In Memoriam: Melanie Safka 

So sad. Melanie should have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame DECADES AGO. This extraordinary gifted artists songs will live forever. Maybe that's the only thing that truly matters. My condolences to her beautiful family and her devoted fans.

My Generation loses another bright star from its youth. RIP Melanie 🙏🏻

Melanie was always an underrated artist. She achieved her success on her own terms and with her own voice in a male dominated industry. Her legacy is a strong one. She paid her dues and earned respect she didn't always get. Melanie was brave, too. I was lucky enough to be part of a small audience for whom she played - just her and her guitar - outside of the Royal Albert Hall in 1983 when her concert there had been cancelled due to poor ticket sales. She didn't have to do that. It never occurred to her not to. I was 18 at the time. I have never forgotten that gesture. What she did for the fans who came.

RIP Melanie. Loved listening to her music when i was younger. There will be a star up in heaven.

Melanie was one of the true greats, totally unique.

Melanie is and was such an underrated artist. Always will be. Lay Down shows her power and raw talent. She'll be remembered and celebrated for years and years. It's sad that it will take her passing to bring so many new fans-- but maybe its a positive thing. Joni gets so much credit but Melanie deserved so much, too

RIP Melanie❤

One of the only artists to truly touch my soul. RIP Melanie you are irreplaceable in my heart ❤

Melanie was a beautiful soul. I'm 66 years old and I've enjoyed her music since the very beginning. I was fortunate to get her autograph last year.

So sad, gone too soon. Love Melanie, RIP. 🇨🇦 fan since '69. Love "Lay Down" - strong passionate song, inspired by Woodstock '69 🌿

Such a shock, though it shouldn't have been; no one lives forever. But to me she was ever-young. - Dear Melanie, may the good Lord take you in!

Loved Melanie RIP ❤

I saw her at the Isle of Wight - she was on stage as the sun rose - one of the most magical moment s of my life.

"Cleansing in the water, healing in the light. Mend your ageless daughter, who has been awake all night" May she be somewhere, starting fresh, living again.

Thank you for honouring a remarkable woman, her death will hit people hard. Condolences to her family and to you ❤

Having met Melanie at several of her concerts, I am so heartbroken. At her last concert, I had the pleasure of meeting her son, Jared ,which we laughed about, because I have a Jared in my life. . I will miss her, Thank you for those great concerts and smiles. Rest in Peace

Rest in Beautiful Peace, Melanie

First saw her on Sonny & Cher doing 'Brand New Key'. Later in records stores I found her albums and just kept buying them. No matter how sad or down I was I could play her music and come out of it in a wonderful state. She just had that magic. A truly talented and genuine lovely artist. How could you not start with 'Beautiful People' and instantly fall in love with her.

May Melanie rest in peace. May her family and friends be healed and comforted.

RIP Melanie. Prayers to Leilah and the family. Lit my candle at 10pm. Heaven's got a brand new key!

She took a little bit of me when she left... I believe that our auras will be dancing again one day...

The most gorgeous woman God ever created, so glad I got to meet and hug her. Breaks my heart to hear this news.

Awesome comments by you for beautiful Melanie! We, her fans, are heartbroken. Thanks for this gorgeous tribute!

Great tribute! Melanie was the first live show I ever saw when I was 8. It was her "Gather Me" tour early '72. I bootlegged the show on my cassette recorder. I still have the tape. I really hope that your documentary sees the light of day. Let's keep holding those candles up in Melanie's honor. Cheers!

I just heard Melanie passed away. I'm 73, and almost got to Woodstock. She once said not many singers belt anymore. and that one exception was Melissa Etheredge. I cried all day when I heard about her passing. She was part of my life and I feel her loss. I'm glad I found your channel. Aloha from Hawaii.

Wow I was raised on Melanie, so sad to hear of her passing. Maybe now it will be a good time to finish that documentary.

I'm 65 years old as of February 22nd I grew up listening to Melanie and had rediscovered her several times over the years last time was when Miley Cyrus was doing her happy hippie backyard music sessions and Melanie ended up being one of her guests very sad rediscover her again with her passing ❤️😢

Everyone Please…Raise Your Candles High!!! 😓💔😓🕊🕊🕊💜🕊🕊🕊

Ruined the day. You will be greatly missed. I loved your music and your beautiful soul. Good bye little lady. I need to cry now😢

Like so many of us, I was absolutely heartbroken when I heard the sad news. She struck the right chord with me as a teenager and she has been a big part of my life. All of us writing comments here probably come from all over the world and Melanie has touched us all with her music. Yes she really was a "beautiful people" thank you Melanie

Melanie was imo the true embodiment of the hippie dream: a dream of a better world, where psychosis is displaced by love.

