Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk, best known simply as Melanie Safka, is a singer-songwriter born on 3rd February 1947 in Astoria, Queens, New York City USA. The peak of her popularity was in the late ‘60s and during the ‘70s when she released some of her most popular hits such as “Brand New Key”, “What Have They Done to My Song, Ma”, “Ruby Tuesday” and “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)”.
Have you ever wondered how rich Melanie Safka is? According to sources it has been estimated that Melanie Safka’s overall net worth is $145 million, acquired during a long and prosperous musical career which started in the late ‘60s. Since she continues to be active to the present day, her net worth continues to be maintained.
Melanie Safka Net Worth $145 million
Melanie was born into a family of mixed descent; her father was of Ukranian ancestry and her mother, who was a jazz singer, was of Italian heritage. She made her first singing appearance when she was just four years old – performing the song “Gimme a Little Kiss” on the radio show “Live Like a Millionaire”. She was educated at Long Branch High School, and later moved to Red Bank High School in New Jersey. After matriculating in 1964, Safka performed at a coffee house in New Jersey, but at the insistence of her parent she enrolled college – the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York where she studied acting. During her studies she sang in the folk clubs of Greenwich Village, and earned her first recording contract, with Columbia Records under which she released two singles. Her next contract was with Buddah Records, and she released “Bobo’s Party” (1969) which brought her acknowledgement and popularity across Europe, reaching no.1 in France, and certainly establishing her net worth.
Melanie gained more popularity as her debut album was released, and positively reviewed by Billboard. In 1969, Safka was one of just three solo women who had a performance at the Woodstock Festival, which inspired her hit song “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)”. The song became a hit across the US, Canada, Europe and Australia, and reached the Top Ten list in America, reaching no.6 on the Billboard singles chart. Some of her later notable hits include “Peace Will Come (According to Plan)”, and a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Ruby Tuesday”, which added to her net worth.
After leaving Buddah Records, Melanie formed her own label “Neighborhood Records” in 1971 and produced her biggest US hit the 1972 number one “Brand New Key” (“The Roller Skate Song”), which sold more than three million copies, despite being banned by several radio stations due to alleged sexual innuendo in the lyrics. Soon followed “Ring the Living Bell”, “The Nickel Song” and many others. Safka was voted Billboard’s no.1 Top Female Vocalist in 1972 and scored two gold albums and a gold single for “Brand New Key”. In 1973 she launched another Top 40 single “Bitter Bad”, followed by “Together Alone” and a cover of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”, consistently building her net worth.
It was then that she decided to put her career on the backburner in order to raise a family. Her later career includes a 1976 album “Photograph” and writing music for theatrical musicals such as “Ace of Diamonds”. She received an Emmy Award in 1989 for the lyrics in “The First Time I Loved Forever”, which became the theme song for TV series “Beauty and the Beast”. Her more recent albums include “Paled By Dimmer Light”(2004), “Ever Since You Never Heard Of Me” (2010) and “1984”(2015). In 2015 she received the Sandy Hosey Lifetime Achievement Award at the AMG Heritage Awards.
Privately, Melanie was married to record producer Peter Schekeryk from 1970 until his death in 2010. The couple had three children.
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