Melissa Etheridge
Encyclopedia
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.
Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals. She has also been an iconic gay and lesbian activist since her public coming out in January 1993.
, the younger of two girls, to John Etheridge, a psychology teacher at Leavenworth High School, and Elizabeth Williamson, a computer consultant. She attended David Brewer School, which is still located at 17th and Osage Streets. She graduated in 1979 from Leavenworth High School (LHS), 10th Avenue and Halderman. Etheridge was a member of the first "Power and Life" musical/dance group at LHS which is still active today. Her childhood home was at 1902 Miami Street.
Etheridge's interest in music began early; she picked up up her first guitar at 8. She began to play in all-men country music groups throughout her teenage years, until she moved to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music
.
While in Berklee, Etheridge played the club circuit around Boston. After three semesters, Etheridge decided to drop out of Berklee and head to Los Angeles to attempt a career in music. Etheridge was discovered in a bar called Vermie's in Pasadena, CA. She had made some friends on a women's soccer team and those new friends came to see her play. One of the women was Karla Leopold, whose husband, Bill Leopold, was a manager in the music business. Karla convinced Bill to see her perform live. He was impressed, and has remained a pivotal part of Etheridge's career ever since. This, in addition to her gigs in lesbian bars around Los Angeles, got her discovered by Island Records
chief Chris Blackwell. She got a publishing deal to write songs for movies including the 1986 movie Weeds
.
In 1985, prior to her signing, Etheridge sent her demo to Olivia Records
, a lesbian record label, but was ultimately rejected. She saved the rejection letter, signed by "the women of Olivia", which was later featured in Intimate Portrait: Melissa Etheridge
, the Lifetime Television
documentary of her life.
After an unreleased first effort that was rejected by Island Records as being too polished and glossy, she completed her stripped down self-titled debut in just four days. Her eponymous debut album Melissa Etheridge
was an underground hit, and the single, "Bring Me Some Water
", a turntable hit, was nominated for a Grammy.
At the time of the album's release, it was not generally known that Etheridge was a lesbian. While on the road promoting the album, she paused in Memphis, Tennessee, to be interviewed for the radio syndication, Pulsebeat—Voice of the Heartland, explaining the intensity of her music by saying: "People think I'm really sad--or really angry. But my songs are written about the conflicts I have . . . I have no anger toward anyone else." She invited the radio syndication producer to attend her concert that night. He did and was surprised to find himself one of the few males in attendance.
's album The End of the Innocence
. She went into the studio and recorded her sophomore effort Brave and Crazy
which was released in 1989.
Brave and Crazy followed the same musical formula as her eponymous debut garnering a Grammy nomination. The album peaked at #22 on the Billboard charts
(equal to her first album). Etheridge then went on the road, taking a page from one of her musical influences Bruce Springsteen
, and built a loyal fan base. Etheridge is a Bruce Springsteen
fan, and she has covered his songs "Thunder Road
" and "Born to Run
" during live shows.
In 1992, Etheridge released her third album Never Enough. Similar to her prior two albums, Never Enough didn't reach the top of the charts peaking at #21 but gave Etheridge her first Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
for her single "Ain't It Heavy". Never Enough was considered a more personal and mature album from Etheridge at that time. With rumors circulating around her sexuality (Etheridge was not out yet at this point), the album seemed to inadvertently address these rumors.
In 1992, Etheridge established a performing arts scholarship at Leavenworth High School in honor of her father. She said her father used to "spend his weekends driving me to Kansas City and all points around there so I could play in bands. I was underage so I couldn't have gone without him."
. Co-produced with former The Police
and Genesis
Grammy-winning and Producer of the Year award-winning producer Hugh Padgham
, Yes I Am spent 138 weeks on the Billboard 200
charts and peaked at #15 and scored mainstream hits "Come to My Window
" and her only Billboard Top 10 single "I'm the Only One
", which also hit #1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. Sales-wise, Yes I Am earned a RIAA
certification of 6× Platinum making it her biggest selling album to date.
Etheridge earned her second Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
for her single "Come to My Window". She also garnered two additional nominations in the Best Rock Song category for "I'm the Only One" and "Come to My Window" losing to Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia
".
In 1993, Etheridge boycotted playing shows in Colorado over its passage of Amendment 2
.
In a visit to Leavenworth in November 1994, she performed a benefit concert for a new park to be built near the high school. A ball field at the park will be named after her father. While she was here, she also donated money to help refurbish the Performing Arts Center in Leavenworth at 401 Delaware.
In 1994, Etheridge played a cover version of "Burning Love
" live in Memphis, during the "It's Now Or Never, The Tribute To Elvis".
certification of 2× Platinum while Never Enough earned a RIAA
certification of Platinum
Etheridge's follow-up to Yes I Am was the moderately successful Your Little Secret
which wasn't as well received by critics as prior recordings. Your Little Secret is the highest charting album of Etheridge's career reaching #6 on the Billboard album charts, but only spent 41 weeks on the chart. The album produced two Top 40 singles "I Want to Come Over" (Billboard #22) and "Nowhere to Go" (Billboard #40) and earned a RIAA
certification of 2× Platinum, less than "Yes I Am."
In 1996, Etheridge won ASCAP Songwriter of the Year award. She also took a lengthy break from the music business to concentrate on her domestic arrangements. She also recorded "Sin Tener A Donde Ir (Nowhere to Go)" for the AIDS
benefit album Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin
produced by the Red Hot Organization
.
In 1997, she appeared as herself on the sitcom Ellen
on "The Puppy Episode Part 2".
Etheridge returned to the music charts with the release of Breakdown in October 1999. Breakdown peaked at #12 on the Billboard charts and spent 18 weeks in the charts. Despite this, Breakdown was the only album of Etheridge's career to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album
(losing to Santana
's Supernatural). In addition, her single "Angels Would Fall" was nominated in two categories: Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
(losing to Sheryl Crow
) and Best Rock Song
(losing to Red Hot Chili Peppers
) in 2000. A year later, another single from the album "Enough of Me" was nominated for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
(also losing to Sheryl Crow
).
The album earned a RIAA
certification of Gold, below her prior 5 albums.
