Melanie Thornton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melanie Thornton
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Melanie Thornton at her final performance on November 24, 2001, hours before her death
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| Born |
Melanie Janene Thornton
May 13, 1967 |
| Died | November 24, 2001 (aged 34) Bassersdorf, Switzerland
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| Resting place | Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop, dance, Eurodance, gospel |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1992–2001 |
| Labels | X-Cell Music, Sony Music, Epic |
| Associated acts | La Bouche Le Click |
Melanie Janene Thornton (born May 13, 1967 – died November 24, 2001) was an American singer known for pop and dance music. She was the main singer for the Eurodance group La Bouche from 1994 to 2000. She sang alongside American rapper Lane McCray. Their most famous songs were "Sweet Dreams" (1994) and "Be My Lover" (1995). After leaving La Bouche, Melanie started a solo career. She became very popular in Europe before she passed away in 2001. Some of her solo hits include "Love How You Love Me" and "Wonderful Dream (Holidays are Coming)".
Sadly, on November 24, 2001, Melanie was one of 24 people who died in a plane crash. This happened in Bassersdorf, Switzerland, shortly after her last performance in Leipzig.
Contents
Melanie Thornton's Music Journey
Early Life and Music Dreams (1967–1990)
Melanie Thornton was born in Charleston, South Carolina. She started learning to sing when she was just six years old. She also learned to play the piano and the clarinet. Melanie looked up to famous singers like Aretha Franklin and Roberta Flack. She would often pretend to be the singers she heard on the radio or saw on TV.
Later, she paid for her college studies by performing in talent shows. She also sang in small band concerts. During this time, she often visited a club called The Peacock Lounge. She would get on stage and sing with the live band when they invited people to join.
Starting Her Career (1991–1994)
Melanie had always dreamed of a career in music. In February 1991, she moved to Germany. Her sister lived there with her husband, who was in the U.S. Army. Melanie had dual citizenship, meaning she was a citizen of both Germany and the United States.
Her uncle, Bob Chisolm, who was a singer and piano player, told her to try singing in German nightclubs. She had been singing in a band called Danger Zone in Macon, Georgia. She would earn about $50 on a good night there. But her uncle told her she could make $150 on a bad night in Germany! Melanie decided to give it a try. She sang guest vocals for many dance music projects. These included songs like "If You Wanna Be (My Only)" by Orange Blue and "Tonight is the Night" by Le Click.
Becoming Famous with La Bouche (1994–1999)
Melanie soon found work recording demo songs in studios. One of her recordings, "Sweet Dreams," caught the attention of producer Frank Farian. He was known for creating the 1980s duo Milli Vanilli. Frank Farian decided to work with Melanie. He paired her with rapper Lane McCray to form the group La Bouche. "La Bouche" means "The Mouth" in French.
La Bouche quickly became one of the biggest Eurodance groups of the 1990s. They had many hit songs all over the world. They released two studio albums, "Sweet Dreams" and "S.O.S." Some of their popular songs were "Sweet Dreams (Ola Ola E)," "Be My Lover," and "Fallin' in Love." In February 2000, Melanie left La Bouche to start her solo career. Natascha Wright took her place as the new lead singer.
Solo Success with "Ready to Fly" (2000–2001)
Melanie signed a record deal with Sony/Epic Records. Her first solo song, "Love How You Love Me," came out in November 2000. It was a ballad, but it also had some dance remixes. Melanie performed her new song on TV shows in Germany.
She released more songs like "Heartbeat" in March 2001 and "Makin' Oooh Oooh (Talking About Love)" in September 2001. On May 7, 2001, Melanie released her first and only solo album. It was called Ready to Fly. The album had a mix of soul and dance songs that showed off her amazing voice. A special version of the album was released later, on November 26, 2001. This version included bonus songs like the hit "Wonderful Dream (Holidays are Coming)". Melanie also continued to perform in clubs in the United States.
A Sad Day (2001)
On the night of November 24, 2001, Melanie Thornton was on a flight to Zürich, Switzerland. She was going there for radio and TV appearances to promote her new song "Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming)". This song was a Christmas ballad recorded for a German Coca-Cola TV commercial.
Sadly, the plane crashed into a forest near Zurich International Airport. Melanie died instantly at the age of 34. Other artists, María Serrano Serrano and Nathaly van het Ende from the group Passion Fruit, also passed away in the crash. Melanie was laid to rest in her home state of South Carolina, in Mount Pleasant.
