Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk

Melanie Anne Safka was born in Astoria, Queens, New York City. She studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts while performing in folk coffeehouses in Greenwich Village, catching the attention of producer Peter Schekeryk, who became her longtime producer and husband.

In August 1969, twenty-two-year-old Melanie was one of only three solo women to perform at the historic Woodstock Festival. Taking the stage in pouring rain after Ravi Shankar, she was greeted by hundreds of thousands of spectators lighting candles in the dark—an awe-inspiring sight that inspired her 1970 gospel-folk hit "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" with the Edwin Hawkins Singers. In 1971, Melanie achieved a worldwide Billboard Hot 100 number-one smash with the whimsical, catchy roller-skating anthem "Brand New Key" ("I've got a brand new pair of roller skates / You've got a brand new key"). She remained an active, touring folk icon for over five decades.