2001 saw the release of Skin an album she described as "the closest I've ever come to recording a concept album. It has a beginning, middle and end. It's a journey." Skin garnered generally positive reviews with Metacritic scoring the album 73/100 from 9 reviews. Recorded post her breakup with first partner Julie Cypher, critics noted that Skin was "A harrowing, clearly autobiographical dissection of a decaying relationship." Despite the positive reviews, Skin sold less than 500,000 copies. On the Billboard charts, it peaked at #9 but dropped out of the Top 200 after just 12 weeks. The single "I Want to Be in Love" was nominated for the Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
(losing to Lucinda Williams
).
In 2002, Etheridge released her autobiography titled, "The Truth Is: My Life in Love and Music."
whom she began dating in 2001. Lucky performed similarly to Skin, selling less than 500,000 copies, peaking on the Billboard charts at #15 and spending 13 weeks on the charts. It also garnered a Grammy nomination for Etheridge's cover of the Greenwheel
song "Breathe" for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo
(losing to Bruce Springsteen
).
In October 2004, Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the 2005 Grammy Awards (the same ceremony for which "Breathe" was nominated), she made a return to the stage and, although bald from chemotherapy, performed a tribute to Janis Joplin
with the song "Piece of My Heart
". Etheridge was praised for her performance, which was considered one of the highlights of the show. Etheridge's bravery was lauded in song in India.Arie
's "I Am Not My Hair
".
On September 10, 2005, Etheridge participated in ReAct Now: Music & Relief
, a telethon in support for the victims of Hurricane Katrina
. ReAct Now, part of an ongoing effort by MTV, VH1
, CMT
, seeks to raise funds for the American Red Cross
, the Salvation Army
, and America's Second Harvest
. Etheridge introduced a new song specially written for the occasion called "Four Days". The a cappella
song included themes and images that were on the news during the aftermath of the hurricane. Other charities she supports include The Dream Foundation and Love Our Children USA.
On November 15, 2005, Etheridge appeared on the Tonight Show to perform her song "I Run for Life", which references her own fight with breast cancer and her determination to overcome it, and seeks to encourage other breast cancer survivors and their families. After her performance Jay Leno
told her, "Thanks for being a fighter, kiddo".
Etheridge wrote the song "I Need to Wake Up
" for the film documentary An Inconvenient Truth
, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song
in 2006. The song was released only on the enhanced version of her greatest hits album, The Road Less Traveled
.
Etheridge was also a judge for the 5th annual Independent Music Awards
to support independent artists' careers.
In August 2006, Melissa also produced and sang the vocal tracks on the Brother Bear 2
soundtrack, including collaborations with Josh Kelley
.
On July 7, 2007, Etheridge performed at the Giants Stadium on the American leg
of Live Earth
. Etheridge performed the songs "Imagine That" and "What Happens Tomorrow" from The Awakening
, her tenth album, released on September 25, 2007, as well as the song "I Need To Wake Up
" before introducing Al Gore. On December 11, 2007 she performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert
in Oslo
, Norway, together with a variety of artists, which was broadcast live to over 100 countries. In addition, she performed at the U.S. 2008 Democratic National Convention
on August 27, 2008. In July 2009, Etheridge announced through her website that she and John Shanks
would begin recording her 11th studio album the following summer. This was the first time since 1999 Etheridge and Shanks were the only ones involved in the production of a project.
Etheridge will be featured in UniGlobe Entertainment's breast cancer docudrama titled 1 a Minute scheduled for release in 2010. The documentary is being made by actress Namrata Singh Gujral
and will also feature breast cancer suriviors Olivia Newton-John
, Diahann Carroll, Namrata Singh Gujral
, Mumtaz
and Jaclyn Smith
as well as William Baldwin
, Daniel Baldwin
and Priya Dutt
. The feature is narrated by Kelly McGillis
. The film will also star Bárbara Mori
, Lisa Ray
, Deepak Chopra
and Morgan Brittany
.
Etheridge also held a private listening party hosted at Michele Clark's Sunset Sessions 2010. She debuted her new album Fearless Love
at the event held at the Rancho Bernardo Inn where she did a question and answer and played an acoustic set of her new singles in front of convention attendees and about 50 listeners of host station KPRI/SAN DIEGO.
Etheridge performed her title track "Fearless Love
" from her new album and "Come to My Window
" from 1993 on the airing of April 27, 2010's "Dancing With the Stars" on ABC.
Etheridge performed the role of St. Jimmy in Green Day's
hit Broadway musical, American Idiot
from February 1–6, 2011. Etheridge said in July 2011 that she is writing songs for a musical that her partner, Linda Wallem, is writing.
Etheridge came out publicly as a lesbian in January 1993 at the Triangle Ball, a gay celebration of President Bill Clinton
's first inauguration. Etheridge supported Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign and since her coming out has been famous as a gay rights activist. She is also a committed advocate for environmental issues and in 2006, she toured the US and Canada using biodiesel.
Etheridge had a long-term partnership with Julie Cypher
, and their relationship occasionally received press coverage. During this partnership, Cypher gave birth to two children, Bailey Jean, born February 10, 1997, and Beckett, born November 1998, fathered by sperm donor David Crosby
. In 2000, Cypher began to reconsider her sexuality and on September 19, 2000, Etheridge and Cypher announced they were separating. In 2001, Etheridge documented her breakup with Cypher and other experiences in her memoir.
In April 2003, Etheridge became engaged to actress Tammy Lynn Michaels
. The two had a commitment ceremony in Malibu, California, on September 20, 2003, which was featured on ABC's InStyle Celebrity Weddings. In April 2006, Etheridge and Michaels announced that Michaels was pregnant with twins via an anonymous sperm donor. Michaels gave birth to a daughter, Johnnie Rose and a son, Miller Steven, on October 17, 2006.
In October 2008, five months after the Supreme Court of California
overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage
, Etheridge announced that she and Michaels were planning to marry but were currently "trying to find the right time... to go down and do it". In November 2008, in response to the passing of California's Proposition 8
banning same-sex marriage, Etheridge announced that she would not pay her state taxes as an act of civil disobedience. On April 15, 2010 Etheridge and Michaels announced they had separated.
In October 2004, Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer
and underwent chemotherapy
. In October 2005, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Etheridge appeared on Dateline NBC
with Michaels to discuss her struggle with cancer. By the time of the interview, Etheridge's hair had grown back after being lost during chemotherapy. She said that her partner had been very supportive during her illness. Etheridge also discussed using medicinal marijuana while she was receiving the chemotherapy. She said that the drug improved her mood and increased her appetite. In a June 15, 2009 interview with Anderson Cooper
, Etheridge admitted that she still uses marijuana to lessen the effects of acid reflux
or in extremely stressful situations. Medical marijuana is legal in the state of California.
