MELISSA NEWS:
Melissa to perform at Muslim Public Affairs Counsel, Dec 20
2008-12-18
The Muslim Public Affairs Council today announced that South Asian rock musician Salman Ahmad, Grammy Award winner Melissa Etheridge and author Deepak Chopra will introduce their national "Ring the Bells for Peace" campaign at MPAC's convention on Saturday, December 20th. Ahmad and Etheridge will also perform their song "Ring the Bells," which promotes the message of unity across religious, racial and national boundaries during the banquet.
MPAC Convention
Melissa on Fox News "On The Record"
2008-12-18
Check out Greta Van Susteren's interview with Melissa where they discuss A New Thought For Christmas, the songwriting process and much more.
Watch On The Record
Listen to Melissa's interview on ABC News Radio
2008-12-17
Check out Andrea Dresdale's interview with Melissa where she discusses her new CD and the holiday season: ABCNews.com
Melissa's TV appearances (week of Dec 15)
2008-12-12
Melissa will be appearing/performing on the following programs the week of Dec 15. Check local listings for time and channel in your area!
Tuesday December 16
Good Morning America
The View
Wednesday, December 17
Martha Stewart
Friday, December 19
Bonnie Hunt
Leno
Melissa to perform / speak at the 2009 Biodesel Conference
2008-12-11
Melissa will be a speaker and also perform a song or two (solo acoustic) at the 2009 Biodiesel Conference & Expo in San Francisco.
2009 Biodiesel Conference
"Biodiesel inspires me and I believe it will inspire others, especially once they get that you don't have to make any changes to the engine to use it. I think America is going to come back as an energy leader through renewable, sustainable fuels like biodiesel." - Melissa Etheridge
Bid on Stand Up 2 Cancer Tee autographed by Melissa
2008-12-10
Stand Up To Cancer has launched a new series of eBay auctions to help raise awareness and funds for the fight against cancer. The SU2C shirts have been signed by celebrities who performed in the historic September 5th, 2008 multi-network television event. Proceeds from the sale of the t-shirts will benefit Stand Up To Cancer.
BID NOW on the Stand Up To Cancer shirt autographed by Melissa!
Melissa featured in new t-shirt line (i/denti/tee)
2008-12-09
Melissa's "I'm The Only One" featured as an i/denti/tee:
i/denti/tee is an exclusive line of music tees printed with what many believe to be central to music's soul....the lyrics. Each music tee is printed with one of the most anthemic lyrics ever written, made more personal because they all begin with "i". And to make it more exciting, i/denti/tee has teamed up with iTunes to offer 10 free songs with each tee. The tees are packaged in classic album vinyl sleeves and come with a 10 song digital download iTunes card.
identitee.com
Shirts currently available:
i'm the only one (Melissa Etheridge)
i still haven't found what I'm looking for (U2)
i used to rule the world (Coldplay)
i'm a hustler baby (Jay Z)
i'm wanted dead or alive (Bon Jovi)
i will survive (Gloria Gaynor)
i wanna dance with somebody (Whitney Houston)
i go back (Kenny Chesney)
i love rock-n-roll (Joan Jett)
Melissa at Studio C, KBCO, Thursday Dec 11
2008-12-08
Melissa will be making an appearance at Studio C, radio station KBCO on Thursday, December 11. For more details, check out
KBCO
Charity Auction for Melissa Etheridge Signed Ovation Celebrity Guitar
2008-12-07
Bid on an exclusive Melissa Etheridge signed guitar now available on the GRAMMY Charity Holiday Online Auction benefiting MusiCares. The auction runs Dec.1 - Dec.11. Click here to enter the auction and place your bid now!
The GRAMMY charities are the two charitable arms of the Recording Academy - MusiCares and the GRAMMY Foundation. MusiCares provides a safety net of critical financial assistance and services for music people in times of need. To learn more, please visit www.musicares.com.
Melissa will appear at Out For Equality Event (Jan 20) Wash D.C.
2008-12-07
OUT FOR EQUALITY: The LGBT community commemoration of Barack Obama & Joe Biden's Inauguration
Tuesday, January 20 (7 p.m. - Midnight)
Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C.
Tickets On Sale Now
Featuring entertainment and appearances by: Melissa Etheridge, Cyndi Lauper, Rufus Wainwright, Thelma Houston, and others to be announced.
Open bar and cocktail buffet. Tickets are $350 per person before December 16 and $375 thereafter.
Melissa in the studio at 1043FM L.A. Dec 8 after 7:00am
2008-12-06
Melissa will be performing in the studio at radio station 104.3FM Los Angeles on Monday Dec 8 after 7:00am Pacific Time. Tune into the Valentine In The Morning show! **In case you missed it live: 1043myfm.com
"Glorious" on ABC's Brothers & Sisters (Dec 7)
2008-12-04
Melissa's song "Glorious" will be used in Sunday's (Dec 7) episode of Brothers & Sisters on ABC. Check local listings for the time in your area.
Melissa Radio Promo Day (Dec 5)
2008-12-04
Melissa will be calling a host of radio stations Friday morning in promotion of A New Thought For Christmas. Some of the calls will be live and some taped to be played later. Please note this schedule is tentative and times listed are Pacific Time:
Live
6:30am - WBMX (Boston)
6:40am - KBC0 (Denver)
6:50am - KTCZ (Minneapolis)
7:10am - Voice of America (syndicated)
8:40am - KOST (L.A.)
9:20am - KFOG (SF)
9:40am - CFQR (Q92) (Montreal)
Taped
CHFI (Toronto)
CJMJ (MAJIC 100) (Ottawa)
WRXP (NY)
CIQM (EZ Rock) (London,Ontario)
WWFS (NY)
Your Time w/Kim Iverson (syndicated)
CFMG (EZ Rock) (Edmonton)
Delilah (syndicated)
KBIG (L.A.)
