Melanie Thornton

Born: 13th May 1967, Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Died: 24th November 2001, Bassersdorf, Switzerland

From 1994 until 1999 Melanie Thornton was the lead singer of the group [a=La Bouche], before pursuing a solo career in 2000.

On 24th November 2001, Melanie and the German-Dutch Europop trio Passion Fruit performed at concert in Leipzig for the Coca Cola holiday tour and then boarded the Crossair 3597 Flight from Berlin to Zurich. However, near Bassersdorf, about four kilometers before reaching the airport, the plane crashed into the hill in a local forest due to the pilot lowering the plane too early. Melanie was among the 24 people that lost their lives. Two members from Passion Fruit, Maria Serrano Serrano and Nathalie Van Het Ende also lost their lives.

One year after Melanie's tragic death, Kayo Shekoni took the place of Natascha Wright with Lane McCray to release the song "In Your Life" in 2002 featuring vocals of Melanie Thornton in Europe and the USA as a tribute to her.

Her song "Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming)" still climbs the charts during Christmas season every year.