Music After Her Passing
Even though Melanie passed away just before Christmas, Coca-Cola decided to still use her commercial. The original commercial has been shown in Germany every year around Christmas since 2001. The song "Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming)" has also been on the German music charts every year. It has also been shown in other countries.
On November 25, 2002, a new song called "In Your Life" by La Bouche was released. It featured Melanie Thornton's voice, to remember her one year after her passing. This song was included in the first "Best of" album for La Bouche. Later, in 2003, another album called "Memories – Her Most Beautiful Ballads" was released. It had her slower songs and acoustic versions.
Melanie Thornton's Albums
Studio Albums
| Year | Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Info | |||||||||
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| AUT |
GER |
SWI |
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| 1995 | Sweet Dreams (with La Bouche) |
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9 | 3 | 2 | This was the first album by La Bouche. It included hit songs like "Sweet Dreams (Ola Ola E)" and "Be My Lover." | ||||||||
| 1998 | S.O.S. (with La Bouche) |
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— | 52 | 40 | This was the second and last album by La Bouche with Melanie as the lead singer. | ||||||||
| 2001 | Ready to Fly |
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20 | 5 | 4 | This was Melanie's first and only solo album. A new version was released later with extra songs, including "Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming)." | ||||||||
| "—" means the album did not appear on the charts. | ||||||||||||||
Compilation Albums
- 1996: All Mixed Up (La Bouche Remix Album)
- 2002: Best of (Credited as "La Bouche feat. Melanie Thornton")
- 2003: Memories – Her Most Beautiful Ballads
- 2007: Greatest Hits (La Bouche)
Melanie Thornton's Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUT |
GER |
SWI |
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| 1994 | "Sweet Dreams (Ola Ola E)" (with La Bouche) | 3 | 8 | 5 |
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Sweet Dreams | ||||||||
| 1995 | "Be My Lover" (with La Bouche) | 3 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||
| "Fallin' in Love" (with La Bouche) | 13 | 13 | 13 | |||||||||||
| "I Love to Love" (with La Bouche) | 19 | 21 | — | |||||||||||
| 1996 | "Forget Me Nots" (with La Bouche) | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Bolingo (Love Is in the Air)" (with La Bouche) | 19 | 26 | 15 | S.O.S. | ||||||||||
| 1997 | "You Won't Forget Me" (with La Bouche) | — | 29 | — | ||||||||||
| 1998 | "A Moment of Love" (with La Bouche) | — | 100 | — | ||||||||||
| 1999 | "S.O.S." (with La Bouche) | — | 78 | — | ||||||||||
| 2000 | "Love How You Love Me" | 48 | 15 | 29 | Ready to Fly | |||||||||
| 2001 | "Heartbeat" | — | 59 | 95 | ||||||||||
| "Makin' Oooh Oooh (Talking About Love)" | — | 76 | 90 | |||||||||||
| "Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming)" | 5 | 3 | 3 |
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| 2002 | "In Your Life" (with La Bouche) | — | — | — | Best of | |||||||||
| "—" means the single did not appear on the charts. | ||||||||||||||
Singles (as a Featured Artist)
- 1993: Feel the Life (Men Behind feat. Melanie Thornton)
- 1994: If You Wanna Be (My Only) (Orange Blue feat. Melanie Thornton)
- 1994: I Surrender to Your Love (Comic feat. Melanie Thornton)
- 1994: Power of the Light (100% feat. Melanie Thornton)
- 1994: Take Me 2 Heaven 2 Nite (Trance-Vision feat. Melanie Thornton)
- 1994: How Can I (Men Behind feat. Melanie Thornton)
- 1994: Nobody (Hysterie feat. Melanie Thornton)
- 1994: Tonight Is the Night (Le Click feat. Melanie Thornton)
- 1994: Freedom (Free Your Mind) (Joy-Lab feat. Melanie Thornton)
- 1995: Skate with me (Loop feat. Katarina Witt, Melanie Thornton, Joan Faulkner & Linda Rocco)
Literature
- Lois Chisolm: Sweet Dreams Fulfilled: The Melanie Thornton Story. Lois Thornton Chisolm, 2012.
See also
In Spanish: Melanie Thornton para niños