Melissa on KLOS radio (L.A.) Dec 3 at 8:00am PT
2008-12-02
Melissa will be on KLOS radio in L.A. Wednesday morning (Dec 3) at approximately 8:00am PT. You can also catch her via their web cast at 955KLOS.com.
"Christmas In America" free single of the week at iTunes
2008-12-02
Melissa's first Christmas album A New Thought for Christmas is available at iTunes and this week you can get her new single "Christmas In America" as the Free Single of the Week exclusively at iTunes!
Premiere of HD Rock Live - Melissa Etheridge - "A New Thought For Christmas"
2008-11-27
"HD Rock Live: Melissa Etheridge - A New Thought for Christmas Holiday Special." Melissa's Nov 8 show at the House of Blues in Atlantic City was taped for this holiday special which will premiere on Sunday, Nov. 30th, 8:00 PM ET on HDNet. This program is part of the HD Rock Live concert series. The special will be re-broadcast on Monday, Dec. 1st 1:00 AM ET and Sunday, Dec. 7th 6:30 PM ET. Check HDNet for more details and future air times.
A Message From Melissa - Ring The Bells!
2008-11-21
In December 2007, at the Nobel Peace prize concert, I met a man from Pakistan, Salman Ahmad. He is a talented rock musician with quite a story. We met again in April 2008 and talked for two days and dreamed of peace. Peace within ourselves and peace in our world. We vowed to create something. Something that could bridge the east and west and maybe bring a little light to the whole world. We created a song called Ring The Bells. We've recorded it, and now we give it to the world. Our friend Deepak Chopra and his Alliance For A New Humanity have taken the song as a call to action.
Come, let's join together. Let's go further now, than we've ever gone before. On December 21st 2008, let's all join together at the same time and ring the bells.
There's nothing to buy, no competition, nothing to sell, no religion or dogma, no government, no borders, nowhere you have to be, just be wherever you are. Start with yourself. Just you. You can ring a bell. Now, is there anyone else in your house? Maybe they'll join you. Do it together, a family affair. How about your neighbors? Mention it to them. Arrange a street ringing. Maybe the whole town wants to get involved. Churches, schools, where you work, it's all up to you.
There's no expectation, just an invitation. The change is here. It is time to acknowledge all our differences, accept them all with peace and move forward in unity. We can do this. Imagine every heart touched by the sound.
Visit www.ringthebellsofpeace.com to find out the time in your part of the world.
Thank you and peace on earth.
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Joins CBS Special "A Home For The Holidays"
2008-11-17
Don't miss the 10th Anniversary of the CBS special "A Home For The Holidays," to be broadcast on CBS on Tuesday, Dec 23 (8-9pm ET/PT). The special tells touching stories about foster care adoption to raise awareness of this important social issue. Stories are presented by celebrities and enhanced by performances by some of today's most popular artists. This year's performers include Melissa Etheridge, Faith Hill, Jamie Foxx, Tim McGraw, Gavin Rossdale and Keyshia Cole; presenters include Kristin Chenoweth, Patricia Heaton, Rene Russo and Martin Short, among others.
Melissa On Oprah Friday, Nov 14.
2008-11-13
Melissa will discuss Prop 8 so it's going to be an exciting show! Check local listings for time and channel in your area.
Bid on autographed Melissa items to support two charities.
2008-11-10
Melissa Etheridge autographed Jodi Head guitar strap. All proceeds go toward feral cat placement fund. Melissa Etheridge has signed and endorsed this awesome Jodi Head guitar strap to go towards the placement of Buster, a feral cat rescued from a colony of strays in NYC's East Village. Please help Buster and other feral cats by placing a bid or donation.
For more information on the bid
Rock For Kids Charity Auction
Signed copy of Melissa Etheridge, framed with guitar pick. Proceeds to Rock For Kids
For more information...
Rock For Kids is a non-profit organization that provides support, hope, inspiration and assistance to underserved children and teens. Realizing that music can be a positive motivator in a young person's life, Rock For Kids provides free year-round music education for children in need. Rock For Kids positively impacts and celebrates young lives by offering access to safe and constructive learning experiences through which children may challenge themselves, build self-esteem and explore their own creative potential.
Exclusive M.E.I.N. Interview with Melissa
2008-11-07
Find out what Melissa has planned for 2009 as well as her thoughts on the holiday season, her band, our new president and much more in our exclusive interview.
Be sure to listen to a sampling of audio clips from this interview.
Excerpt from interview:
Q: What do you believe and hope the future holds for our children? - Lynn Y.
Melissa: "I believe that our children will mature and come to age in a world very different than the world we live in now. We are the generation of change. It is our job and we are already in the middle of it right now."
Read the full interview
Read Melissa's reaction to the passing of Prop 8
2008-11-07
You Can Forget My Taxes
by Melissa Etheridge
Okay. So Prop 8 passed. Alright, I get it. 51% of you think that I am a second class citizen. Alright then. So my wife, uh I mean, roommate? Girlfriend? Special lady friend? You are gonna have to help me here because I am not sure what to call her now. Anyways, she and I are not allowed the same right under the state constitution as any other citizen. Okay, so I am taking that to mean I do not have to pay my state taxes because I am not a full citizen. I mean that would just be wrong, to make someone pay taxes and not give them the same rights, sounds sort of like that taxation without representation thing from the history books.
