  Melissa was born on May 29,
1961, and raised in Kansas, and after
studying at Boston' s Berkley College of
Music, she was discovered in Los Angeles by
the found of Island Records. Melissa's road
to stardom started with breaking the barriers
to become a female rocker in a male dominated
rock world, and then retain that audience
when she decided to reveal her sexuality and
become an outspoken supporter for gay and
lesbian rights.
 Melissa's style was introduced
to rock radio with the release of her debut
LP, Melissa
Etheridge. Her style was compared to the
likes of Janis Joplin, and often she was
referred to as a female Rod Stewart. Her debut LP was
considered an impressive debut, awarding her
a Grammy nomination and numerous radio
requests on the rock stations for songs such
as "Bring Me Some Water,"
"Similar Features," and Melissa's
classic, "Like The Way I Do."
 # 174
Singles Artist of the Year
Melissa was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal
Performance - Female ("Bring Me Some Water").
Melissa
Etheridge was certified gold.
 Critical and commercial success
followed with her sophomore release, Brave
And Crazy and the hit "No
Souvenirs."
Brave
And Crazy was certified gold.
Melissa was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal
Performance - Female (Brave
And Crazy).
Melissa was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal
Performance - Female ("The Angels").
 Melissa's third LP, Never
Enough, was released with the
favorites "Ain't It Heavy,"
"Dance Without Sleeping," and
"The Letting Go."
Never
Enough was certified gold.
Melissa also reached a personal
milestone: confirming reports that she is a
lesbian. The admission seemed to have little
impact on her career, and with the release of
her fourth LP, Melissa's career would hit
super-stardom.
Never
Enough was certified platinum.
Melissa won her first Grammy
Award for Best Rock Vocal
Performance - Female ("Ain't It Heavy").
 Melissa's following was mostly
from rock fans, as pop success and large
concert stadiums eluded her. Melissa's fourth
LP, Yes
I Am was released and spawned three
Top 10 pop hits: "Come To My Window," "I'm The Only One," and "If I Wanted To." Melissa's
appeal had expanded from the rock category
and across genres. Instead of harming her
career, Melissa's openness about her
sexuality in many ways enhanced her
performances.
Yes
I Am was certified gold.
 # 11
Singles Artist of the Year
 Melissa hit the Top 40 with
"Come To My Window."
Melissa
Etheridge was certified platinum.
Melissa hit the Top 10 with "Come To My Window."
 Yes
I Am was certified platinum.
Melissa hit the Top 40 with
"I'm The Only One."
Melissa performed at Woodstock
'94.
Yes
I Am was certified 2x platinum.
Melissa hit the Top 10 with "I'm The Only One."
 Brave
And Crazy was certified platinum.
 # 18
Singles Artist of the Year
Yes
I Am was certified 3x platinum.
Melissa topped the Billboard
Adult Contemporary Singles chart for 2 weeks
with "I'm The Only One."
Melissa appeared on the Boys
On The Side soundtrack with "I Take
You With Me."
 Melissa hit the Top 40 with
"If I Wanted To."
Melissa hit the Top 10 with "If I Wanted To."
Yes
I Am was certified 4x platinum.
Melissa won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal
Performance - Female ("Come To My Window") and was
nominated twice for Best Rock Song ("Come To My Window" and "I'm The Only One").
Yes
I Am was certified 5x platinum.
Melissa hit the Top 40 with
"Your Little Secret."
 Melissa also appeared on MTV
Unplugged and was joined on-stage by her
musical idol, Bruce
Springsteen.
Melissa released her much
anticipated Your
Little Secret which gave her two more Top 10
hits: "I Want To Come Over" and
"Nowhere To Go."
Melissa
Etheridge was certified 2x platinum.
 # 23
Singles Artist of the Year
Melissa was nominated for an American Music
Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female
Artist.
Your
Little Secret was certified platinum.
Melissa hit the Top 40 with
"I Want To Come Over."
Melissa hit the Top 10 with "I Want To Come Over."
Melissa hit the Top 40 with
"Nowhere To Go."
