Melissa Etheridge

Artist Image: Melissa Etheridge
Attribution
Image Credit: Angela George (Image e-mailed from author to uploader), CC BY-SA 3.0

Biography

Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961) is an American rock singer-songwriter and activist. 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. 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. 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.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed
Number of Albums 32
Record Label
Website
Wikipedia Melissa Etheridge on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

In what decade did Melissa Etheridge make her debut?

1988

...d like a throwback to the '70s when she delivered her eponymous debut in 1988 . Her raspy delivery recalled that of Rod Stewart and her belief in the r...
What genre of music did Melissa believe in?

classic rock and R&B

...An unrepentant believer in the power of classic rock and R&B , Melissa Etheridge sounded like a throwback to the '70s when she delivered her eponymous ...
Who did Etheridge align with in her commitment to lean, straightahead heartland rock?

John Mellencamp

...r commitment to lean, straightahead heartland rock aligned her with John Mellencamp . Etheridge would never abandon traditional rock & roll values, but...
What instrument did she first pick up at age eight?

guitar

...orn May 29, 1961, in Leavenworth, Kansas, Etheridge first picked up the guitar at the age of eight and began penning her own songs shortly thereafter....
What college did Etheridge attend in Boston?

Berklee College of Music

...nds throughout her teens, Etheridge then attended the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. The upandcoming singersongwriter and...
Where did she attend Berklee College of Music?

Boston, Massachusetts

...Etheridge then attended the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts . The upandcoming singersongwriter and guitarist dropped out aft...
In what city did she move to in the early '80s to pursue a career in music?

Los Angeles

...riter and guitarist dropped out after a year before making her way to Los Angeles in the early '80s to take a shot at a career in music. At this point...
What was Etheridge's style of music?

folkpop

...heridge's music was slightly more bluesy than her subsequently renowned folkpop style, as a demo of original compositions caught the attention of Bill...
What was the name of the movie that Ethereridge first appeared on?

Weeds

...work appeared on the forgotten soundtrack to the Nick Nolte prison movie Weeds before her selftitled debut was issued in 1988. The album quickly drew ...
What hit single earned her gold certification?

Bring Me Some Water

...uce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, as it spawned the hit single Bring Me Some Water and earned gold certification. She managed to avoid the dreaded ...
What was the name of Etheridge's second album?

Brave and Crazy

...erklee College of Music, Boston, MA 1980. Etheridge chose the title Brave and Crazy for her second album. And her rise to rock stardom has included mu...
What was Etheridge's birthplace?

Leavenworth, Kansas

...ourage has been worthwhile: She became a major rock star. Born in Leavenworth, Kansas , in 1961, Etheridge's roots provided a powerful affinity between...
What year was she born?

1961

...orthwhile: She became a major rock star. Born in Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1961 , Etheridge's roots provided a powerful affinity between herself and an a...
In what state was she raised?

Kansas

...has been worthwhile: She became a major rock star. Born in Leavenworth, Kansas , in 1961, Etheridge's roots provided a powerful affinity between hersel...
When did Etheridge receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?

September 2011

...ge at a ceremony to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September 2011 Born Melissa Lou Etheridge May 29, 1961 (age 61) Leavenworth, Kansa...
What was the name of her breakthrough album?

Yes I Am

...ear, she released what would become her mainstream breakthrough album, Yes I Am . 15 on the Billboard 200, and spent 138 weeks on the chart, earning an...
How many weeks did she spend on the Billboard 200?

138

...instream breakthrough album, Yes I Am. 15 on the Billboard 200, and spent 138 weeks on the chart, earning an RIAA certification of 6 Platinum, her lar...
What was Etheridge diagnosed with in 2004?

breast cancer

...selling album to date. In October 2004, Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer , and underwent surgery and chemotherapy. At the 2005 Grammy Awards,...
What was the name of the singer who performed a tribute to Janis Joplin at the 2005 Grammy Awards?

Joss Stone

...made a return to the stage, performing a tribute to Janis Joplin with Joss Stone . Stone began the performance with Cry Baby and Etheridge, bald from c...
What song did Etheridge sing with Stone?

Piece of My Heart

...ormance with Cry Baby and Etheridge, bald from chemotherapy, joined her to perform the song Piece of My Heart . The album was a success, peaking at No....
What two things did she grew up with?

television and radio

...a small town, she told Rolling Stones Rich Cohen. I grew up with television and radio . I grew up with huge dreams, and yet I had this sort of smalltow...
Who is an activist?

Melissa Lou Etheridge

... Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961) is an American singersongwriter, guitarist, and activist. Her selftitled debut album Melissa Etheridge was r...
How many Platinum RIAA certifications did she earn?

6

...ard 200, and spent 138 weeks on the chart, earning a RIAA certification of 6 Platinum, her largest to date. In October 2004, Etheridge was diagnosed w...
Who was Elizabeth Etheridge's father?

John

...She was the second of two girls born to John and Elizabeth Etheridge. Her affinity to music began at the young of eight. She eventually left Leavenwor...
Melissa dropped out of college after how long?

a year

...o to Berkley School of Music in Boston. She, however, dropped out after a year . She left Boston for Los Angeles to further her career and found bars t...
What record label turned her down for a record deal?

Olivia Records

...vered her and handed her a deal to write songs for Weeds a 1986 movie. The previous year, a lesbian record label, Olivia Records , had turned her down....
How many times platinum did Yes I Am earn?

six

...y Window, a searing song of longing that brought her a second Grammy. The six times platinum album spent more than two and a half years on the album c...
How long did the times platinum album spend on the album chart?

more than two and a half years

...ght her a second Grammy. The six times platinum album spent more than two and a half years on the album chart. In 2011 Melissa made her Broadway debut...
When did Melissa make her Broadway debut as St. Jimmy in Green Days rock opera, American Idiot?

2011

...atinum album spent more than two and a half years on the album chart. In 2011 Melissa made her Broadway debut as St. Jimmy in Green Days rock opera, A...
What is the name of Etheridge's upcoming album?

MEmphis Rock and Soul

...on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Etheridge is scheduled to release MEmphis Rock and Soul , a new album honoring Stax Records, in fall of 2016. On June 20...
What record label is the album MEmphis Rock and Soul a tribute to?

Stax Records

... is scheduled to release MEmphis Rock and Soul, a new album honoring Stax Records , in fall of 2016. On June 20, 2016, Etheridge released a song called...
When was the song Pulse released?

June 20, 2016

...ock and Soul, a new album honoring Stax Records, in fall of 2016. On June 20, 2016 , Etheridge released a song called Pulse. The singer wrote the song ...
At what age did Melissa Lou begin playing guitar?

8

...ss about her sexual orientation. Etheridge began playing the guitar at age 8 and writing songs by age 11. She honed her skills playing in local bands ...
At what age did Etheridge begin writing songs?

11

...ion. Etheridge began playing the guitar at age 8 and writing songs by age 11 . She honed her skills playing in local bands throughout her teens (emulat...
What record label did Chris Blackwell start?

Island Records

...ayed in clubs and bars until 1986, when Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records , signed her to a recording contract. Her first album, Melissa Ether...