Flagstaff Arts Council and Greenhouse Productions are pleased to present Melanie in concert at the Coconino Center for the Arts on Friday October 19, 2018. Doors open at 7:00pm and the concert begins at 7:30pm

Melanie Safka, known simply as Melanie, is an American singer, songwriter and performer. She shot to stardom five decades ago with her unforgettable performance on Day 1 at the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969.   She played 7 songs without additional accompaniment, one of only three performers at Woodstock to do so. She was also the only female solo artist at Woodstock taking the stage following Ravi Shankar’s performance.

She launched her career in 1969 and has not looked back. In the USA, Melanie has had 13 Top 40 hits and was the second artist after the Beatles to have 3 consecutive #1 hits concurrently. She has released more than 30 albums 2 of those went gold and has sold more than 120 million records.

Melanie’s singles, “Look What They’ve Done to my Song, Ma”, “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)”, “Peace Will Come” and her cover of the Rolling Stones, “Ruby Tuesday” have all achieved chart success. “Brand New Key “reached #1 and remained there for 18 weeks. It sold over 3 million copies worldwide. Audiences were recently “re-introduced” to the song which Maddie Poppe sang on American Idol on April 15, 2018. “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)” released in March 1970 was a spirited collaboration with The Edwin Hawkins Singers. It was on Billboard and the Cash Box Charts for 17 weeks and spent 23 weeks on the Go Set National Charts reaching #3.

In 1970 Melanie performed at the Isle of Wight Festival where she was introduced by Keith Moon and received four standing ovations. In 1971 Melanie was the top selling recording artist in the world. In 1972 UNICEF appointed Melanie as their official spokesperson and Ambassador. She was cited as an honorary Ambassador of Peace to South Korea by the Korean Government.  In 1972 she was awarded Billboard’s #1 Top Female Vocalist. In 1976 Melanie released the album, “Photograph” which was praised by the New York Times as one of the year’s best albums. In 1989 Melanie won an Emmy Award for writing the lyrics to “The First Time I Loved Forever”, the theme song for the TV series Beauty and the Beast.In 2012 Melanie headlined at the 15th annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival with Arlo Guthrie and Judy Collins.

A new generation was recently exposed to Melanie and her music with the release of Miley Cyrus’ cover of “Look What They’ve Done to My Song Ma”. A year later, in 2015, Miley Cyrus invited Melanie to be part of her Backyard Sessions and together they recorded a live version of “Look What They’ve Done to My Song Ma” and “Peace Will Come” to date there have been over 2 million views of the video.  Miley commented, “Melanie Safka is a hippie hero and always a prophet of peace”.

Melanie has a long and impressive discography and has had her songs recorded and performed by Nina Simone, Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, Macy Gray, Mott the Hoople, The New Seekers, Cher, Olivia Newton-John, and Barbra Streisand.

She continues to tour around the country and in January 2018 performed to a sold-out audience at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. Last May she sold out two nights at The Sound Bites Grill in Sedona. Melanie performs with her son, Beau Jarred Shekeryk and daughter, Jeordie Shekeryk.

The show will take place on Friday, October 19, 2018 at 7:30pm. Tickets prices are tiered, $30/ $40 / $50 and can be purchase online at the Coconino Center for the Arts and downtown Arizona Music Pro. To avoid an online purchasing fee, call Coconino Center for the Arts at (928) 779-2300. All tickets sales are final – no refunds will be issued.