Melissa hit the Top 10 with "Nowhere To Go."
Yes
I Am was certified 6x platinum.
Melissa's partner, Julie Cypher,
gave birth to their first child - a daughter,
Bailey Jean. The couple have been together
since 1988.
 Your
Little Secret was certified 2x platinum.
It was announced that Etheridge
was no longer involved with the film Piece
Of My Heart - a bio of Janis Joplin.
Musicians including Melissa and
Michael Stipe of R.E.M. offered
their own words of shock, outrage, and
support for the friends and family of Matthew
Shepard, a gay Wyoming student attacked and
beaten to death. Etheridge said to MTV:
"Nothing in our history has ever come
about, no change has ever come about without
great resistance and violent resistance to
it... and then our children's children look
back and go, 'What was that? You mean they
were lynching black men in trees? What were
they talking about?' And my grandchildren
will go, 'Oh my God, they tied up a man like
a scarecrow and left him for dead because he
was gay?' It will just seem so hideously
unthinkable."
Etheridge became a mom again to
a baby boy when partner, Julie Cypher, gave
birth to the couple's second child in
California - a baby boy named Beckett.
Melissa was honored with a
National Family Civil Rights Award.
 # 73
Singles Artist of the Year
 Etheridge spoke out about her
views on animal rights and a new LP in the
works. After supporting the animal rights
group, People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA) for many years, Etheridge has
questioned if the group is too extreme:
"In my heart if you asked me if I could
have had my father for a few more years by
testing on an animal, in my heart I would
have to say yes. It is a difficult time and
place we are in scientifically. I know
nothing else but what is in my heart."
Etheridge won an Orville H.
Gibson Guitar Award for Best Blues Guitarist
(Female).
Ranked # 49 on VH1: 100
Greatest Women of Rock & Roll.
Etheridge hit the Top 40 with
"Angels
Would Fall."
 A new LP, Breakdown, was released with the
first single "Angels
Would Fall" (the video for which was
the first directed by Etheridge). Etheridge
talked with CNN about the 4-year span between
LPs: "I needed a break. I had put 5
albums out in 7 years. I had toured for 8
years. I was tired. I though the public
probably needed a break from me too, I think
my last 2 albums kind of blended together.
People didn't know what song was on what...
and, I wanted to start a family. So we
did."
A year after the murder of
Matthew Shepard, Etheridge spoke out to Rolling
Stone about how his death affected her
music and responsibility as an activist:
"The closest I've ever come to being
drained when I was writing was actually
writing "Scarecrow." It was such an
intense subject for me that I would write a
few things down and have to get up and walk
away for a while... My responsibility is my
work, and to be truthful and responsible to
my own path and my own journey. All I can be
is an example."
Melissa hit the Top
10
with "Angels
Would Fall."
Breakdown topped the Billboard
Internet Album Sales chart for a week.
The
Advocate named Melissa as one of the '25
Coolest Women.'
 # 116
Singles Artist of the Year
As reported in Rolling Stone,
the father of Melissa's 2 children is singer David
Crosby - ending much speculation and
rumors. Etheridge stated that she had chose
Crosby because she was a longtime fan of his:
"He's musical, which means a lot to me,
and I admire his work." The
'collaboration' was recommended by Crosby's
wife, and the Rolling Stone issue
featured Etheridge, her partner, and their 2
children, and Crosby and his wife on the
cover.
Etheridge added her name and
time to help fight a move in California that
would deny legal recognition of same-sex
unions.
Breakdown was certified gold.
Melissa was nominated for 3 Grammy Awards for Best Rock Vocal
Performance - Female and Best Rock Song ("Angels
Would Fall") and Best Rock Album (Breakdown).
Etheridge was nominated for a
Gibson Guitar Award for Best Rock Guitarist
(Female).
Melissa was nominated for a
Gay/Lesbian American Music Award (GLAMA) for
Out Recording of the Year.
Melissa hit the Top 40 with
"Enough
Of Me."
