When singer/songwriter Melanie Safka died in January, many people remembered her for the #1 pop song "Brand New Key" (also known as the roller skate song.) But those of us who loved her know that her biggest hit never conveyed the richness of her career and her talents.
That's why I asked photographer Maddy Miller to join us on I Couldn't Throw It Out. Not only did Maddy take iconic photos of Melanie, including the cover photo on Melanie's gold album Gather Me, she also was Melanie's close friend for more than 50 years. While sharing some of the gifts she received from Melanie, Maddy tells never-heard stories about their adventures – including an excellent close encounter with The Who's Keith Moon.
Though Melanie released dozens of albums and wrote new songs for six decades, little is known about the full scope of her life and music. Find out what you missed – and what you could still enjoy – as we look back on her performance at Woodstock, and the varied songs that won her a legion of passionate fans.
Plus, I share my never-heard interview with Melanie and my authentic mementoes from the '70s. Will I toss 'em? Let's just say that Maddy figures out what to do with her own treasures. Listen and find out…
MORE ABOUT MELANIE
Maddy Miller's personal collection of Melanie photos: See the gallery
My playlist of favorite Melanie songs: Listen now
Have thoughts about this episode? Send us a text
More info, photos, and transcript: throwitoutpodcast.com
Don't miss a thing: Join our mailing list
Do you save stuff you can't throw out? Tell us about it
Want to show support? Please rate/follow us wherever you get your podcasts.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com