Another passing in the music world to note, this one being folk-rock singer/songwriter Melanie Safka, who went by her first name, and who had a #1 smash in the winter of 1971-72 with "Brand New Key". She passed away yesterday just fifteen days short of what would have been her 77th birthday. Melanie was also one of the many performers at Woodstock in August 1969, and wrote and performed the song "Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)" about the experience she had there (it was a massive hit in the summer of 1970). Another one of her compositions, "Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma" was a big hit in the fall of 1970 for The New Seekers.
"I don't think of myself as a star. I didn't set out to become a star, I set out to become a singer. I would have sung no matter what. The star part is just something that they made up in Hollywood in 1930."--Linda Ronstadt