Etheridge supported Barack Obama
's decision to have Pastor Rick Warren
speak at his 2009 Presidential inauguration
, believing that he can sponsor dialogue to bridge the gap between gay and straight Christians. She stated in her column at The Huffington Post
that "Sure, there are plenty of hateful people who will always hold on to their bigotry like a child to a blanket. But there are also good people out there, Christian and otherwise, that are beginning to listen."
(AMPAS)
|-
|rowspan="1"|2007
|"I Need To Wake Up
" from the documentary An Inconvenient Truth
|Best Original Song
|
|-
s are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
. Etheridge has won two awards from fifteen nominations.
|-
|rowspan="1"|1989
|"Bring Me Some Water
"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
|
|-
|rowspan="1"|1990
|"Brave and Crazy"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
|
|-
|rowspan="1"|1991
|"The Angels"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
|
|-
|rowspan="1"|1993
|"Ain't It Heavy"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|1995
|rowspan="2"|"Come to My Window
"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
|
|-
|Best Rock Song
|
|-
|"I'm the Only One
"
|Best Rock Song
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|2000
|rowspan="2"|"Angels Would Fall
"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
|
|-
|Best Rock Song
|
|-
|Breakdown
|Best Rock Album
|
|-
|rowspan="1"|2001
|"Enough of Me"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
|
|-
|rowspan="1"|2002
|"I Want To Be In Love"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
|
|-
|rowspan="1"|2003
|"The Weakness in Me"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
|
|-
|rowspan="1"|2005
|"Breathe"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo
|
|-
|rowspan="1"|2007
|"I Need To Wake Up"
|Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
|
|-
in 1990, Etheridge won International Entertainer of the Year.
In 1996, she was awarded ASCAP's Songwriter of the Year Award.
In 2001, she won the Gibson Guitar Award for Best Rock Guitarist: Female.
In 2006, at the 17th GLAAD Media Awards, Etheridge received GLAAD's Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which honors openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting equal rights. In addition, she was awarded as Outstanding Music Artist for Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled
.
On May 13, 2006, at Berklee College of Music
's 2006 commencement, held at Northeastern University's Matthews Arena, in Boston, Massachusetts, Berklee's president, Roger H. Brown, presented Etheridge with an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree "in recognition of her music touching the lives of millions, her fearless and honest voice, and the way she has used her music and celebrity to inspire hope and courage among fellow cancer patients." Etheridge delivered the commencement address in front of more than 800 graduating students and 4,000 guests.
On February 18, 2009, Etheridge was named the "Celebrity Marshall" for Boston's 2009 Pride Parade by the Boston Pride Committee.
On September 27, 2011, Etheridge received the honor of having her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Located at 6901 Hollywood Boulevard, it is the 2,450th star awarded.
Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals. She has also been an iconic gay and lesbian activist since her public coming out in January 1993.
1961–86: Early life and career
Etheridge was born in Leavenworth, KansasLeavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth is the largest city and county seat of Leavenworth County, in the U.S. state of Kansas and within the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area. Located in the northeast portion of the state, it is on the west bank of the Missouri River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
, the younger of two girls, to John Etheridge, a psychology teacher at Leavenworth High School, and Elizabeth Williamson, a computer consultant. She attended David Brewer School, which is still located at 17th and Osage Streets. She graduated in 1979 from Leavenworth High School (LHS), 10th Avenue and Halderman. Etheridge was a member of the first "Power and Life" musical/dance group at LHS which is still active today. Her childhood home was at 1902 Miami Street.
Etheridge's interest in music began early; she picked up up her first guitar at 8. She began to play in all-men country music groups throughout her teenage years, until she moved to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
.
While in Berklee, Etheridge played the club circuit around Boston. After three semesters, Etheridge decided to drop out of Berklee and head to Los Angeles to attempt a career in music. Etheridge was discovered in a bar called Vermie's in Pasadena, CA. She had made some friends on a women's soccer team and those new friends came to see her play. One of the women was Karla Leopold, whose husband, Bill Leopold, was a manager in the music business. Karla convinced Bill to see her perform live. He was impressed, and has remained a pivotal part of Etheridge's career ever since. This, in addition to her gigs in lesbian bars around Los Angeles, got her discovered by Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
chief Chris Blackwell. She got a publishing deal to write songs for movies including the 1986 movie Weeds
Weeds (film)
Weeds is a 1987 American drama film about a prison inmate who writes a play that catches the attention of a visiting reporter. The film was directed by John D...
.
In 1985, prior to her signing, Etheridge sent her demo to Olivia Records
Olivia Records
Olivia Records was a collective founded in 1973 to record and market women's music. Olivia, named after the heroine of a pulp novel by Dorothy Bussy who fell in love with her headmistress at French boarding school, was the brainchild of ten lesbian-feminists living in Washington, DC who wanted to...
, a lesbian record label, but was ultimately rejected. She saved the rejection letter, signed by "the women of Olivia", which was later featured in Intimate Portrait: Melissa Etheridge
Intimate Portrait (TV series)
Intimate Portrait is a biographical television series on the Lifetime Television cable network focusing on different celebrities, which includes interviews with each subject....
, the Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
documentary of her life.
After an unreleased first effort that was rejected by Island Records as being too polished and glossy, she completed her stripped down self-titled debut in just four days. Her eponymous debut album Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge (album)
Melissa Etheridge is the self-titled debut album by singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released in 1988 .The album was re-released on 23 September 2003 as a two-CD remastered edition containing a bonus disc of ten tracks recorded live at the Roxy in Los Angeles and a five-track session from BBC...
was an underground hit, and the single, "Bring Me Some Water
Bring Me Some Water
- Song information :Melissa Etheridge wrote the song after the initial version of her debut album was rejected by the recording company, which left her only four days to provide new material and a modified edition of the album...
", a turntable hit, was nominated for a Grammy.
At the time of the album's release, it was not generally known that Etheridge was a lesbian. While on the road promoting the album, she paused in Memphis, Tennessee, to be interviewed for the radio syndication, Pulsebeat—Voice of the Heartland, explaining the intensity of her music by saying: "People think I'm really sad--or really angry. But my songs are written about the conflicts I have . . . I have no anger toward anyone else." She invited the radio syndication producer to attend her concert that night. He did and was surprised to find himself one of the few males in attendance.
