Outspoken Grammy and Academy Award-winning musician and social activist Melissa Etheridge first picked up the guitar in her native Kansas at the age of eight and began penning her own songs shortly thereafter. She attended the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, before dropping out after a year in the early ‘80s to make her way in Los Angeles. After a stint on the club circuit, producers took notice and Etheridge scored a deal releasing her self-titled debut in 1988.
The album quickly drew comparisons to such heavyweights as Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, as it spawned the hit single “Bring Me Some Water” and earned gold certification. In the wake of the album’s success, Etheridge performed at the Grammy Awards the following year and contributed vocals to Don Henley‘s “The End of the Innocence”.
The album quickly drew comparisons to such heavyweights as Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, as it spawned the hit single “Bring Me Some Water” and earned gold certification. In the wake of the album’s success, Etheridge performed at the Grammy Awards the following year and contributed vocals to Don Henley‘s “The End of the Innocence”.
Etheridge managed to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump with 1989′s “Brave and Crazy”, which followed the same musical formula as its predecessor and proved to be another gold-certified success. It would be nearly three years before Etheridge’s next studio album appeared, however, and 1992 signaled the arrival of “Never Enough”, an album that proved to be more musically varied.
But it was Etheridge’s fourth release that would prove to be her massive commercial breakthrough. Tired of rumors and questions regarding her sexuality, Etheridge decided to put the speculation to rest once and for all, titling the album “Yes I Am”. The album, which spawned two major MTV/radio hits with “I’m the Only One” and “Come to My Window” would sell a staggering six million copies in the U.S. during a single-year period and earned a 1995 Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocalist. Subsequent releases followed including 1995′s “Your Little Secret”, 1999′s “Breakdown” and 2001′s “Skin”.
The year 2002 saw the release of Etheridge’s autobiography, “The Truth Is: My Life in Love and Music”, and 2004′s “Lucky” was her celebration of a new romance. Later that same year, Etheridge revealed that she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer. But early detection allowed for recovery, and she gave strength to many of those stricken by the disease with a powerful performance of Janis Joplin‘s “Piece of My Heart” at the 47th Annual Grammys, held in February 2005. That September, Etheridge released “Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled”, a compilation of career highlights and new material.
In 2007 Etheridge released “The Awakening” chronicling her rise to rock star, human rights activist, parent and cancer survivor. That’s same year she was honored with a 2007 Academy Award for “I Need to Wake Up,” her song featured in the Al Gore environmental documentary AN INCONVINIENT TRUTH.
Other releases include “A New Thought for Christmas” (2008), “Fearless Love” (2010) and the recently released “Icon” (2011).
In addition to her Academy Award and Grammys, Etheridge is a recipient of the Juno Awards’ International Entertainer of the Year (1990) and GLAAD‘s Stephen F. Kolzak Award (2006), honoring openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting equal rights.
Melissa Etheridge will be at the Seminole Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida on Wednesday May 16, 2012.
Melissa Etheridge will be at the Seminole Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida on Wednesday May 16, 2012.