Etheridge joined Garth
Brooks, Queen
Latifah, the Pet Shop Boys,
k.d.
lang, and George
Michael to perform in Washington, DC as
part of 'Equality Rocks' - a benefit concert
in support of a gay and lesbian human rights
campaign (Human Rights Campaign). Etheridge said the
event would be "...the largest concert
in history that is dedicated to basic equal
rights for gay Americans."
Melissa told Billboard
that she is planning a 1-woman
autobiographical show she's like to take to
Broadway next year: "I noticed that the
people that I met, in airports or wherever,
wouldn't know that I'd put out a new album,
but they knew about my life. I thought, 'If
radio is going to [concentrate on pop music],
let me do this. Let me play songs that I
wrote when I was 15 for people, as well as do
some new stuff."
Melissa and her partner Julie
Cypher decided to end their 12-year
relationship. A statement released by
Melissa's label read: "With the utmost
of love and respect for one another, we have
decided to separate. As committed parents,
our top priority continues to be what is in
the best interest of our children. Though
elements of our lives will change, our family
will always remain intact."
 # 136
Singles Artist of the Year
 Melissa was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal
Performance - Female ("Enough Of Me").
Melissa won a Gibson Guitar
Award for Best Rock Guitarist Female.
Melissa's autobiography, The
Truth Is... My Life And Love In Music, hit the bookstores.
 Melissa released Skin with the first single
"I Want To Be In Love." Melissa said of
Skin: "It's the
closest thing I've ever come to recording a
concept album. It has a beginning, middle and
end. It's a journey."
Skin topped the Billboard
Internet Album Sales chart for a week.
Melissa hit the Top 40 with
"I Want To Be In Love."
Melissa hit the road with her
North American 'Live... and Alone' tour
(after recovering from a case of influenza).
Melissa performed at The
Concert For New York City benefit concert in New
York City (later released as an LP) with
proceeds going to 9/11 chartities.
Melissa was
nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal
Performance - Female ("I Want To Be In Love").
 Melissa
released the DVD Live...
And Alone.
Melissa was
nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal
Performance - Female ("The Weakness In
Me").
Melissa announced her engagement
to girlfriend Tammy Lynn Michaels.
VH1: 100 Best
Songs of the Past 25 Years includes "Come To My Window" at # 91.
Melissa and her girlfriend Tammy
Lynn Michaels exchanged vows in California.
Melissa could be heard on the
compilation tribute to Dolly Parton LP, Just
Because I'm A Woman, with "I Will
Always Love You."
 # 111
Singles Artist of the Year
 Melissa released her next LP Lucky and embarked on a club
tour.
Melissa hit the Top 40 with
"Breathe."
Melissa canceled tour dates
after disclosing that she had been diagnosed
with breast cancer and would be undergoing
treatment. She is expected to have a full
recovery.
# 104 on the Top Pop Artists
of the Past 25 Years chart.
 Melissa was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Solo Performance ("Breathe"). She performed
at the ceremony with the most memorable
performance of the night. Melissa graced the
stage with a bald head reminding everyone of
her fight and recovery from breast cancer as
she performed a tribute to Janis Joplin.
Melissa announced that she had
made a full recovery from breast cancer.
Melissa performed on ReAct
Now: Music & Relief - a benefit
program shown on music video channels to
raise money for those affected by Hurricane
Katrina.
 Melissa released a greatest hits
compilation Greatest
Hits: The Road Less Traveled with the Tom
Petty cover "Refugee" and
new songs "I Run For Life,"
"Christmas In America," and
"This Is Not Goodbye."
Melissa topped the Billboard Top
Internet Album chart with Greatest
Hits: The Road Less Traveled.
Greatest
Hits: The Road Less Traveled was certified
gold.
 Melissa was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best
Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television
or Visual Media (awarded to the songwriter)
("I Need To Wake Up" from the An Inconvient Truth
documentary).
Melissa won an Academy Award for
Best Original Song ("I Need To Wake
Up" from the An Inconvient Truth
documentary).