Rip Melanie Ann Safka, you will be missed

RIP Melanie you will be sadly missed.

I was at Woodstock as a 20 year old. I missed Melanie's performance by a couple of hours, but did hear the tail end of Joan Baez's set once we parked my 63 Chevy and camper in a meadow about a mile away from the stage. We and others who were lucky enough to get that close began walking in silence through a wide path in the woods towards the sound of the music. It began drizzling on Friday night, the night Melanie went on stage and was still drizzling when we got there around 1:30 am Saturday. I had no interest in folk music which was scheduled for Friday night and never bought that ticket, not that it mattered since it became a free concert. I came for the big rock bands, in particular Grace Slick and The Jefferson Airplane. And because of that, it is ironic that Melanie's death has hit me as hard as it has. I fell in love with her at the Strawberry Fields Festival in Ontario, Canada in 1970. There she told us that "white sugar makes us rot". I wonder if she remembered the flowers being thrown out of a helicopter circling the concert field bought and paid for by the local townsfolk, not that we deserved it. Anyway, she was as magical as she was emotional that day; her lone self and acoustic guitar up against the big name bands of the day. I can barely remember their sets but I sure remember hers and her. She had gotten so emotional someone had to come and help her off the stage. It might have been from the prolonged standing ovation she got. She is a Jersey Girl which was my home state at the time. From my son's driveway I can see the high school she attended her last year. Sad. I wish we could all live forever. I hope the creep who raped her in California that time she ran away eventually sought her out and begged her forgiveness, but likely not.

A powerful tribute to a magnificent artist. Thank you for sharing.

Lay down, lay down, lay it all down; let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown 🕊️

A heartfelt tribute to an underestimated artist who was taken too soon.

I feel so sad. I have also loved her music and her as a person since I was a little gurl. Rest in peace, M.

Melanie's album, "Crazy Love", is one of my all-time favorite albums.

I'm heartbroken too. The world needs more beautiful people

I sincerely wish that I could have known her and even have met her in person. I have loved her and her music since 1971. How I will miss her deeply! Your tribute is so touching! Thank You for sharing!

The First Concert I attended as a teenager was The Central Park Concert with MELANIE. A Great Show by a Talented, Beautiful and very Special Lady. Always Heart Warming Memories when I Hear Her Music !! The Earth was a better place because of the Love Melanie Shared. May Her Music Live Forever !!

Melanie made my girlfriend jealous and she was right. Thank you for the part you played in many of our best times.

Brand New Key was the first 45 record I bought myself as a child. Melanie is a core memory in my life and heart. Her voice and words filled my years, etched forever upon me. Thank you Melanie for being a Beautiful People. "Melanie.....we love you." Always will.

My wife and I have been playing Melanie records non stop the last couple days. Thanks for this. Would love love to see this unreleased doc!

So so sad to hear this..we were very privileged to have seen Melanie in an intimate concert in Adelaide. What a special moment in my life. A beautiful person. A lovely meeting. Such a kind lady. A very sad day in music history and for me to hear of her passing. Much love to Melanie’s friends and family.

i grrew up in a small town, and listened to her albums on 8 track until the tape wore out - somewhere along the way i got a 14x16 poster of her sitting and singing with her guitar (still have it somewhere0 - i just loved her songs and the messages and the range of her voice and when she would take the song right down to a whisper or belt out in her perfect voice oh my --- i was a teenager in a small town and it really got me through a lot of times and helped me develop my thinking. My kids were raised on my version of her songs and they are favorites to them too, one daughter has been teaching herself some of these songs which is so beautful to see. Melanie was a remarkable human being and my thoughts go out to all those who were close to her and to all her fans to whom she meant so much. I really loved this heart felt video - thankyou for posting it - it expressed the sentiments of many of us in a way we could not do ourselves. You are a treasure.

RIP sweet Melanie...

Nice tribute. Happy to say I saw her live in the UK in the early 70s.

I was only a kid, in the 60s but fell in love with her music and voice. About 10 years ago I met her and her son Beau in Kent Ohio. She was as wonderful as I'd imagine she'd be and her son was equally awesome.

Thank you for your beautiful tribute ❤️ I just found out she passed. I'm 73, and she imprinted on my ❤️ with her song Little Bit of Me.

Your comments are very touching … hope you can produce your documentary… she was one of a kind inspiration

Great video!! I bought her album 'Affectionately Melanie' when I was 15 in 1970. It was the first 'grown up' album I ever owned. All great songs! 'Beautiful People' especially stayed with me all those decades.

Ouch!! Life gives few gifts! Melanie was such a blessing/gift!! I was on a mission from God to marry her; why? because she was Melanie!!! SO SAD!!