Okay, cool I don't mean to get too personal here but there is a lot I can do with the extra half a million dollars that I will be keeping instead of handing it over to the state of California. Oh, and I am sure Ellen will be a little excited to keep her bazillion bucks that she pays in taxes too. Wow, come to think of it, there are quite a few of us fortunate gay folks that will be having some extra cash this year. What recession? We're gay! I am sure there will be a little box on the tax forms now single, married, divorced, gay, check here if you are gay, yeah, that's not so bad. Of course all of the waiters and hairdressers and UPS workers and gym teachers and such, they won't have to pay their taxes either.
Oh and too bad California, I know you were looking forward to the revenue from all of those extra marriages. I guess you will have to find some other way to get out of the budget trouble you are in.
...Really?
When did it become okay to legislate morality? I try to envision someone reading that legislation "eliminates the right" and then clicking yes. What goes through their mind? Was it the frightening commercial where the little girl comes home and says, "Hi mom, we learned about gays in class today" and then the mother gets that awful worried look and the scary music plays? Do they not know anyone who is gay? If they do, can they look them in the face and say "I believe you do not deserve the same rights as me"? Do they think that their children will never encounter a gay person? Do they think they will never have to explain the 20% of us who are gay and living and working side by side with all the citizens of California?
I got news for them, someday your child is going to come home and ask you what a gay person is. Gay people are born everyday. You will never legislate that away.
I know when I grew up gay was a bad word. Homo, lezzie, faggot, dyke. Ignorance and fear ruled the day. There were so many "thems" back then. The blacks, the poor ... you know, "them". Then there was the immigrants. "Them." Now the them is me.
I tell myself to take a breath, okay take another one, one of the *thems* made it to the top. Obama has been elected president. This crazy fearful insanity will end soon. This great state and this great country of ours will finally come to the understanding that there is no "them". We are one. We are united. What you do to someone else you do to yourself. That "judge not, lest ye yourself be judged" are truthful words and not Christian rhetoric.
Today the gay citizenry of this state will pick themselves up and dust themselves off and do what we have been doing for years. We will get back into it. We love this state, we love this country and we are not going to leave it. Even though we could be married in Mass. or Conn, Canada, Holland, Spain and a handful of other countries, this is our home. This is where we work and play and raise our families. We will not rest until we have the full rights of any other citizen. It is that simple, no fearful vote will ever stop us, that is not the American way.
Come to think of it, I should get a federal tax break too...
What do YOU want to ask Philip Sayce?
2008-10-30
We are taking questions from M.E.I.N. members for our upcoming interview with Philip.
Be sure to submit your questions in the M.E.I.N. Members area by Tuesday, November 4 at noon Pacific Daylight Time. Maybe Philip will answers yours in our upcoming interview!
The interview will be posted in the M.E.I.N. Members' Section in the coming weeks.
Not a member? Sign up NOW so you can join in on the fun!
Melissa in the Rolling Stone
2008-10-30
Melissa Etheridge plans to legally wed her longtime girlfriend, Tammy Lynn Michaels, later this month. The L.A. couple - who had twins in 2006 - also have two children from Etheridge's previous relationship.
- Rolling Stone, Oct 30, 2008 Issue.
Check out our exclusive interview with Salman Ahmad.
2008-10-29
In December 2007, Melissa met Salman, founder of Junoon - South Asia's biggest and most senior rock band. Salman and Melissa formed a bond that day and went on to collaborate on "Ring The Bells" from Melissa’s new Christmas CD, A New Thought For Christmas.
Excerpts from the interview:
On performing with Melissa at her upcoming Atlantic City concert: "Wow. What an honor. She's one of the greatest voices in rock and it is a huge honor to support her." ~ Salman
On the way Melissa connects to the audience: "When we saw her at the New York shows we were just blown away. The feeling that she creates at the shows is amazing. Melissa is a qawwali singer. She gets everyone in this great vibe and there is no other there."
You can read the complete interview here
My Typical 'Homo' Family by Melissa Etheridge
2008-10-29
As Proposition 8 in California threatens same sex marriage rights, musician Melissa Etheridge looks back on her own struggle to adopt her children with her now wife Tammy.
When my official sample ballot for the November 4th general election arrived I was in the kitchen, where my eldest son was practicing tricks on his yo-yo. As I thumbed through the pamphlet I turned to page 5, state measures. There it was, right between prop 7: The Renewable Energy Generation Initiative Statute, and prop 9:The Criminal Justice System Victims' Rights Parole Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute:
I called my son over. I said "Read this, tell me what you think". He, being 9 years old and very proud of his reading skills, read "Changes California Constitution to eliminate right of same sex couples to marry." He looked at me, very matter-of-factly and said, "Wow, that's lame."
A rush of memories came over me. What a long strange trip it has been.
I remembered being a new mom in 1997. I followed the long trail of red tape to find a way to adopt my children so they could be covered by health insurance, or so I could see them in the hospital in case of some emergency, along with dozens of other reasons. I was fortunate enough to have the financial resources to find a lawyer that would help me through the heart breaking adoption system. The social worker would come to my house, numerous times, evaluate me, have me fill out all of the forms and then regretfully deny me my right to adopt my children because California law prohibited social workers from adoption approval of same sex couples. Then my lawyer would take my case to a judge that would read the social worker's words "regretfully deny" and then the judge would say, "overruled, "allowing me to adopt my children within the legal system. I give thanks to these great people who truly believe in equal rights and risked so much for so many families.
There were the dark times, when proposition 22 was put on the ballot in 2000. It was a strange act, more like a true or false question: "Marriage in the state of California is defined as being between a man and a woman." Okay...? It passed.
