Melanie, the singer / songwriter, passed away at the age of 76. I first discovered Melanie at the age of 8 when in 1971 she released her #1 hit Brand New Key. But she was a lot more than that hit. She was ahead of her time in many ways, including starting her own record label back in 1971 too. Here is my tribute to a fine artist who I will miss. Her Candle In The Rain will always shine bright to me.