The #75 Female Artist of the Rock Era: Melissa Etheridge

Melissa Etheridge was born in Leavenworth, Kansas and graduated from Leavenworth High School.  She began playing guitar at age eight and played in country music groups during her teenage years.  After graduation, Etheridge moved to Boston, Massachusetts to attend the Berklee College of Music.

While at Berklee, Melissa played at clubs around Boston.  After three semesters, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music.  While Etheridge was playing at Vermie's in Pasadena, Bill Leopold, a manager in the music business, saw her and was impressed and Leopold has been a key part of Melissa's career ever since.  Island Records signed Etheridge to a publishing deal to write songs for movies.  But Etheridge soon worked on an album for herself and her eponymous debut was released.  "Bring Me Some Water" was nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

Etheridge lent background vocals to Don Henley's album The End of the Innocence.  Melissa then recorded her second album Brave and Crazy, released in 1989, and both the title track and "The Angels" received Grammy nominations for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female.  Etheridge also walked home with the Juno Award in Canada as International Entertainer of the Year.  

In 1992, Etheridge released the album Never Enough, which earned her a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female for the song "Ain't It Heavy". 

That year, Melissa established a performing arts scholarship at Leavenworth High School in honor of her father.

In 1993, Etheridge released the album Yes I Am, which spent 138 weeks on the album charts and, although it's obvious she had enjoyed considerable prior success, the album gave her the first song that Billboard said was her first big hit, "Come To My Window" (even though they missed the boat on several earlier), which peaked at #25.  Etheridge earned another Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female.

"I'm The Only One" was a huge hit, reaching #1 on the all-important Adult Contemporary chart and #8 overall.  Both singles from the album were nominated for Best Rock Song at the Grammys.

"If I Wanted To" gave Melissa a #16 song.

Yes I Am has now gone over six million in sales.  In 1994, she performed a benefit concert for a new park to be built near her high school in Leavenworth and also donated money to help refurbish the Performing Arts Center in the city.

The success of Yes I Am also helped sell other albums in her catalog as her debut album was certified double-platinum and Never Enough sold over a million copies.

The album Your Little Secret followed, which reached #6 and featured "I Want To Come Over", which peaked at #22.

That album has also gone over two million in sales.  In 1996, Melissa won the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year award.  

After a break from working, Etheridge returned with the release of Breakdown in 1999.  Breakdown reached #12 but the respected singer was nominated for Best Rock Album, her single "Angels Would Fall" was nominated for both Best Rock Song and Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female and another single ("Enough Of Me") was nominated for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female.

The album was certified gold, giving her six consecutive gold releases.

In 2001, Etheridge released the album Skin, which peaked at #9, but was her first album not to reach gold status.  She did earn another Grammy nomination for the single "I Want to Be In Love" for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female.

Etheridge received another Grammy nomination the following year for "The Weakness In Me".

Melissa also received the Gibson Guitar Award for Best Rock Guitarist, Female.  Etheridge then released her autobiography, The Truth Is:  My Life in Love and Music.

In 2004, Melissa released the album Lucky, which peaked at #15.  Etheridge received another Grammy nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo, for the song "Breathe".

Shortly before the awards show, Melissa was diagnosed with breast cancer, yet made a live performance while undergoing chemotherapy. 

On September 10, 2005, Etheridge participated in a telethon to support victims of Hurricane Katrina.  During the telethon, she introduced a new song written for the occasion called "Four Days".  Etheridge wrote "I Need To Wake Up" for the documentary An Inconvenient Truth, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2006.Melissa also earned a Grammy nomination for the song in the category Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.

On May 13, 2006, Etheridge received an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree from her former school, the Berklee College of Music, and delivered the commencement address.

Etheridge released her tenth album, The Awakening, in 2007.  On December 11, she performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway and in 2008, Melissa performed during the Democratic National Convention.  In 2010, Etheridge was featured in the breast cancer docudrama 1 a Minute.  Later that year, she released the album Fearless Love.  

In February of 2011, Etheridge starred in the Broadway musical, American Idiot.  On September 27, Melissa earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  She has been working on a new CD that will be released soon.