Then I remembered my own wedding in 2003. I had found my true love, Tammy. It was a magical ceremony that started with my children walking with me down the aisle to meet my bride as the two aisles merged into one. I wanted to stand in front of my community of family and friends and declare my promise to be committed to my partner, now my wife, through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, something that would be tested with my breast cancer diagnosis and treatment later that next year. The day before the wedding Grey Davis gave same sex couples domestic partnership rights, one of his last moments as governor and we proudly hung our certificates on our wall. They were limited rights, but doggone it, it was a beginning.
I will never forget the day earlier this year when the news came down the wire that the Supreme Court of CA. had declared same sex marriage legal. We told our children about it and all danced around the room in family glee. I have four children now, my 11-year-old daughter, my 9-year-old son and boy and girl twins, aged two. We knew the only way our rights could be taken away was through a ballot measure and a constitutional amendment revoking the rights of same sex couples.
And now here it is.
Prop 8 is a blatantly hateful, and fearful proposition that I believe the great citizens of California can see through. The proponents of it have run the most fearful of television ads telling the people that if this doesn't pass they will have to teach about homos to small grade school children. I can't seem to recall any relationships ever being taught in school and I can't find anything about that in this proposition. Now, I know my preference of life mate freaks some people out. Maybe it is just their fear of sex or intimacy. I know that they hold up the bible and say that it's wrong. Fine, let me stand before my creator and take any consequences there might be to living my life in truth and balance with my spirit.
I believe in our democracy. I believe in our constitution. I believe we live in the greatest country in the world. I believe that we are as strong as our weakest link and if we deny any of our citizens the right to "life liberty and the pursuit of happiness" then we deny it to all of us.
I will be waking up with my children on November 5th and I will be fixing them breakfast as I usually do. I look forward to telling them that prop 8 was defeated. I am sure my son will say, "Good, that was lame."
Yes, lame indeed.
Melissa Etheridge
What do YOU want to ask Melissa?
2008-10-20
We will be taking questions from M.E.I.N. members for our upcoming interview with Melissa, so now is your chance to send that question you've always wanted answered.
Be sure to submit your questions in the M.E.I.N. Members area by Friday, October 24 at 5:00pm Pacific Daylight Time. Maybe Melissa will answers yours in our upcoming interview!
To submit your question:
1. Go to the M.E.I.N. Members' portion.
2. Log in with your email and password on file.
3. Click on "Ask Melissa" from the menu bar at the top.
4. Submit your question.
The interview will be posted in the M.E.I.N. Members' section next month.
Not a member? Sign up NOW so you can join in on the fun!
An Evening of Conversation With Melissa Etheridge and Dennis & Elizabeth Kucinich.
2008-10-14
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Cleveland Public Theatre
Cleveland OH
Spend an evening with Melissa Etheridge, Dennis and Elizabeth Kucinich in the intimate setting of Cleveland Public Theatre, attend a private pre-theater reception, have your photo taken with them and enjoy a wonderful evening!
Click to Enlarge (PDF file)
For more information...
Melissa is a Warrior For The Cause
2008-10-07
In honor of breast cancer awareness month, MSN is honoring those celebrities who have battled breast cancer and shared their fight for the broader good. Check out the story
Photo: Retna Ltd
Bid On Exclusive Hard Rock Pinktober Pin Worn By Melissa!
2008-10-03
Bid on a jeweled, one-of-a-kind, exquisitely hand-crafted 2008 Pinktober Breast Cancer Awareness Pin actually worn by Melissa!
Designed by jeweler-to-the-stars Michael Greene & Co, made from white and pink gold, and holding pink and white diamonds, this extraordinary pin celebrates Hard Rock's Pinktober campaign and helps in the fight against breast cancer. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Melissa Etheridge wore this pin at the Pinktober kick-off party on Sept. 30 at Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood where she helped get the word out about the campaign. Join Hard Rock and Melissa Etheridge in the fight to end breast cancer in our lifetimes by bidding on this pin right now. Click here to get started, to learn more about this pin, and to see pictures of its creation.
Melissa on CBS Paramount's "The Doctors"
2008-10-03
Melissa was the guest recently on the new CBS program "The Doctors". Several fan club members were also invited as guests. The episode will air on Wednesday, October 8. The show features the inner-workings of the medical profession, difficult patients, medical advice as well as the most up-to-date medical information.Check local listings for time and channel in your area.
Melissa and Deepak Chopra
2008-09-27
A new song, "Ring The Bells," is currently streaming on Deepak Chopra's website. "Ring The Bells," from the upcoming A New Thought For Christmas CD, is written and sung by Melissa Etheridge and Salman Ahmad. Both Melissa and Salman will be guests on Deepak Chopra's radio show next weekend, Sat Oct 4th 10:00AM Eastern Time. Listen to it at deepakchopra.com.
Silent Auction for autographed guitar
2008-09-25
Attention Melissa fans in the Leavenworth Kansas Area. The Leavenworth Education Foundation are holding a "silent auction" on Friday, September 26. Included in the auction are the following items autographed by Melissa Etheridge: guitar, Hall of Fame book, and an UsAll (Unity of Straight and Alternative Lifestyles of Leavenworth) T-shirt. The evening will include buffet dinner; DJ; dancing; cash bar; and much more. The cost is $20. For further information contact 913-684-1400 or carol.ayres@usd453.org
Melissa on The Bonnie Hunt Show Sept 29
2008-09-24
Melissa will chat with talk show host Bonnie Hunt and play a solo acoustic version of "I Run For Life" on Monday, Sept 29. Check local listings for time and channel in your area.