1986–92: Road to rock stardom
Etheridge followed up her first album's modest success by contributing background vocals to Don HenleyDon Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
's album The End of the Innocence
The End of the Innocence
Released in 1989, The End of the Innocence is the third album by Don Henley. It is his best selling album, selling over 6 million copies in the United States, peaking at #8. The album released three Top 40 singles "The End of the Innocence", "The Heart of the Matter", and "The Last Worthless...
. She went into the studio and recorded her sophomore effort Brave and Crazy
Brave and Crazy
Brave and Crazy is the second album by singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released in 1989 .-Track listing:all songs by Melissa Etheridge, except where noted#"No Souvenirs" – 4:33#"Brave and Crazy" – 4:37...
which was released in 1989.
Brave and Crazy followed the same musical formula as her eponymous debut garnering a Grammy nomination. The album peaked at #22 on the Billboard charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
(equal to her first album). Etheridge then went on the road, taking a page from one of her musical influences Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, and built a loyal fan base. Etheridge is a Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
fan, and she has covered his songs "Thunder Road
Thunder Road (song)
"Thunder Road" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen, and the opening track on his 1975 breakthrough album Born to Run. It is ranked as one of Springsteen's greatest songs, and often appears on lists of the top rock songs of all time.Rolling Stone magazine placed it as #86 on its...
" and "Born to Run
Born to Run (song)
"Born to Run" is a song by American singer songwriter Bruce Springsteen, and the title song of his album Born to Run.- Songwriting :Written at in Long Branch, New Jersey in early 1974, the song was Bruce Springsteen's last-ditch effort to make it big. The prior year, Springsteen had released two...
" during live shows.
In 1992, Etheridge released her third album Never Enough. Similar to her prior two albums, Never Enough didn't reach the top of the charts peaking at #21 but gave Etheridge her first Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
for her single "Ain't It Heavy". Never Enough was considered a more personal and mature album from Etheridge at that time. With rumors circulating around her sexuality (Etheridge was not out yet at this point), the album seemed to inadvertently address these rumors.
In 1992, Etheridge established a performing arts scholarship at Leavenworth High School in honor of her father. She said her father used to "spend his weekends driving me to Kansas City and all points around there so I could play in bands. I was underage so I couldn't have gone without him."
1993: Yes I Am
On September 21, 1993, Etheridge released what would become her mainstream breakthrough recording Yes I AmYes I Am
Yes I Am is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released by Island Records on September 21, 1993 . The title is generally thought to refer to Etheridge's recent coming out as a lesbian, confirming long-standing rumors about her personal life. This is the album...
. Co-produced with former The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
and Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
Grammy-winning and Producer of the Year award-winning producer Hugh Padgham
Hugh Padgham
Hugh Padgham is a British record producer. He has won many awards, including four Grammys, with Producer of the Year and Engineer of the Year. A 1992 poll in Mix magazine voted him one of the world's Top Ten Most Influential Producers....
, Yes I Am spent 138 weeks on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
charts and peaked at #15 and scored mainstream hits "Come to My Window
Come to My Window
"Come to My Window" is a Grammy Award-winning song by Melissa Etheridge released in 1994 on her 1993 album Yes I Am. This was the first song to be released after Etheridge publicly announced her sexual orientation of being a lesbian. With the driving force of gay rights, the song gained a lot of...
" and her only Billboard Top 10 single "I'm the Only One
I'm the Only One
"I'm the Only One" is a Melissa Etheridge song that appears on her 1993 album Yes I Am. The single itself was released in 1993, and hit number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Adult Contemporary charts in January 1995...
", which also hit #1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. Sales-wise, Yes I Am earned a RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
certification of 6× Platinum making it her biggest selling album to date.
Etheridge earned her second Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
for her single "Come to My Window". She also garnered two additional nominations in the Best Rock Song category for "I'm the Only One" and "Come to My Window" losing to Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia
Streets of Philadelphia
"Streets of Philadelphia" is an Oscar winning song, written and performed by American rock musician Bruce Springsteen for the first mainstream film on HIV/AIDS in the 1993 film, Philadelphia...
".
In 1993, Etheridge boycotted playing shows in Colorado over its passage of Amendment 2
Romer v. Evans
Romer v. Evans, 517 U.S. 620 , is a landmark United States Supreme Court case dealing with civil rights and state laws. It was the first Supreme Court case to deal with LGBT rights since Bowers v...
.
In a visit to Leavenworth in November 1994, she performed a benefit concert for a new park to be built near the high school. A ball field at the park will be named after her father. While she was here, she also donated money to help refurbish the Performing Arts Center in Leavenworth at 401 Delaware.
In 1994, Etheridge played a cover version of "Burning Love
Burning Love
"Burning Love" is a song written by Dennis Linde, first recorded by Arthur Alexander, who included it on his self-titled 1971 album, and made famous by Elvis Presley, who took it to #2 in the United States in 1972...
" live in Memphis, during the "It's Now Or Never, The Tribute To Elvis".
1995–2002: After her breakthrough
The success of Yes I Am helped increase sales of Etheridge's earlier albums. In 1995 Melissa Etheridge earned a RIAARecording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
certification of 2× Platinum while Never Enough earned a RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
certification of Platinum
Etheridge's follow-up to Yes I Am was the moderately successful Your Little Secret
Your Little Secret
Your Little Secret is the fifth album by singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released in 1995. The album contained three singles, "Your Little Secret", "I Want to Come Over", and "Nowhere to Go"...
which wasn't as well received by critics as prior recordings. Your Little Secret is the highest charting album of Etheridge's career reaching #6 on the Billboard album charts, but only spent 41 weeks on the chart. The album produced two Top 40 singles "I Want to Come Over" (Billboard #22) and "Nowhere to Go" (Billboard #40) and earned a RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
certification of 2× Platinum, less than "Yes I Am."
In 1996, Etheridge won ASCAP Songwriter of the Year award. She also took a lengthy break from the music business to concentrate on her domestic arrangements. She also recorded "Sin Tener A Donde Ir (Nowhere to Go)" for the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
benefit album Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin
Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin
Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin, the tenth entry in the Red Hot Benefit Series of compilation albums, takes a post-modern look at the contemporary rock en Español scene...
produced by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
.