I have been listening to Melanie for 50 years I even named my Daughter Melanie Anne.My sisters and I had a glass of wine with her after a show in Hartford Ct. Saw her at Podunk fest in E.Hartford Ct. And took my Melanie to the 30th anniversary of Woodstock. What an amazing human being. So very 😥 ❤ There will never be anyone like her.Fly free Sweet Lady.

❤Happy Birthday Melanie, in Heaven❤ from Stanley the Cat and Ron.......

Good memories of Melanie and 'Brand New key' when I was a kid...bought many of her LPs over the years

I loved the song "Christopher Robin Saying His Prayers." RIP Melanie

I was on her Patreon and she sent me a signed cd only a couple of months ago. You are so lucky to have met her.

Thanks for a nice tribute to this wonderful artist. Rest in peace dear Melanie.

Thank you for highlighting the breadth of Melanie's songwriting.

I love her and I will miss her forever!💔💔💔 Beautiful Sweet Songbird Angel🕊🕊🕊🌈🌈🌈😓😓😓🕊🕊🕊💜

What a great tribute and such a privilege to have met and worked with her. I have a handful of her records and enjoyed her music. What Have They Done To My Song, Ma is wonderful. Gather Me is my favourite album of Melanie's. She played at Woodstock of course in place of The Incredible String Band. That story you told about her going first at the station before Jimi Hendrix is unbelievable, but what a gent Jimi was. RIP.🙏

"One blue sky above us, One ocean, lapping all our shores. One earth so green and round, Who could ask for more?"

you should edit together what you have. We'd love to see it

I saw Melanie in the 70s in a large venue in Chicago and more recently a few years ago at a small coffee house in Valparaiso Indiana. She gave a powerful performance. Have many of her vinyl albums, RIP

You should finish the documentary. Her song "Lay Down" should be make into a movie and call it "Candles in the Rain" about how she got to Woodstock" and wrote the song. She has share it so many times. Beautiful story, person and song. Thanks for sharing❤❤

My lifelong most favorite female artist. She took a lot of love and light with her.

When I briefly saw a report last week reporting her death I initially dismissed it as one of the fake celebrity obituaries that often appear. How wrong I was. She was truly one of the beautiful talented people who came to the fore in the late 60s and certainly deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

I saw Melanie at Bergen Community in New Jersey great performer so sad she is gone R.I.P. Melanie 😔

Thank You. That was very thoughtful.

I have always loved her voice, style, creativity❤ She was so unique! Just recently she performed with her son Beau on the Shine On Tribute Album to the late, great Welsh artist Pete Ham of Badfinger! She was priviledged to sing 'Without you'. Her range changed, but that song was super by Badfinger and covered nicely by Harry Nilsson. Covered unfortunately by the boring Mariah Carey. If you can please check that CD out and it was published in 2023!!! She will be missed 😢

What a wonderful video. Thank you so much for sharing your stories about this beautiful soul. So sad that you were not able to finish the documentary. I would have loved to see it.

I loved what you had to say, and how you said it. So much sincerity, heart and emotion. I really feel the spirit of Melanie was hovering around you. She was one of a kind, and I am discovering more and more of her. Sadly we do this when a person dies. You moved me almost to tears as Melanie often does. Thank you

She was beautiful

Well said. As others have asked of you here: please make that documentary - one way or the other. She deserves it. Melanie should not be forgotten. Why was Melanie not fully appreciated in her life? I'm thinking, maybe it was because Melanie was not cynical enough for the times. Maybe it was because Melanie was so open and, at times, almost embarrassingly vulnerable, childlike. "Mama Mama, I fear you reared me wrong" was sung with a soaring, almost saxophone sustain - like a primal scream. "Save Me", likewise. "Beautiful People", "Nickel Song", "Brand New Key" were very popular - for our parents' generation. I remember those songs as not being considered cool enough by classmates who were anxious to discuss the importance of Jimmy Hendrix, John Lennon, Jim Morrison. But God, the voice! And when that voice used the poetry of her lyrics to communicate the deep, primeval pain she felt... or the sunlit ecstasy of being alive, I felt I had found someone who shared my understanding of the meaning of being fully human. But maybe that's not to everyone's taste.

I was there in the audience at Carnegie Hall of the live recording of her Left Over Wine album. Magical. She meant so much to me growing up. Bono’s party hooked me in 1969, I was 15 years old. I became a musician, singer/songwriter due to her huge influence. I am so sad to hear of her passing.

Thank you for this beautiful video ... I am deeply touched and saddened by her death. I had been thinking of creating a documentary on her life ... might be too late now ...

Melanie was and will continue to be and remain deep in my heart. Coming from that era I found that she was an integral part of the peace movement as I can say there were very few at the time that had that deep sense of authenticity to life as she held. I loved her as a person, her uniqueness in sound and lyric as well that she embraced that special era in time. I will miss her immensely yet she will always be here and always. A true gift to mankind for those that chose to see that in her. ❤ Thanks for showing your deeply felt support in providing this video. Would love to hear your stories someday.

