her debut album. Conversely, Woodstock was her big break.
“Lay Down” was her first major success in the United States. Next up were “Peace Will Come,” “What Have They Done to My Song Ma,” “The Nickel Song,” and a rendition of “Ruby Tuesday” by the Rolling Stones. She was crowned the best-selling female artist in the United States by Billboard that year.
According to her representatives, she was the first woman to operate an independent rock label when she founded Neighborhood Records. Her debut release for Neighborhood was “Brand New Key,” the number one song in the globe. A few years ago, the song became well-known to a wider audience thanks to an advertisement for HP printers.
Melanie continued to release albums after her husband Michael passed away in 2010 and went on to become a UNICEF spokesman. Nonetheless, she frequently gave live performances with her kids and produced recordings and presentations of their in-home performances for the web.
She covers a few songs on her new album, including Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt” and Morrissey’s “Ouija Board Ouija Board.”
View her children’s whole post below.
A letter from Jeordie, Leilah, and Beau Jarred
To Each and Every One of You,
We want to say so many things first that it’s making it difficult for us to write this message. There’s no shortcut. Mom moved peacefully from this world to the next on January 23, 2024.
We want to let you know that our mother loved you all and that even though we are really sad, we appreciate how much you all loved her. She was one of the most intelligent, powerful, and passionate women of her era, as evidenced by every word she wrote and every note she sung.
Her absence has made the world considerably darker today, and the muted hues of Tennessee’s wet, gloomy days have become less vibrant. However, we are aware that she is still here, beaming from the heavens at us.
In Melanie’s memory, we kindly ask that you all light a candle tonight, January 24, at 10 p.m. central time. Raise them back up to a very high position. Turn down the lights and let’s all honor the remarkable lady who served as a great-grandmother, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend to a big number of people.
Anyone who wishes to attend our Celebration of Mom’s Life can do so. The specifics will be disclosed as soon as they are finalized. Hopefully, you’ll be there.
Please allow her family some time to mourn, remember her, and come to terms with life in this crazy world without her right now.
She was really grateful for all of your affection.
Love and peace,
Beau Jarred, Leilah, and Jean