In 1997, she appeared as herself on the sitcom Ellen
Ellen (TV series)
Ellen is a U.S. television sitcom that ran on the ABC network from March 29, 1994 to July 22, 1998, producing 109 episodes.The theme song, "So Called Friend" is by Scottish band Texas...
on "The Puppy Episode Part 2".
Etheridge returned to the music charts with the release of Breakdown in October 1999. Breakdown peaked at #12 on the Billboard charts and spent 18 weeks in the charts. Despite this, Breakdown was the only album of Etheridge's career to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album
Grammy Award for Best Rock Album
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the rock music genre...
(losing to Santana
Santana (band)
Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...
's Supernatural). In addition, her single "Angels Would Fall" was nominated in two categories: Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
(losing to Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
) and Best Rock Song
Grammy Award for Best Rock Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rock music genre...
(losing to Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
) in 2000. A year later, another single from the album "Enough of Me" was nominated for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
(also losing to Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
).
The album earned a RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
certification of Gold, below her prior 5 albums.
2001 saw the release of Skin an album she described as "the closest I've ever come to recording a concept album. It has a beginning, middle and end. It's a journey." Skin garnered generally positive reviews with Metacritic scoring the album 73/100 from 9 reviews. Recorded post her breakup with first partner Julie Cypher, critics noted that Skin was "A harrowing, clearly autobiographical dissection of a decaying relationship." Despite the positive reviews, Skin sold less than 500,000 copies. On the Billboard charts, it peaked at #9 but dropped out of the Top 200 after just 12 weeks. The single "I Want to Be in Love" was nominated for the Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
(losing to Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams is an American rock, folk, blues and country music singer and songwriter. She recorded her first albums in 1978 and 1980 in a traditional country and blues style and received very little attention from radio, the media, or the public. In 1988, she released her self-titled album,...
).
In 2002, Etheridge released her autobiography titled, "The Truth Is: My Life in Love and Music."
2004–present: Lucky, cancer diagnosis, Academy Awards and Fearless Love
Etheridge began 2004 with the release of her eighth album Lucky on February 10. The album was a more joyful Etheridge who was now in the midst of celebrating a new relationship with actress Tammy Lynn MichaelsTammy Lynn Michaels
Tammy Lynn Michaels , also known by the surname Etheridge after marrying Melissa Etheridge, is an American actress....
whom she began dating in 2001. Lucky performed similarly to Skin, selling less than 500,000 copies, peaking on the Billboard charts at #15 and spending 13 weeks on the charts. It also garnered a Grammy nomination for Etheridge's cover of the Greenwheel
Greenwheel
Greenwheel is an American alternative rock band formed by friends Ryan Jordan, Brandon Armstrong, Andrew Dwiggins, Douglas Randall, and Marc Wanninger in November 1998. The band was formed in St. Charles, Missouri in a local record shop. This group of high school bandmates were originally called...
song "Breathe" for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo
Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo
The Grammy Award for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
(losing to Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
).
In October 2004, Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the 2005 Grammy Awards (the same ceremony for which "Breathe" was nominated), she made a return to the stage and, although bald from chemotherapy, performed a tribute to Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
with the song "Piece of My Heart
Piece of My Heart
"Piece of My Heart" is a song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns and originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. The song came to greater mainstream attention when Big Brother and the Holding Company covered the song in 1968 and had a hit with it...
". Etheridge was praised for her performance, which was considered one of the highlights of the show. Etheridge's bravery was lauded in song in India.Arie
India.Arie
India.Arie is a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter and record producer . She has sold over 3.3 million records in the U.S. and 10 million worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards from her 21 nominations, including Best R&B Album.-Background:Simpson was born in Denver, Colorado...
's "I Am Not My Hair
I Am Not My Hair
"I Am Not My Hair" is a song by American soul and R&B singer–songwriter India.Arie from her third studio album, Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship . Written by Simpson, Shannon Sanders, and Drew Ramsey, it was released as the album's lead single in late 2005 to moderate chart success...
".
On September 10, 2005, Etheridge participated in ReAct Now: Music & Relief
ReAct Now: Music & Relief
ReAct Now: Music & Relief was a four and a half hour long benefit concert which aired on September 10, 2005. MTV, VH1, CMT, MTV2, MTVU, VH1 Classic and The N broadcast the concert, which raised about $30 million for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts via the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army,...
, a telethon in support for the victims of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. ReAct Now, part of an ongoing effort by MTV, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, CMT
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
, seeks to raise funds for the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
, the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, and America's Second Harvest
America's Second Harvest
Feeding America is a United States-based non-profit organization. It consists of a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks and food rescue organizations that serve virtually every county in the United States as well as Puerto Rico. It is the nation's leading hunger-relief charity,...
. Etheridge introduced a new song specially written for the occasion called "Four Days". The a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
song included themes and images that were on the news during the aftermath of the hurricane. Other charities she supports include The Dream Foundation and Love Our Children USA.
On November 15, 2005, Etheridge appeared on the Tonight Show to perform her song "I Run for Life", which references her own fight with breast cancer and her determination to overcome it, and seeks to encourage other breast cancer survivors and their families. After her performance Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
told her, "Thanks for being a fighter, kiddo".
Etheridge wrote the song "I Need to Wake Up
I Need to Wake Up
"I Need to Wake Up" is a song by Melissa Etheridge, written for the 2006 documentary film An Inconvenient Truth. It is the first instance of a documentary film winning the Best Song category, and it notably beat three other nominated songs from the musical film Dreamgirls.Etheridge received the...
" for the film documentary An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth is a 2006 documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate citizens about global warming via a comprehensive slide show that, by his own estimate, he has given more than a thousand times.Premiering at the...
, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
in 2006. The song was released only on the enhanced version of her greatest hits album, The Road Less Traveled
Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled
Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled is a 2005 music album by Melissa Etheridge, released by Island Records. It featured 17 tracks from her 17-year career, five of which were newly recorded...
.
Etheridge was also a judge for the 5th annual Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
to support independent artists' careers.
In August 2006, Melissa also produced and sang the vocal tracks on the Brother Bear 2
Brother Bear 2
The soundtrack to Brother Bear 2 was released August 15, 2006. It is available only on digital outlets such as iTunes and walmart.com. It includes the following tracks:#Dave Metzger - Opening: Brother Bear 2 – 0:34...
soundtrack, including collaborations with Josh Kelley
Josh Kelley
Joshua Bishop "Josh" Kelley is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Kelley has recorded for Hollywood Records, Threshold Records and DNK Records as a pop rock artist, and has had four hit singles on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart...
