'Lost a legend': Internet mourns singer-songwriter and Emmy winner Woodstock artist Melanie Safka's death

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Known as 'The First Lady of Woodstock,' singer-songwriter Melanie Safka passed away at 76.

She was only 22 years old when she sang at the 1969 festival and had songs in the 1970s, like 'Brand New Key' and 'Lay Down (Candles in the Rain).'

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, January 24, Melanie's children, Leilah, Jeordie, and Beau Jarred, announced her death. They wrote: "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 … Mom passed, peacefully, out of this world and into the next on January, 23rd, 2024."

Despite her representatives mentioning an "illness" in their announcement, the cause of death is unexplained. According to the New York Post, her kids urged followers to honor their mother on Wednesday at 10 p.m. Central time by lighting a candle.

Melanie Safka 'walked off a celebrity' after her Woodstock performance

Melanie, whose full name was Melanie Safka, had been working on a cover album lately. According to her company, Cleopatra, the album, titled 'Second Hand Smoke,' would have been her 32nd release total.

Some of her achievements include sharing the 1989 Emmy with Lee Holdridge for writing the lyrics for the theme song from 'Beauty and the Beast' (1987–1990), which won them the Outstanding Accomplishment in Music and Lyrics award.

Melanie's repertoire features her hits 'What Have They Done to My Song Ma,' 'Lay Down (Candles in the Rain),' and the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper 'Brand New Key,' which Ray Charles and Nina Simone also released in their versions.

According to USA Today, Melanie is the first American woman to create a prominent record label; per her website, she co-founded Neighborhood Records with her husband, Peter Schekeryk.

Melanie played at Woodstock when she was 22 years old. In 2019, she admitted to the Associated Press that she was anxious to play in front of thousands of fans at the music event, which also included performances by the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, and Joan Baez.

She claimed that because of her increasing anxiousness, she waited hours to perform.

In 2018, Melanie talked about her time at Woodstock in August 1969 in an interview with the USA Today affiliate, Asbury Park Press. She had been driven to Max Yasgar's farm in Bethel, New York, by her mother, Polly Safka.

"People really connected quickly with me and it instantly resonated with 500,000 people at that one moment," Melanie stated at the time. "I walked on the stage an unknown person and walked off a celebrity."

Tributes pour in after 'First Lady of Woodstock' Melanie Safka's death

Singer-songwriter Melanie's admirers honored the beloved 'First Lady of Woodstock' legend on X (formerly Twitter).

Canadian correspondent and blogger Eric Alper paid tribute to the late singer and wrote on X: "Melanie Safka, widely known as just Melanie, has died at age 76. She performed at Woodstock at just 22, and her distinctive voice and emotive lyrics have left an indelible mark on the folk and pop music scenes with "Brand New Key," and "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain).""

A second X user account commented on Eric's tribute post by writing, "Not a well-known fact, but I was named after Melanie. Imagining my parents listening to Melanie in the ‘70s fills me with emotions, especially since my dad passed a few years ago. Sorry, having a moment."

A third fan wrote: "RIP Melanie Safka. More people should listen to her, she was wonderful."

British television screenwriter Gareth Roberts paid tribute and wrote: "Farewell, Melanie Safka. So much heart and so much brain."

"The great Melanie Safka has passed away - she was my favorite singer when I was growing up. Here she is at her prime on Carson’s Tonight Show singing “Together Alone” from her underrated album “Stoneground Words” - plus a clip from a couple years ago dueting with Miley Cyrus," wrote film producer Larry Karaszewski.

Another fan chimed in, "We lost a legend in the world of folk rock today— the goddess, Melanie Safka You may know her from “Brand New Key”. I would encourage you to seek out her work."

"Rest in peace melanie safka, a beautiful soul who blessed us all. i urge everyone to listen to the art she created," wrote another one.

 

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