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15 |
YEARS |
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IT WAS a sad day for Melanie, the winsome folk singer whose once-shiny star had well and truly waned by 1983, MONICA PORTER writes. |
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PRETTY long hared folk singer Melanie and her faithful fans were moved on by the Police after she attempted to stage an impromptu concert on the pavement by London's Albert Memorial opposite the Royal Albert Hall. The 36 year old American had been scheduled to perform inside the cavernous hall but her concert was cancelled because not enough tickets had been sold Determined that a show of sorts must go on she sang for an enthusiastic 200 strong audience in the chilly evening air. But within minutes Police turned up to disperse the crowd saying the memorial was in a security area. "It's such a shame" said Melanie "I was so looking forward to holding our concert." But she later accepted the offer of a room in someone's home nearby where she sang for the remaining fans |
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Out in the cold: Melanie never regained her Seventies musical success |
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Rather than the hoped for comeback it was a sad comedown for the woman who was once a force to be reckoned with in the singer-songwriter boom of the early Seventies. Melanie Safka, born in New York to Ukrainian-Italian parents, had been the surprise discovery of the legendary Woodstock Festival in 1969, with her unique rendition of Beautiful People. She had a strikingly original, sharp edged voice, and two of her songs were British Top Ten Hits -- Ruby Tuesday and Brand New Key. |
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The winsome Earth Mother she wore hippie clothes and favoured a diet of live yoghurt, raw vegetables and peppermint tea --had interrupted her career in the mid-Seventies to have children, with her husband, Peter Schekeryk, a record producer. The novelty of her deep vibrato seemed to wear off and she became increasingly marginalised, even within the folk music movement. She never attempted to put on another concert in Britain, but she continues to sing at US charity shows with her daughters Jeordie and Leilah. |
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