Thank you so much for your tribute video to Melanie Safka. Like you I am an avid fan of Melanie, have been for many years. I loved her at the beginning of her career and onward to the day she passed. I have most of her albums, she had made around 30 albums, she continued to sing and make music and poetry up to the day she passed. She had one of the most strongest powerful voices I've ever heard, her voice could sound innocent and sweet and then she belts it out and holds the note for long time, incredible vocals, there is NO ONE who sings like Melanie and there never will be, she was so unique in her style, she sang about love, peace, understanding, compassion, relationships all rolled into one. She was a sheer genius in her poetic verse in songs. "The rivers are givers to the ocean"...I love that lyric. I kept thinking about Melanie a lot in the past few weeks, I couldn't seem to get some of her songs out of my head, and now I know why. I think I picked up on what was to come, her passing. We love you Melanie and you are forever in our hearts and souls..

This is definitely a special tribute since you actually knew her in person. I love that story about that song she showed you. The lyrics hit harder now.

Dankjewel voor je emotionele tribuut, gericht aan Melanie. Ook ik was door haar overlijden geraakt. Een groots artieste, singer-songwriter en mens is ons ontvallen. Hopelijk dragen al je inspanningen toch nog vrucht. Hartelijke groet! ❤

Thank you for this tribute. I first was introduced to her music on the radio when brand new key charted & fell in love with the spirit of her song. The Good Book was the first lp of hers i purchased when i was 15. She inspired my first attempt at vegetarianism & it was through her music that i heard of Meher Baba. I will be ever indepted to her for her shared spirit.❤🙏🌟

I was a small child when "Brand New Key" was released, and I remember enjoying the song, but otherwise grew up in almost total ignorance of Melanie as a substantive and evolving artist--I thought she had essentially been a novelty act with "Brand New Key" her one hit. I had heard "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" before, but didn't know its title nor that Melanie was the creative agent behind the song, before listening to it today through RU-vid. Exploring some of her tracks available on this site, I'm really impressed by her powerful vocal delivery paired with her inspired lyrical gift. I had clearly underestimated this true artist, and look forward to discovering more of her legacy in the future. May she rest in peace.

Dude!!! 😢!!!✌️

💜💛 beautiful Melanie flying free now. Let's make your documentary happen.

Great video. Heard all Melanie album actually and love the first best Isnt it something with your first love?

My mom and dad took me when I was 8 years old (I'm guessing 1970) to a Melanie concert. I must have listened to my dad's albums a thousand times over the years and unfortunately had to pass all the LP's along a few years ago. We both loved Melanie and I was so, so sad when she died. I wasn't quite sure how many people knew who she was and grateful to see how many other lives she touched with her music. Thank you so very much for making this tribute.

Everyone rates 'candle in the wind' as her best, but for me its the second 'affectionately more' which tops it.

So sad to hear of her passing. I lost track of her career over the years but I always loved her. She was so special❤️

I was lucky to have met Melanie. I have all my albums signed she was an icon I still was buying all the albums like Freedom knows my name , crazy love, and album she called old ****warrior I adored her . the fact I was like a beast posses when I met her I am embarrassed for I have about 30 of her albums. I Moments in my time , solo powered and of Antlers. Both release's. because it was released again. . Lowcountry, silence is king are all my favourites. what I am trying to say is Melanie and her magic came into full fruition during her later years . some of her best albums made in 1990's and still on to the last one One Night one Eagle mountain. every album was made a nd had the Melanie Kiss about it. I will miss her terribly. Her life people say will live on through her music but .. that is no solace for the family My heart goes out to them . To Beau We met ion London with your aftter the london show, You are an -amazing guitarist. and it was clear you are still a loving son. I am to my mother and she has passed too

thank you. lovely tribute. I learned to play the guitar by listening to the Carnegie Hall album. there's a chance peace will come.

Such a beautiful soul. So talented .you will be missed. Condolences to your family and friends. Ive always loved your music.😢

💔😔

❤❤❤❤

Thank you very much her passing hit me very hard from the first time i heard and saw that amazing 18 year s young girl just singing and playing her hart out . Thank you once more

I still have my original vinyl of Lay Down (Candles In The Rain). Always been one of my favorites! Loved her!

The unforgettable Melanie Safka a spiritual symbol of peace and light through her entrancing music. A very special lady RIP Mel x

Her early albums are wonderful,to be honest i don"t know much about her later work. I had a few of the later albums,i got rid of them ,i regret it but wil find them again. Thank you for this heartfelt memoriam. !!!

Beautiful version of Long Long Time.