.
Live Earth concert, New York City
The Live Earth concert for North America was held at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA on July 7, 2007.-Running order:In order of appearance:*Kenna - "Out Of Control", "Face The Gun", "Sun Red Sky Blue"...
of Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
. Etheridge performed the songs "Imagine That" and "What Happens Tomorrow" from The Awakening
The Awakening (Melissa Etheridge album)
The Awakening is a 2007 album by rock singer Melissa Etheridge and her ninth studio album. It was released on September 25, 2007. The rock album conveys Etheridge's current autobiographical, religious and political perspectives. Etheridge made the album to convey parts of her story and journey...
, her tenth album, released on September 25, 2007, as well as the song "I Need To Wake Up
I Need to Wake Up
"I Need to Wake Up" is a song by Melissa Etheridge, written for the 2006 documentary film An Inconvenient Truth. It is the first instance of a documentary film winning the Best Song category, and it notably beat three other nominated songs from the musical film Dreamgirls.Etheridge received the...
" before introducing Al Gore. On December 11, 2007 she performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert
Nobel Peace Prize Concert
The Nobel Peace Prize Concert has been held annually since 1994 on 11 December, one day after the date of Alfred Nobel's death, to honour the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The award ceremony on 10 December takes place in the Oslo City Hall, while the concert is in the Oslo Spektrum Arena, with the...
in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway, together with a variety of artists, which was broadcast live to over 100 countries. In addition, she performed at the U.S. 2008 Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
on August 27, 2008. In July 2009, Etheridge announced through her website that she and John Shanks
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks is a modern rock writer and Grammy Award–winning producer.Born in New York City, Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17....
would begin recording her 11th studio album the following summer. This was the first time since 1999 Etheridge and Shanks were the only ones involved in the production of a project.
Etheridge will be featured in UniGlobe Entertainment's breast cancer docudrama titled 1 a Minute scheduled for release in 2010. The documentary is being made by actress Namrata Singh Gujral
Namrata Singh Gujral
Namrata Singh Gujral born 26 February 1976 is an American actress.She is of Sikh faith and Indian as well as Tibetan descent. She was born in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh and is a 1998 graduate from the University of West Florida.-Roles:...
and will also feature breast cancer suriviors Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
, Diahann Carroll, Namrata Singh Gujral
Namrata Singh Gujral
Namrata Singh Gujral born 26 February 1976 is an American actress.She is of Sikh faith and Indian as well as Tibetan descent. She was born in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh and is a 1998 graduate from the University of West Florida.-Roles:...
, Mumtaz
Mumtaz (actress)
Mumtaz , fondly called Mumu, is a famous Bollywood actress, best remembered for her roles in Tere Mere Sapne and Khilona . Her performance in Khilona got her the Filmfare Best Actress Award, while the film itself won the Filmfare Best Movie Award...
and Jaclyn Smith
Jaclyn Smith
Jacquelyn Ellen "Jaclyn" Smith is an American actress and businesswoman. She is best-known for the role of Kelly Garrett in the television series Charlie's Angels, and was the only original female lead to remain with the series for its complete run...
as well as William Baldwin
William Baldwin
William Joseph "Billy" Baldwin is an American actor, producer, and writer, known for his starring roles in such films as Flatliners , Backdraft , Sliver , Fair Game , Virus , Double Bang , as Johnny 13 in Danny Phantom , Art Heist , The Squid and the Whale , as himself...
, Daniel Baldwin
Daniel Baldwin
Daniel Leroy Baldwin is an American actor, producer and director. He is the second oldest of the four Baldwin brothers, all of whom are actors. Daniel Baldwin is known for his role as Detective Beau Felton in the popular NBC TV series Homicide: Life on the Street...
and Priya Dutt
Priya Dutt
Priya Dutt Roncon is an Indian politician. She was first time elected to the 14th Lok Sabha from Mumbai North West constituency in Maharashtra on 22 November 2005, representing the Indian National Congress party...
. The feature is narrated by Kelly McGillis
Kelly McGillis
Kelly Ann McGillis is an American actress. Her films include Top Gun, The Accused, and Witness, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination.-Career:...
. The film will also star Bárbara Mori
Bárbara Mori
Bárbara Mori Ochoa is a Mexican actress and model. She became famous for being the female lead in the Bollywood film, Kites....
, Lisa Ray
Lisa Ray
Lisa Ray , born 4 April 1972, is a Canadian actress and former model.-Early life:Lisa Ray was born in Toronto to a Bengali Indian father and a Polish mother and grew up in the suburb of Etobicoke...
, Deepak Chopra
Deepak Chopra
Deepak Chopra is an Indian medical doctor, public speaker, and writer on subjects such as spirituality, Ayurveda and mind-body medicine. Chopra began his career as an endocrinologist and later shifted his focus to alternative medicine. Chopra now runs his own medical center, with a focus on...
and Morgan Brittany
Morgan Brittany
Morgan Brittany is an American film and television actress. She is possibly best known for her role in the 1980s primetime soap opera Dallas, where she portrayed Katherine Wentworth, the scheming younger half-sister of Pamela Ewing and Cliff Barnes.-Early career:Under her birth name, Brittany...
.
Etheridge also held a private listening party hosted at Michele Clark's Sunset Sessions 2010. She debuted her new album Fearless Love
Fearless Love
Fearless Love is the 10th studio album by American rock/pop musician Melissa Etheridge. The album was released on April 27, 2010 by Island/Def Jam Music Group, produced by John Shanks. Melissa said in an interview the album is "about being fearless. It's about choosing love over fear...
at the event held at the Rancho Bernardo Inn where she did a question and answer and played an acoustic set of her new singles in front of convention attendees and about 50 listeners of host station KPRI/SAN DIEGO.
Etheridge performed her title track "Fearless Love
Fearless Love (song)
"Fearless Love" is a song by Melissa Etheridge and the first single of her 2010 album Fearless Love.-Background:Etheridge wrote the song after her young daughter suggested the title for her album. Etheridge explained to Spinner the inspiration for the lyric "I was 17, you kissed my lips": "It...
