Search
What's Hot
Day-by-Day Fall Schedule
R.I.P. Beloved TV Characters!
A Private Practice Departure?
Shows We Lost

Melissa Etheridge: Biography

Melissa Etheridge
23 photos
  • Birth Place: Leavenworth, KS
  • Date of Birth / Zodiac Sign: 05/29/1961, Gemini
  • Profession: Singer; songwriter
User Rating: (26 ratings)
Add Your Rating: 1 stars2 stars3 stars4 stars5 stars
Melissa Etheridge Fast Facts:
  • Began playing guitar at age 8.
  • At age 11, sang a song that she'd written ("Lonely as a Child") in a talent contest.
  • Was seen in concert at a bar in Long Island, CA, by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell in 1986. He was so taken with her that he signed her on the spot.
  • Publicly came out as a lesbian at the Triangle Ball, the first gay-and-lesbian inauguration party (for President Bill Clinton) in 1993.  
  • Achieved a personal dream when her musical hero, Bruce Springsteen, joined her to sing "Thunder Road" on her MTV Unplugged appearance in 1995.
  • Was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 and underwent chemotherapy for two months.
  • While still bald from the chemo, she appeared on a Janis Joplin tribute during the 2005 Grammy Awards and performed "Piece of My Heart."
  • Appeared as a panelist in 2010's 1 a Minute, a theatrical documentary featuring cancer-survival stories.
  • Shares a birthday with partner Linda Wallem.
  • Melissa Etheridge Relationships:
  • Miller Steven - Son
  • Linda Wallem - Significant Other
  • Bailey Jean Cypher - Daughter
  • Tammy Lynn Michaels - Ex-fiancée
  • Elizabeth Etheridge - Mother
  • John Etheridge - Father
  • Jennifer Etheridge - Sister
  • Beckett - Son
  • Julie Cypher - Ex-significant Other
  • Johnnie Rose - Daughter
  • Melissa Etheridge Awards:
  • 1992 Grammy: Best Female Rock Vocal Performance - Winner
  • 1994 Grammy: Best Female Rock Vocal Performance - Winner
  • 2006 Oscar: Best Achievement in Music (Original Song) - Winner
  • College:
  • Attended Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA (1980)

Photos

Melissa Etheridge Jason Kempin/Getty Images
kathy najimy, Melissa Etheridge, Tammy Lynn Michaels Lester Cohen/WireImage.com
melissa etheridge, Michael Smith Lester Cohen/WireImage.com
Tiger Woods, Melissa Etheridge, Peter Gallagher Lester Cohen/WireImage.com
melissa etheridge, Joss Stone Lester Cohen/WireImage.com
melissa etheridge Lester Cohen/WireImage.com
Advertisement

Our Partners

Advertisement

Related Websites

You might be also interested in the following websites:

Most Popular TV Shows

  1. American Idol
  2. NCIS
  3. Big Bang Theory
  4. Voice
  5. Person of Interest
more popular tv shows

Most Popular Celebrities

  1. Jessica Simpson
  2. Khloe Kardashian
  3. Kate Middleton
  4. Maria Menounos
  5. Kim Kardashian
more popular celebrities

Most Popular Movies

  1. Men In Black 3
  2. Avengers
  3. Battleship
  4. The Dictator
  5. Dark Shadows
more popular movies

Top Videos

  1. Celebrity
  2. Dateline
  3. Celebrity
  4. The Bachelorette
  5. Days of our Lives
more top videos