Win A Chance To See Melissa At The Hard Rock Cafe In Hollywood CA
2008-09-05
Come celebrate with Melissa the release of her new CD ~ A New Thought For Christmas and the kick off of The Hard Rock's Pinktober in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
This is an intimate venue and only 125 pairs of General Admission Standing M.E.I.N. tickets will be made available through our random drawing. This will be a solo acoustic performance by Melissa. View here for more information and to register for our random drawing!
Event Details
• Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2008
• Check-In Time: 5:00pm Pacific Time*
• Melissa Performs: 8:00pm Pacific Time*
• Location: Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood @ Universal Studios Citywalk, Hollywood CA
• Autographs: Melissa will autograph copies of A New Thought For Christmas.
One autograph per person
• Drawing: Random drawing for prizes including an autographed Ovation guitar
• Age Requirements: All ages
• No Recording Equipment allowed but digital cameras are ok
• Dress: Casual
*Time subject to change.
Hard Rock Cafe's Pinktober Campaign
At this event, Melissa will also help launch Pinktober, Hard Rock's ninth annual breast cancer awareness campaign initiative, and introduce Hard Rock's 2008 Breast Cancer Awareness Pin, t-shirt and key chain.
Proceeds from the sale of these limited-edition items will benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, with 75% of the retail price of each pin sold and 15% of the retail price of each t-shirt and key chain sold going directly to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
"Blue Christmas" - M.E.I.N. Exclusive!
2008-09-04
Be the first to own the first single off Melissa's first Christmas album! For one week only (Sept 4 - 11), M.E.I.N. members will be able to purchase an mp3 download of "Blue Christmas," from Melissa's forthcoming Christmas album A New Thought For Christmas. The single is available to only M.E.I.N. members.
Melissa Answers The Call To Stand Up To Cancer
2008-09-02
Melissa joins Sheryl Crow, Charles Barkley, Halle Berry and Jessica Alba for Landmark Event Simultaneously Broadcast on ABC, CBS & NBC - September 5th
The September 5th broadcast will feature the premiere of "Just Stand Up," the all-star charity single benefiting Stand Up To Cancer and produced by L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds in their first creative reunion on record in nearly two decades. The performance features more than a dozen of the world's most accomplished female recording artists.
Melissa is doing a special version of "I Run For Life" called "I Stand For Life." Performing with her will be Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland, Jason Mraz, Bebe Winans, Shelby Lynne, and others.
The "I Stand For Life" special lyrics are:
It's been years since they told her about it
The darkness her body possessed
And the scars are still there in the mirror
Everyday that she gets herself dressed
Though the pain is miles and miles behind her
And the fear is now a docile beast
If you ask her why she is still standing
She'll tell you it makes her complete
I stand for hope
I stand to feel
I stand for the truth
For all that is real
I stand for your father, your brother, your wife
I stand for you and me, my friend
I stand for life
It's a blur since they told me about it
How the darkness had taken its toll
And they cut into my skin and they cut into my body
But they will never get a piece of my soul
And now I'm still learning the lesson
To awake when I hear the call
And if you ask me why I am still standing
I'll tell you I stand for us all
(chorus)
And someday if they tell you about it
If the darkness knocks on your door
Remember us, remember me
We will be standing as we have before
standing for answers
standing for more
(chorus)
Read more!
Melissa Performs on the Democratic National Convention 2008.
2008-08-28
Check out this video clip of Melissa rocking out to her version of "God Bless America" on the Democratic National Convention 2008!
Melissa's A New Thought For Christmas, set for Sept 30 release.
2008-08-18
Tracklisting:
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 Devine
What if someone made a Christmas album for everybody else? That's exactly what Melissa Etheridge has done. Working alongside her producer David Cole, Melissa's songs celebrate a spiritual time of year where people can rejoice in their traditional, or non-traditional ways, and celebrate a winter solstice filled with love and peace. This ten song album has newly composed songs such as "Ring The Bells," "Light A Light," and "It's Christmas Time" interspersed with traditional holiday standards such as "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and "Blue Christmas." This album begs the question, "If we're all talking about peace on earth, what if we all concentrated on peace on earth and made it happen?"
Melissa Etheridge has been a core Island Records artist since the release of her critically-acclaimed eponymous debut, which led to an invitation to sing on the 1989 Grammy Awards broadcast. For several years, Melissa's popularity built around such memorable songs as "Bring Me Some Water" (from her debut), "No Souvenirs" (from 1989's Brave And Crazy) and "Ain't It Heavy" (from 1992's Never Enough), for which she won her first Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal.
Melissa hit her commercial and artistic stride with her fourth album, 1993's Yes I Am, featuring the massive hits "I'm the Only One" and "Come to My Window," a searing song of longing that brought her second Best Female Rock Grammy. The album went six times platinum and spent more than two and a half years on the album chart. In 1995, she issued her highest charting album, Your Little Secret (#6 on the Billboard Top 200), which included the hit single, "I Want to Come Over." Her astounding success led Melissa to receive the Songwriter of the Year honor at the ASCAP Pop Awards in 1996.
Melissa continued to write, record, and tour throughout the '90s and into the new millennium. In 2006, she was approached by Al Gore to write a song for his documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth. The result was "I Need To Wake Up" and in February 2007, she won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Melissa's Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled was repackaged to include the OSCAR® winning song. In April 2007, Melissa Etheridge received the distinguished ASCAP Founders Award honoring the anthemic power, compassion, and generosity of spirit of her music, and her enduring status as one of the greatest all-time female rock icons. In September 2007, she released The Awakening, which was selected by Rolling Stone magazine as #20 on its Top 50 albums of 2007.
Melissa on Chicago Tribute
2008-08-08
Check out an article about Melissa on the Chicago Tribute regarding her thoughts on Chicago!
You can view the article here
Melissa in Rolling Stone!
