Biography of Melanie

Melanie is a folksinger who hit the charts after going electric with some sophisticated pop, rock, and gospel sounds. A product of the Woodstock-era counterculture, she was little more than a flower child with a raspy voice and uninteresting acoustic guitar sound, but she did some interesting covers of The Rolling Stones and Phil Ochs, as well as some intelligent originals. In 1972 her album Gather Me gave her a major hit with the suggestive "Brand New Key," and a good follow-up with the inspirational "Ring the Living Bell." Her later material matured rapidly into sophisticated and stylized pop music, and she continued recording through the 1990s. ~ Bruce Eder