On July 7th, Melissa performed
at the Live
Earth
concert in the US. The 7-continent concert
organized by Al Gore brought together over
100 artists to perform and raise the world's
awareness about the climate crisis and how to
make a difference to help the environment and
the world.
 Melissa released The
Awakening.
Melissa hit the Top 40 as part
of Artists Stand Up For Cancer
with the charity single "Just Stand Up!"
Melissa released the holiday LP A
New Thought For Christmas.
 Melissa released Fearless
Love.
Melissa released 4th
Street Feeling.
|
Melissa Etheridge
Released: May, 1988
US: 2x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 22
Rolling Stone
review: 
Tracks: "Similar
Features" - "Chrome Plated
Heart" - "Like The Way I
Do" - "Precious Pain" -
"Don't You Need" - "Late
September Dogs" -
"Occasionally" - "Watching
You" - "Bring Me Some
Water" - "I Want You" |
|
Brave And Crazy
Released: September, 1989
US: Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 22
Rolling Stone
review:
Tracks: "No
Souvenirs" - "Brace And
Crazy" - "You Used To Love To
Dance" - "Angels" -
"You Can Sleep While I Drive" -
"Testify" - "Let Me
Go" - "My Back Door" -
"Skin Deep" - "Royal
Station 4/16" |
|
Never Enough
Released: March, 1992
US: Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 21
Rolling Stone
review: 
Tracks: "Ain't It
Heavy" - "2001" -
"Dance Without Sleeping" -
"Place Your Hand" - "Must
Be Crazy For Me" - "Meet Me In
The Black" - "Boy Feels
Strange" - "Keep It
Precious" - "Letting Go" -
"It's For You" |
|
Yes I Am
Released: September, 1993
US: 6x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 15
Tracks: "I'm The Only One" - "If I Wanted To" - "Come To My Window" -
"Silent Legacy" - "I Will
Never Be The Same" - "All
American Girl" - "Yes I
Am" - "Resist" -
"Ruins" - "Talking To My
Angel" |
|
Your Little Secret
Released: November, 1995
US: 2x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 6
Rolling Stone
review:
Tracks: "Your Little Secret" - "I
Really Like You" - "Nowhere To Go" -
"Unusual Kiss" - "I Want To Come Over" - "All
The Way To Heaven" - "I Could
Have Been You" - "Shriner's
Park" - "Change" -
"This War Is Over" |
|
Breakdown
Release date: October, 1999
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 12
Rolling Stone
review: 
Tracks:
"Breakdown" - "Angels Would Fall" -
"Stronger Than Me" - "Into
The Dark" - "Enough Of Me" -
"Truth Of The Heart" -
"Mama I'm Strange" -
"Scarecrow" - "How Would I
Know" - "My Lover" -
"Sleep" |
|
Skin
Release date: July, 2001
Billboard
peak:
# 9
Rolling Stone
review:
Tracks: "Lover
Please" - "The Prison" -
"Walking On Water" - "Down
To One" - "Goodnight" -
"It's Only Me" - "I Want To Be In
Love" - "Please
Forgive Me" - "The
Different" - "Heal Me" |
|
Lucky
Release date: February, 2004
Billboard
peak:
# 15
Tracks: "Lucky"
- "This Moment" - "If You
Want To" - "Breathe" -
"Mercy" - "Secret
Agent" - "Will You Still Love
Me" - "Meet Me In The
Dark" - "Tuesday Morning"
- "Giant" - "Come On Out
Tonight" - "Kiss Me" -
"When You Find The One" |
|
Greatest Hits: The Road
Less Traveled
Released: October, 2005
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 14
Tracks:
"Refugee" - "Similar
Features" - "Like The Way I
Do" - "Bring Me Some
Water" - "You Can Sleep While I
Drive" - "No Souvenirs" -
"Ain't It Heavy" - ""I'm The Only One" - "Come To My Window" - "If I Wanted To" - "I Want To Come Over" - "Angels Would Fall" -