2008-06-26
Check out Melissa's new interview with the Rolling Stone in the July 10 - 14, 2008 issue!
Revival Tour Launches
2008-06-16
The Revival Tour is off to a great start! Melissa played for 3 hours & 15 minutes at the first show last night in Clearwater, FL. Check out the set list:
All There Is
I Take You With Me
All We Can Really Do
Into The Dark
California
Don't You Need/Similar Features
No Souvenirs
Unexpected Rain
Bring Me Some Water
I Want To Come Over
Angels Would Fall
Enough Of Me
I'm The Only One
If I Wanted To
Lucky
I've Loved You Before
I Run For Life
Message To myself/Come To My Window
2001/I Need To Wake Up
God Is In The People
Kingdom Of Heaven
Open Your Mind
The Awakening
ENCORE:
Not Tonight/Piece Of My Heart
Melissa, her band & crew are blogging from the road.
M.E.I.N. members can log in & read the blogs.
System Maintance
2008-06-10
The Message Forum and Chatroom are currently closed while we do system maintenance. Thanks for your patience.
HRC Announces "Rock to Win" - Denver CO - performance by Melissa Etheridge
2008-05-29
Human Rights Campaign Announces "Rock to Win" Event Event to include special performance by Melissa Etheridge, will be held in Denver during Democratic National Convention
WASHINGTON - The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization, announced today that it will sponsor an event called "Rock to Win" in Denver, Colorado, during the Democratic National Convention. There will be a special performance by Oscar and Grammy award-winning, singer-songwriter, Melissa Etheridge.
"All of America, and the world at large, has so much at stake in this year's election. Four years ago, GLBT issues were used by the right wing in an attempt to distract and manipulate voters, and we vowed to fight those forces and continue to educate the electorate on the road to equality," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "We have largely succeeded in reshaping the political landscape. 'Rock to Win' is a celebration of our growth and progress, and a grand kickoff to hard work ahead in the general to elect a new president of our nation."
"Rock to Win" will also honor the creators and cast of Milk, the much anticipated film about San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk. Milk was murdered thirty years ago for his role as a fearless champion of GLBT equality. Other artists and special guests who will be in attendance at "Rock to Win" will be announced in the days to come.
"Rock to Win" will be held at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver-a venue modeled on the historic San Francisco Fillmore rock club-on Tuesday, August 26, the second night of the Democratic National Convention, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale to the public June 7, 2008.
The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
New Melissa Interview, by Billie Rama, Managing Editor 1010wins.com
2008-05-21
Read the transcript or listen to the interview
***************
Melissa Etheridge Talks About Her Upcoming Tour, and Her 'Awakening'
NEW YORK -- By Billie Rama, Managing Editor 1010wins.com
Being a fan of her music for two decades, I have always wanted to interview Melissa Etheridge.
I got the chance last week. Etheridge answered each question like she has answered past interview questions: with passion, honesty and laughter. She opened up about having survived breast cancer, staying healthy on the road, her latest album "The Awakening" and her upcoming "The Revival Tour," which makes a stop in New York City in July.
Etheridge will be rocking the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden on Wed July 9, and Thursday July 10.
LISTEN to the Entire Interview Here
Billie Rama: Melissa you released "The Awakening" in September, your first full length studio album since being diagnosed with breast cancer. How has breast cancer changed your life and is that reflected in the album?
Melissa Etheridge: It is everything, it changed everything. The experience of having one of your greatest fears be right in front of you is pretty astounding. And then going through that fear, and seeing it, and then being a person with cancer. And having that whole experience, and coming out on the other end and having actually through that experience having a spiritual awakening. The process of going through chemotherapy actually took me to a point where my body was on the brink of death and my mind laying there day after day after day finally just thought everything that it could think and it stopped. And I was left with my spirit, this incredible beautiful soul that we all have that is so covered up by our mind and our body and the busy things we do that we comprise our life of. And coming to that, even though it was through this awful experience of cancer and chemotherapy was just a huge gift and it was a life changing experience and this is what I try to relate now through my music and my performances.
Rama: Right. And so would you say that that's the overall message of the new album?
Etheridge: It's an awakening. I composed this album and put it together in a way that I hope would take the listener from my beginnings and just tell them my story. Of desiring the fame and fortune, love, and everything. And what happens when you get it. Sort of the illusions of what life would be like out here and then what life really is like and finding myself. That's the whole album.
Rama: You have a song on the album called "The Universe Listened" and that's pretty much what you're talking about.
Etheridge: Yeah, we have all the control, we don't know it. But we are super powerful human beings and we create our lives. And we have to take responsibility for everything that's out there. And that's what the album is about.
Rama: When you wrote "Message to Myself" you listened to all of your old albums, and you talked about darkness and not being in a good place. Was there any particular song or any particular album that was really painful for you to listen to through this process?
Etheridge: Phew, there's a lot of pain in all my albums.
Rama: Yeah, but they're great rocking songs though!
Etheridge: Yeah they're great. A great release. That's the funny thing. I kept turning these painful experiences into these rocking songs -- this music, and as I performed them in concert it was this great release. I created this awesome thing for myself to experience and to work through these issues. I think probably listening to Breakdown followed by Skin was probably the hardest point because that was a very low point in my life, and I was really searching...Yeah, that was probably the hardest...Breakdown.
Rama: I think just listening to that, as a fan, you get the feeling of where you were at that place in your life to where you are now.
Etheridge: Yeah.
Rama: On a more positive note do you have a favorite song on the new album?
Etheridge: Oh my…no, but if you said pick one song to play, I would probably play Kingdom of Heaven.
Rama: That's a great song. Is that song maybe what you're looking most forward to playing live on the new tour?
