Who is Melissa Etheridge

Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961, in Leavenworth, Kansas) is an Academy Award-winning and two-time Grammy Award-winning American rock musician and singer.

Career Highlights
Etheridge has released nine albums since signing her first major recording contract in 1987. Three of them have gone multi-platinum: Melissa Etheridge (1988), Yes I Am (1993) and Your Little Secret (1995). Two others went platinum and two more gold.

Etheridge is a Bruce Springsteen fan, and she has covered his songs "Thunder Road" and "Born to Run" during live shows. She is also a fan of the Dave Matthews Band and has expressed interest in collaborating with them.

In October 2004, Melissa Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the 2005 Grammy Awards, 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.

On September 10, 2005, Etheridge participated in ReAct Now: Music & Relief, a telethon in support for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. ReAct Now: Music & Relief, 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, as well as encourages other breast cancer survivors and their families. After her performance, Jay Leno told her, "Thanks for being a fighter, kiddo."

Etheridge is roughly the 125th top selling artist of all time with more than 27 million record sales.

On 7 July, 2007 Etheridge performed at Giants Stadium at the American leg of Live Earth. Etheridge performed the song, "Imagine That", to be released on The Awakening in September 2007, and the song "What Happens Tomorrow".

The song "I Need To Wake Up" was on the enhanced version of her greatest hits album.

Source: Wikipedia

If you're wondering what inspired your favorite rocker to write that fun little country song "Threesome," then check out this blog post from Tammy Lynn Etheridge. It's hysterical (well, as long as you're liberal, lesbian, a rabid Melissa fan or all of the above). If you enjoy the song, you can get it as a ringtone from Jamster.

One of the significant events in her life that isn't included in "The Truth Is..." is Melissa's battle with breast cancer. She was on tour for her "Lucky" album in 2004 when she discovered she had stage two cancer. She cut the tour short and started treatment, but just a few months later she was back in the public eye. Still bald from the chemotherapy, she performed a show-stopping version of Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart" at the Grammys.

The performance inspired India Arie to include a verse in her song, "I Am Not My Hair about Melissa." The singer's website says: "Her performance brought tears to my eyes," Arie says. "At that moment in time, her performance was a juxtaposition of pain and beauty. It symbolized the beauty of strength."

As a result of her own bout with cancer, Melissa was approached by Ford Motors the next year to record a song about breast cancer. The result was "I Run for Life." The song is not only an inspiration to every person who has ever had breast cancer, but it is also helping the fight for a cure, as proceeds from the song benefit breast cancer charities.

On the Ford Cares website, Melissa is quoted as saying, "I wanted to make it personal, climb into people's emotions and portray a woman who has gone through breast cancer. The first verse is about a survivor. The second verse is from my own experience. The last verse I wanted to offer to those who have not been diagnosed or have known someone affected. We're all running for answers and to make the situation better."

Photo: AP/ Kevork Djansezian

Etheridge is famous as a gay rights activist, having publicly come out as a lesbian in January 1993 at the Triangle Ball, a gay/lesbian celebration of President Bill Clinton's first inauguration. 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, which made headlines. During this partnership, Cypher gave birth to two children, Bailey Jean, born February 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 "The Truth Is... My Life in Love and Music." In the book, Etheridge recounts that she was molested by her sister, Jennifer, over five years as a child, and mentions an alleged affair Cypher had with k.d. lang.

After splitting from Cypher, Etheridge went on to exchange vows in a 2003 commitment ceremony with actress Tammy Lynn Michaels.

In October 2004, Melissa 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 admitted to using medicinal marijuana while she was receiving the chemotherapy. She said that the drug improved her mood and increased her appetite. Chemotherapy patients often have difficulty eating because of severe nausea.

In April 2006, Etheridge and Michaels announced that Michaels was pregnant with twins via an anonymous sperm donor. Michaels gave birth to a son, Miller Steven, and a daughter, Johnnie Rose, on October 17, 2006.

Source - Wikipedia

Buy at AllPosters.com

Greatest Hits - The Road Less Traveled
Songbook for voice, piano and guitar (chords only). 116 pages.



The Best of Melissa Etheridge
Guitar tablature songbook for guitar and voice. 159 pages.



Anthology
Songbook for voice, piano and guitar chords. 160 pages.



Lucky
Songbook for voice, piano and guitar (chords only). 87 pages

If I could afford it, this 12-string Ovation acostic electric guitar is the one I'd own.

Musician's Friend describes the Melissa Etheridge guitar this way: "A gorgeous instrument designed with one of the world's most powerful and talented singer/songwriters. Unidirectional carbon fiber top provides extreme strength with very little mass for the truest enhancement of a string's vibration possible. Mid-depth cutaway body and 5-piece mahogany/maple/ebony neck with ebony fretboard and urethane oil finish provide the ultimate in playability and projection. Ebony bridge, gold tuners, and exotic wood epaulettes make it visually stunning while Ovation's Original Patented Pickup and OP Pro electronics deliver stellar sound plugged in. Includes hardshell case."

Of course, you've got to be quite a Melissa nut or a darn good guitar player to shell out the bucks for this baby because it ain't cheap. Check out the Adamas Melissa Etheridge 12-String Acoustic Electric Guitar at Musicians Friend.

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