"Lucky" - "Christmas In
America" - "Piece Of My
Heart" - "This Is Not
Goodbye" - "I Run For
Life" |
|
The Awakening
Released: September, 2007
Billboard
peak:
# 13
Rolling Stone:  - Entertainment
Weekly: B-
Tracks: "All There
Is" - "California" -
"An Unexpected Rain" -
"Message To Myself" - "God
Is In The People" - "Map Of The
Stars" - "Threesome" -
"All We Can Really Do" -
"I've Loved You Before" -
"A Simple Love" - "Heroes
And Friends" - "The Kingdom Of
Heaven" - "Open Your Mind"
- "The Universe Listened" -
"Imagine That" - "What
Happens Tomorrow" |
 |
A New Thought For
Christmas
Released: September, 2008
Tracks: "Blue
Christmas" - "Glorious" -
"Christmas (Baby Please Come
Home)" - "Have Yourself A Merry
Little Christmas" - "Ring The
Bells" - "Merry Christmas
Baby" - "Christmas In
America" - "Light A Light"
- "It's Christmas Time" -
"O Night Divine" |
|
Fearless Love
Released: April, 2010
Tracks: "Fearless
Love" - "The Wanting Of
You" - "Company" -
"Miss Callifornia" - "Drag
Me Away" - "Indiana" -
"Nervous" - "Heaven On
Earth" - "We Are The Ones"
- "Only Love" - "To Be
Loved" - "Gently We Row" |
|
4th Street Feeling
Released: September, 2012
Tracks: "Kansas
City" - "4th Street
Feeling" - "Falling Up" -
"Shout Now" - "The Shadow
Of A Black Crow" - "Be
Real" - "A Disaster" -
"Sympathy" - "Enough
Rain" - "A Sacred Heart" -
"I Can Wait" - "Rock And
Roll Me" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3
vinyl |
This Is ME
Released: September 30,
2014
Tracks: "I Won't Be
Alone Tonight" - "Take My
Number" - "A Life Hard
Hearted" - "Do It Again" -
"Monster" - "Ain't That
Bad" - "All The Way Home"
- "Like A Preacher" -
"Stranger Road" - "A
Little Bit Of Me" - "Who Are
You Waiting For" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3
vinyl |
MEmphis Rock And Soul
Released: October 7, 2016
Tracks: "Memphis
Train" - "Respect Yourself
(People Stand Up)" - "Who's
Making Love" - "Hold On, I'm
Coming" - "I've Been Loving You
Too Long (To Stop Now)" - "Any
Other Way" - "I'm A Lover"
- "Rock Me Baby" - "I
Forgot To Be Your Lover" -
"Wait A Minute" - "Born
Under A Bad Sign" - "I've Got
Dreams To Remember" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3
vinyl |
The Medicine Show
Released: April 12, 2019
Tracks: "The
Medicine Show" - "Wild And
Lonely" - "Shaking" -
"Woman Like You" - "Faded
By Design" - "I Know You"
- "This Human Chain" -
"Love Will Live" - "Here
Comes The Pain" - "Suede"
- "Last Hello" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3
vinyl |
One Way Out
Released: September 17,
2021
Tracks: "One Way
Out" - "As Cool As You
Try" - "I'm No Angel
Myself" - "For The Last
Time" - "Save Myself" -
"That Would Be Me" - "Wild
Wild Wild" - "You Have No
Idea" (live) - "Life Goes
On" (live) |
 |
I'm Not Broken (Live
From Topeka Correctional Facility)
Released: July 12, 2024
Live Tracks: "All
American Girl" - "Born Under A
Bad Sign" - "The Shadow Of A
Black Crow" - "An Unexpected
Rain" - "I Want To Come
Over" - "Love Will Live" -
"Into The Dark" - "Come To
Window" - "A Burning
Woman" - "Bring Me Some
Water" - "I'm The Only
One" - "Like The Way I Do" |
| Note: Song title and
position links lead you to the song's Top
40 chart run (from the ARC Weekly Top
40)
and LP links take you to Amazon.com for that LP (often
including track listings and sound
samples). |
|
|