Etheridge: Oh I'm looking forward to the whole thing. The way I've arranged the tour, the show, is along the same line of a story. I'm gonna tell my life story and I'm going to place all these songs the back catalogue and put them all in there. Well, not all of them -- it'd be a week (laughs).
Rama: Yeah you'd be on stage for about five days which would be ok for a lot of us (laughs).
Etheridge: Yeah, (laughs) some would be fine with that but I need a break. So it's along the same experience, there's no one favorite it's the whole experience of the whole night.
Rama: So how do you pick the songs that you're going to put in your set list? Because you do have so many.
Etheridge: I find the ones that resonate with what I want to accomplish which is to tell this story. To move people, to inspire people. And I realize there's a handful of songs when you go to a Melissa Etheridge concert you expect to hear and I'm going to play those because they're favorites of mine too.
So, you know I'm going to put those in. And then I look at all the other album tracks and I find the ones that fit the story, fit what I'm doing. And they all do, it's pretty fun. I've got a different set list every night.
Rama: I was going to say do you change it per show?
Etheridge: Oh yeah, yeah. Not only for the audience but for me too. It keeps me from going crazy.
Rama: I remember years ago I saw Sheryl Crow on an interview say if she ever had to sing "All I Wanna Do" again she would scream. Do you have any songs that you say "Oh my God if I have to sing this song one more time I'm going to scream?"
Etheridge: I haven't reached that yet, but I'm pretty close with that "Come to My Window" song…real close. I wrote that song, it is a part of me, I have a great appreciation for that song, so I'm very grateful when it comes to that song.
Rama: Everybody thinks that's such a love song, but I think you said once "That's not a love song people!"
Etheridge: (laughs) I know. Well what I love is that I can write a song that means so many different things to many different people and myself. That's what music is you can take it and it can become whatever you need it to be.
Rama: Right, that is the great thing about music. You're playing smaller venues on this tour. Do you prefer playing smaller venues to the big arenas?
Etheridge: You know what it's not about the size of the venue it's about the audience and the people. It can feel like it's a thousand people even when its ten thousand people or I can have a small group that's just as quiet as well you know it doesn't matter it's just the audience.
Rama: You're going to be here in New York City at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on July 9 and 10. Is playing New York different than playing any other cities?
Etheridge: Oh yeah, New York is a special place to play for me. There are a few cities around the world Amsterdam, Chicago, Sydney, Montreal and New York City, that the fans that come to see me, they already know we're going to have a good time. I have nothing to prove to them.
Rama: Right it's just an easier show.
Etheridge: And they bring so much to the show that it just starts on a whole other level and it's wonderful. So I do enjoy playing New York very much.
Rama: Speaking of New York. Any special guests maybe, from across the river, that may be joining you on stage?
Etheridge: I always put it out there. Always checking to see if somebody's in town. Someday he'll show up...
Rama: Yeah, someday. If you had a chance to perform with anybody, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Etheridge: You know, it's funny cause I always walk around going "Oh the next time I get asked that question I'm going to answer this." And I can never remember what it is. Perform with anybody. I, you know what, I would love to perform with, Oh my God there's so many people. From like Barbara Streisand to Steven Tyler.
Rama: Steven Tyler...that would be amazing, your voices would be fantastic (together). I thought for sure you would say Joplin.
Etheridge: Yeah?
Rama: Yeah.
Etheridge: I have a different sort of, I don't want to be on stage with Joplin. I mean, I wouldn't have turned it down, I certainly wouldn't. She's more of an inspiration of how to take your feelings and connect it with your voice and your body and sing the blues in rock and roll. She brought the blues into rock and roll.
Rama: Yeah she really did.
Etheridge: Yeah sure, (laughs) absolutely would love to do that.
Rama: Speaking of Joplin, when you did the Grammys and "Piece of My Heart" that was just so inspiring and so amazing for so many people. Since beating breast cancer how do you stay healthy on the road? I would imagine that would be even more of a challenge.
Etheridge: The way I stay healthy on the road is the way I stay healthy at home. And it's paying attention to what goes in my body, what I eat. I call it eating closer to the earth. We are human beings we're in this body we're spirits in these bodies. To sustain these bodies we need what the earth has to give us. We need food that comes from the earth. Not food that comes from the earth and goes to a factory and becomes something else.
Rama: Yeah makes sense.
Etheridge: Once it gets to you the nutrition, the whole vibration that's in the food the life all the energy is out of it. So if you find yourself eating food that comes from a building you have a lower level of that. And that's what leads to imbalance and that's what leads to disease. I have my own chef which I'm very fortunate to have that. And then also stress is a huge part. You have to watch the stress levels and I have to make sure that my day, everyday, is not overwhelming, that I'm not pushing myself too hard. It's about finding the peace and happiness in the work and in my everyday.
Rama: How are the twins?
Etheridge: Awesome! It's almost nap time.
Rama: Is it really? Ok.
Etheridge: It's good. Twins are very different in that they have each other they have this relationship from day one from in utero they have this relationship. And it's really cool. They love each other so much and yet they compete with each other and it's this constant, constant energy.
Rama: So they're totally in sync but I would imagine totally different as well.
Etheridge: It is a perfect study in the male and female species.
Rama: At such an early age.
Etheridge: I'm here to say that we are different right now.
Rama: In so many ways. So are Tammy and the twins coming on the road with you for the whole tour?
Etheridge: Oh yes big family tour. You bet.
Rama: If someone said to you 15 years ago that you'd be on tour with twins what would you have said to them?
Etheridge: (laughs) I'd say "Uh no way, you're kidding." But we evolve as people, and I'm a mother and that's my priority as a mother and I would not never want to be away from my babies for three months, that's unheard of, impossible.
