FILE – Melanie Safka opens the second day of the “A Day In The Garden” festival on Aug. 15, 1988, in Bethel, N.Y. Melanie, a singer-songwriter behind 1970s hits including “Brand New Key,” has died. Melanie’s publicist tells The Associated Press that she died Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. She was 76. Born Melanie Safka, the singer rose through the New York folk scene and was one of only three solo women to perform at Woodstock. Her hits included “Lay Down” and “Look What They’ve Done to My Song Ma.” (AP Photo/Ken Bizzigotti, File)

Melanie, a singer-songwriter behind 1970s hits including “Brand New Key,” has died. Melanie’s publicist tells The Associated Press that she died Tuesday. She was 76. Born Melanie Safka, the singer rose through the New York folk scene and was one of only three solo women to perform at Woodstock. Her hits included “Lay Down” and “Look What They’ve Done to My Song Ma.” But she was best known for “Brand New Key,” a song she wrote about a girl who roller skates past the house of a boy she longs for. It went to No. 1 in the U.S. and several other countries and became a cultural staple.