Iconic Singer/songwriter Melanie Returns To Australia

LOS ANGELES - March 22, 2014 - PRLog -- For release - Thursday, March 20, 2014: David M. Hawkins and The Adelaide Cabaret Festival are thrilled to announce legendary singer songwriter Melanie is making her long awaited return to Australian shores this June on her People In The Front Row Tour. The tour begins in Adelaide on June 7 at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival/Dunstan Playhouse for three nights and ends June 26 at the Melbourne Recital Center.

The writer of #1 tunes “Brand New Key”, (Lay Down) Candles in the Rain” and “Look What They’ve Done To My Song, Ma” was last in Australia in 1977. During that tour Melanie was the first commercial artist to perform on the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall stage. Her last show in Melbourne saw two shows extended into twelve sold out concerts at the Dallas Brooks Hall.

Adelaide is the first stop on the tour and will be the world premiere of her new People in The Front Row Tour conceived together by Melanie, her son Beau and Mr. Hawkins.

Melanie’s singles Brand New Key (Roller Skate Song), Lay Down (Candles in the Rain), Peace Will Come, Look What They’ve Done To My Song, Ma and Ruby Tuesday have all achieved Australian chart success with Brand New Key reaching #1 and remaining in the charts for 18 weeks in 1971. In the USA, Melanie has had 13 Top 40 hits, including 3 #1 hits.

A new generation of Australians was exposed to Melanie with the release of the Hilltop Hoods’ hit song, The Nosebleed Section that included a sample of Melanie's People in the Front Row. The Nosebleed Section was a huge hit for the “Hoods” coming in at No. 9 on the important and trend setting  Triple J’s Hottest 100 in 2003 and No. 17 on the station’s Hottest 100 of All Time released in 2009.

In this intimate evening of song, Melanie will be accompanied by her son Beau Jarred Schekeryk on Guitar, Andrew Worboys on Piano, Dave Hatch on Drums and Tina Harris on Bass.

A donation from profits from The People in the Front Row Tour will be made to Animals Australia. Promoter David M. Hawkins has been an active supporter of Animals Australia and as Melanie also is a great supporter of animal rights, they have aligned to support this great organization that is giving Australian animals a voice against cruelty.

Melanie first shot to stardom with her unforgettable appearance at the Woodstock Festival in 1969. The performance prompted the now common phenomenon of signaling an artist for an encore by holding up some form of light (first it was a candle, which merged into lighters, then flashlights and now mobile phones). In her hit song, Lay Down (Candles in the Rain), Melanie shared her experience of when the audience lifted up their candles in the rain during her set at Woodstock.

Melanie said, “Since we started talking about coming back “down under”, I’ve been looking at a photo of my two daughters and me with a Koala that was taken last time we were there. I remember clearly how beautiful the country was and how warm and welcoming the Aussies are. My son and guitarist, Beau Jarred was not born yet but he’ll be with me this time, and, hopefully we’ll get the chance to meet another Koala. I did always mean to come back sooner but life doesn’t quite follow our plans….I’m sure you know how that goes.”

Melanie’s list of accolades and acclaim certainly is an extensive one but as the New York Times suggests “MELANIE is an Artist who has no need to ‘LAY DOWN’ everything she has done to take her place in Music History!”

The People In The Front Row Tour consists of:

Adelaide Cabaret Festival, SA

Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide

Saturday, 7 June 2014, Sunday, 8 June 2014 and Monday, 9 June 2014

Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane, Qld

Thursday, 12 June 2014

Star Court Theatre, Lismore, NSW

Saturday, 14 June 2014

The Clarendon, Katoomba, NSW

Wednesday, 18 June, 2014