" from her new album and "Come to My Window
Come to My Window
"Come to My Window" is a Grammy Award-winning song by Melissa Etheridge released in 1994 on her 1993 album Yes I Am. This was the first song to be released after Etheridge publicly announced her sexual orientation of being a lesbian. With the driving force of gay rights, the song gained a lot of...
" from 1993 on the airing of April 27, 2010's "Dancing With the Stars" on ABC.
Etheridge performed the role of St. Jimmy in Green Day's
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
hit Broadway musical, American Idiot
American Idiot (musical)
American Idiot is a one-act, through-sung stage musical. The show is an adaptation of punk rock band Green Day's concept album of the same name. Additional Green Day songs were interpolated from other sources, including 21st Century Breakdown, American Idiot b-sides, and an unreleased song called...
from February 1–6, 2011. Etheridge said in July 2011 that she is writing songs for a musical that her partner, Linda Wallem, is writing.
Personal life
Etheridge's father, John Etheridge, was a high school psychology teacher, counselor and athletic director at her alma mater, Leavenworth High School. He died in 1993. Her mother Elizabeth was a homemaker and a computer analyst and is now retired.Etheridge came out publicly as a lesbian in January 1993 at the Triangle Ball, a gay celebration of President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's first inauguration. Etheridge supported Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign and since her coming out has been famous as a gay rights activist. She is also a committed advocate for environmental issues and in 2006, she toured the US and Canada using biodiesel.
Etheridge had a long-term partnership with Julie Cypher
Julie Cypher
Julie Cypher, born August 24, 1964 in Wichita, Kansas, is best known as the former partner of Melissa Etheridge.Cypher attended the University of Texas at Austin. She married actor Lou Diamond Phillips in 1986. In 1988, Cypher met Etheridge while assisting on the music video for the song, "Bring Me...
, and their relationship occasionally received press coverage. During this partnership, Cypher gave birth to two children, Bailey Jean, born February 10, 1997, and Beckett, born November 1998, fathered by sperm donor David Crosby
David Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
. In 2000, Cypher began to reconsider her sexuality and on September 19, 2000, Etheridge and Cypher announced they were separating. In 2001, Etheridge documented her breakup with Cypher and other experiences in her memoir.
In April 2003, Etheridge became engaged to actress Tammy Lynn Michaels
Tammy Lynn Michaels
Tammy Lynn Michaels , also known by the surname Etheridge after marrying Melissa Etheridge, is an American actress....
. The two had a commitment ceremony in Malibu, California, on September 20, 2003, which was featured on ABC's InStyle Celebrity Weddings. In April 2006, Etheridge and Michaels announced that Michaels was pregnant with twins via an anonymous sperm donor. Michaels gave birth to a daughter, Johnnie Rose and a son, Miller Steven, on October 17, 2006.
In October 2008, five months after the Supreme Court of California
Supreme Court of California
The Supreme Court of California is the highest state court in California. It is headquartered in San Francisco and regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Its decisions are binding on all other California state courts.-Composition:...
overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage
In re Marriage Cases
In re Marriage Cases 43 Cal.4th 757 [76 Cal.Rptr.3d 683, 183 P.3d 384], was a California Supreme Court case with the dual holding that "statutes that treat persons differently because of their sexual orientation should be subjected to strict scrutiny" and the existing "California legislative and...
, Etheridge announced that she and Michaels were planning to marry but were currently "trying to find the right time... to go down and do it". In November 2008, in response to the passing of California's Proposition 8
California Proposition 8 (2008)
Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
banning same-sex marriage, Etheridge announced that she would not pay her state taxes as an act of civil disobedience. On April 15, 2010 Etheridge and Michaels announced they had separated.
In October 2004, Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
and underwent chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
. In October 2005, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Etheridge appeared on Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It previously was NBC's flagship news magazine, but now focuses on true crime stories. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. EST and after football season on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.-History:Dateline is historically notable for...
with Michaels to discuss her struggle with cancer. By the time of the interview, Etheridge's hair had grown back after being lost during chemotherapy. She said that her partner had been very supportive during her illness. Etheridge also discussed using medicinal marijuana while she was receiving the chemotherapy. She said that the drug improved her mood and increased her appetite. In a June 15, 2009 interview with Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Hays Cooper is an American journalist, author, and television personality. He is the primary anchor of the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. The program is normally broadcast live from a New York City studio; however, Cooper often broadcasts live on location for breaking news stories...
, Etheridge admitted that she still uses marijuana to lessen the effects of acid reflux
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Gastroesophageal reflux disease , gastro-oesophageal reflux disease , gastric reflux disease, or acid reflux disease is chronic symptoms or mucosal damage caused by stomach acid coming up from the stomach into the esophagus...
or in extremely stressful situations. Medical marijuana is legal in the state of California.
Etheridge supported Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's decision to have Pastor Rick Warren
Rick Warren
Richard Duane "Rick" Warren is an American evangelical Christian minister and author. He is the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, an evangelical megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, currently the eighth-largest church in the United States...
speak at his 2009 Presidential inauguration
Inauguration of Barack Obama
The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. The inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in Washington, D.C., marked the commencement of the four-year term of Barack Obama as President and Joe...
, believing that he can sponsor dialogue to bridge the gap between gay and straight Christians. She stated in her column at The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
that "Sure, there are plenty of hateful people who will always hold on to their bigotry like a child to a blanket. But there are also good people out there, Christian and otherwise, that are beginning to listen."
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
(AMPAS)
|-
|rowspan="1"|2007
|"I Need To Wake Up
I Need to Wake Up
"I Need to Wake Up" is a song by Melissa Etheridge, written for the 2006 documentary film An Inconvenient Truth. It is the first instance of a documentary film winning the Best Song category, and it notably beat three other nominated songs from the musical film Dreamgirls.Etheridge received the...
" from the documentary An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth is a 2006 documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate citizens about global warming via a comprehensive slide show that, by his own estimate, he has given more than a thousand times.Premiering at the...
|Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
|
|-
Grammy Awards
The Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its...
. Etheridge has won two awards from fifteen nominations.
|-
|rowspan="1"|1989
|"Bring Me Some Water
Bring Me Some Water
- Song information :Melissa Etheridge wrote the song after the initial version of her debut album was rejected by the recording company, which left her only four days to provide new material and a modified edition of the album...
