The bittersweet legacy of Melanie Thornton's holiday anthem
In November 2001, Melanie Thornton recorded a song that quickly became a hit. Today, it is primarily associated with a holiday advertisement of a well-known brand. The singer died shortly afterwards in a plane crash.
"All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey or "Last Christmas" by Wham! are well-known holiday hits that accompany us every year during the November-December period. However, they are not the only ones that gained immense popularity in the '90s and 2000s. Another is the song recorded by Melanie Thornton, "Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming)."
She recorded the song "Wonderful Dream"
The song "Wonderful Dream" gained global popularity thanks to Coca-Cola, which included it in one of its holiday commercials. Melanie Thornton recorded the song at the company's request, and it has been covered many times over the past twenty years.
However, Melanie Thornton did not live to enjoy her "five minutes" of fame. The song "Wonderful Dream" was included on the artist's album, which went on sale in early November 2001. A short while later, Thornton died in a plane crash.
The tragic death of Melanie Thornton
Melanie Thornton died on 24 November 2001, in the crash of Crossair Flight 3597 near Zurich, to which she was flying from Berlin as part of a concert tour promoting the album "Ready to Fly." The singer was 34 years old at the time. Besides her, 24 other people died in the crash.
According to media reports, the plane carrying Thornton clipped the tops of trees while approaching the landing. The crash occurred just a few kilometres from the runway. A later investigation revealed that the pilot had not checked altitude and distance indicators during the flight. The man also failed navigation exams.