"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
|
|-
|rowspan="1"|1990
|"Brave and Crazy"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
|
|-
|rowspan="1"|1991
|"The Angels"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
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|rowspan="1"|1993
|"Ain't It Heavy"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
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|rowspan="3"|1995
|rowspan="2"|"Come to My Window
Come to My Window
"Come to My Window" is a Grammy Award-winning song by Melissa Etheridge released in 1994 on her 1993 album Yes I Am. This was the first song to be released after Etheridge publicly announced her sexual orientation of being a lesbian. With the driving force of gay rights, the song gained a lot of...
"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
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|Best Rock Song
Grammy Award for Best Rock Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rock music genre...
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|"I'm the Only One
I'm the Only One
"I'm the Only One" is a Melissa Etheridge song that appears on her 1993 album Yes I Am. The single itself was released in 1993, and hit number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Adult Contemporary charts in January 1995...
"
|Best Rock Song
Grammy Award for Best Rock Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rock music genre...
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|rowspan="3"|2000
|rowspan="2"|"Angels Would Fall
Angels Would Fall
"Angels Would Fall" is a 1999 Melissa Etheridge song and the first single of her album Breakdown.- Song information :The song was written by Melissa Etheridge with the main guitar loop contributed by John Shanks...
"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
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|Best Rock Song
Grammy Award for Best Rock Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rock music genre...
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|Breakdown
|Best Rock Album
Grammy Award for Best Rock Album
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the rock music genre...
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|rowspan="1"|2001
|"Enough of Me"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
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|rowspan="1"|2002
|"I Want To Be In Love"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
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|rowspan="1"|2003
|"The Weakness in Me"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
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|rowspan="1"|2005
|"Breathe"
|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo
Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo
The Grammy Award for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
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|rowspan="1"|2007
|"I Need To Wake Up"
|Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
The Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media has been awarded since 1988 and is awarded to songs written for films, television, video games or other visual media...
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Other accolades
At the 20th Annual Juno AwardsJuno Awards of 1990
The Juno Awards of 1990, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 18 March 1990 in Toronto at a ceremony in the O'Keefe Centre...
in 1990, Etheridge won International Entertainer of the Year.
In 1996, she was awarded ASCAP's Songwriter of the Year Award.
In 2001, she won the Gibson Guitar Award for Best Rock Guitarist: Female.
In 2006, at the 17th GLAAD Media Awards, Etheridge received GLAAD's Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which honors openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting equal rights. In addition, she was awarded as Outstanding Music Artist for Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled
Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled
Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled is a 2005 music album by Melissa Etheridge, released by Island Records. It featured 17 tracks from her 17-year career, five of which were newly recorded...
.
On May 13, 2006, at Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
's 2006 commencement, held at Northeastern University's Matthews Arena, in Boston, Massachusetts, Berklee's president, Roger H. Brown, presented Etheridge with an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree "in recognition of her music touching the lives of millions, her fearless and honest voice, and the way she has used her music and celebrity to inspire hope and courage among fellow cancer patients." Etheridge delivered the commencement address in front of more than 800 graduating students and 4,000 guests.
On February 18, 2009, Etheridge was named the "Celebrity Marshall" for Boston's 2009 Pride Parade by the Boston Pride Committee.
On September 27, 2011, Etheridge received the honor of having her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Located at 6901 Hollywood Boulevard, it is the 2,450th star awarded.
Discography
- 1988: Melissa EtheridgeMelissa Etheridge (album)Melissa Etheridge is the self-titled debut album by singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released in 1988 .The album was re-released on 23 September 2003 as a two-CD remastered edition containing a bonus disc of ten tracks recorded live at the Roxy in Los Angeles and a five-track session from BBC...
- 1989: Brave and CrazyBrave and CrazyBrave and Crazy is the second album by singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released in 1989 .-Track listing:all songs by Melissa Etheridge, except where noted#"No Souvenirs" – 4:33#"Brave and Crazy" – 4:37...
- 1992: Never Enough
- 1993: Yes I AmYes I AmYes I Am is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released by Island Records on September 21, 1993 . The title is generally thought to refer to Etheridge's recent coming out as a lesbian, confirming long-standing rumors about her personal life. This is the album...
- 1995: Your Little SecretYour Little SecretYour Little Secret is the fifth album by singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released in 1995. The album contained three singles, "Your Little Secret", "I Want to Come Over", and "Nowhere to Go"...
- 1999: Breakdown
- 2001: Skin
- 2004: Lucky
- 2005: Greatest Hits: The Road Less TraveledGreatest Hits: The Road Less TraveledGreatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled is a 2005 music album by Melissa Etheridge, released by Island Records. It featured 17 tracks from her 17-year career, five of which were newly recorded...
- 2007: The AwakeningThe Awakening (Melissa Etheridge album)The Awakening is a 2007 album by rock singer Melissa Etheridge and her ninth studio album. It was released on September 25, 2007. The rock album conveys Etheridge's current autobiographical, religious and political perspectives. Etheridge made the album to convey parts of her story and journey...
- 2008: A New Thought For ChristmasA New Thought For ChristmasA New Thought For Christmas is a 2008 Christmas album by rock singer Melissa Etheridge. It is her tenth studio release, overall. The album was released on September 30, 2008.-Track listing:#"Blue Christmas" – 2:44#"Glorious" – 3:38...
- 2010: Fearless LoveFearless LoveFearless Love is the 10th studio album by American rock/pop musician Melissa Etheridge. The album was released on April 27, 2010 by Island/Def Jam Music Group, produced by John Shanks. Melissa said in an interview the album is "about being fearless. It's about choosing love over fear...
- 2011: IconIconAn icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
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External links
- allaccess.com
- sunsetsessions.org
- JUST CAUSE Magazine interview about activism, family, breast cancer. (Sept, 2009)
- Melissa Etheridge @ Island Records
- Melissa Etheridge Information Network
- 60 Minutes II60 Minutes II60 Minutes II was a weekly primetime news magazine television program that was intended to replicate the "signature style, journalistic quality and integrity" of the original 60 Minutes series.It aired on CBS on Wednesdays, then later moved to Fridays at 8 p.m...
Interview (June 30, 2000) with Charlie RoseCharlie RoseCharles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr. is an American television talk show host and journalist. Since 1991 he has hosted Charlie Rose, an interview show distributed nationally by PBS since 1993... - CNN interview (May 24, 2003)
- CBS Early Show interview (October 26, 2005) (includes video)
- CMT.com: Melissa Etheridge: Biography