Rama: You have four kids altogether. Do you plan your tour schedule around school?
Etheridge: Yes I do. That's why The Awakening came out in October or September and I'm not touring until June because I have to be here for my kids, there's no other way around it.
Rama: There's really nothing that's more important than that.
Etheridge: Nothing at all.
Rama: So you've accomplished so much already. You've won an Oscar, you're a wife, mother, won two Grammies. What's next? Would you ever considering running, say, for political office?
Etheridge: The more I get involved in it, I some days think "Yeah, yeah this is something I want to do." I would love to serve the people, I would love to bring about change in our government. Absolutely. The more I get involved I think "Oh my God no, I would never want to do that."
Rama: (laughs) Am I crazy?!
Etheridge: Exactly. So I go back and forth. It probably will be a question for a long time. Not right now, I need to raise my kids, I don't need to be of service right now.
Rama: Maybe way down the road.
Etheridge: Yeah, when I'm an older, lesbian stateswoman.
Rama: There you go, you can be the first something.
Etheridge: C'mon, I'm into it.
Rama: I know you are. I saw you on the Logo debate and it was great. How was that experience for you?
Etheridge: Wow, that was really cool because I was very honored and grateful. I know that the reason I got to be there was because I'm just big ol' celebrity me and for that I'm very grateful. I hoped to represent my community as well as I could and maybe bring a personal sight to it. I enjoyed meeting all of the candidates.
It's where I really looked at Dennis Kucinich wow you're not just a short guy, you actually have the policy and ideas and you are working to bring the change. The only trouble is he's way ahead of his time. And I swear we are going to look back and go "He was the leader of the peace movement," which is now taking a hold of the whole world and I am very happy to be a part of it.
And I got to really sit down face to face with Obama and Clinton. I had an opportunity that a lot of people don't get to have more of a personal interaction with them and if you're like me you get an impression from someone, and their energy when you're in the same space as them. I got to do that, and I was very grateful for that.
Rama: You were very lucky to do that. Especially in such an important election year, to be able to get the perspective that you did is a great opportunity. So on that note, have you endorsed anybody?
Etheridge: Yes, I am an Obama Mama.
Rama: An Obama Mama.
Etheridge: Yes and I made that choice on pretty much one thing.
Rama: What's that?
Etheridge: Because they're so close on so much else. I believe as an American citizen and as a citizen of the world that one of the greatest issues and greatest problems in our whole society and the way we set up our earth is multi-national corporations, that are really running the governments of the world and are slowly changing our earth into a factory. I know that they have totally taken over our government and special interests. And they don't even care whether it's Republicans or Democrats. They really don't. They have their issues and they have their agendas that they feel are important.
When I look at Obama and I look at Clinton I believe the Clintons are, and I have seen this through the many years of their public service, that they are close and totally connected with these multi-national corporations. I don't know about Obama. I imagine because of the money he has in his campaign that he's tied in to some. Yet I feel he is willing to change and work and he knows that these are some of the problems that we have. So in looking at that, that is why I chose Obama. I think we need a huge change. And the thing about well, he's not experienced, I think that that's what I'm voting for -- is that he is not of the old school.
Rama: Yeah, I think a lot of people feel that way. When you hear him, he's so hopeful, and you think well you know what maybe he can, and we don't know if he can, but maybe … just maybe.
Etheridge: And maybe we can. And maybe when we become a country that has elected this president. That we will rise up and change. And that's what's happening right now. I think we're in the middle of one of the greatest times in history. And we're going to look back and we're going to be able to tell our grandchildren that we brought about this change.
Rama: I hope so.
Etheridge: I believe it. You gotta believe it. When you're a cancer survivor it's now, you need it now.
Rama: And that's what's changed your perspective?
Etheridge: Yeah.
Rama: What would you like someone who doesn't know anything about Melissa Etheridge to know about Melissa Etheridge?
Etheridge: That you don't have to be gay to like my music.
Rama: (laughs) Do you know what's so funny, when I told people at the station that I was interviewing you, one of the first thing somebody said was "When she plays concerts is it just a gay crowd?" It just blows my mind to this day people still ask that.
Etheridge: I know, because I have never been just a gay crowd ever. I mean, yeah the first couple rows by the end of the show, they're pretty gay (laughs). But everybody else, all my fans are so different, different races, different ages, the couples, the men and women, the men and men, the women women. It's everything, it's a lovely mix of people. And I think that if you enjoy a couple of my songs and you think "I'd like to go but uh yea the gay thing." Really, just don't even let that, you will not notice. I mean you might notice a little more freedom in people but it's certainly not something to keep you away.
Rama: It shouldn't. You put on such an amazing show. And your concerts are fun.
Etheridge: It's lots of spirit, it's about the heart.
Rama: Melissa Etheridge thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us today.
Etheridge: Well thank you, I appreciate it and have a wonderful day.
Rama: You too, and good luck with the tour.
Melissa comments on California's Top Court Legalizing Gay Marriage
2008-05-16
"This landmark decision is the result of democracy in action. It is a glorious day for human rights and tonight I will joyfully be celebrating being a Californian, an American, and a human being."
- Melissa Etheridge
California Supreme Court Rules Same Sex Marriage Ban is Unconstitutional
Updated: May 15, 2008 06:23 PM
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - California's Supreme Court declared that gay couples in the nation's biggest state can marry - a monumental but perhaps short-lived victory for the gay rights movement Thursday that was greeted with tears, hugs, kisses and at least one instant proposal of matrimony.
Same-sex couples could tie the knot in as little as a month. But the window could close soon after - religious and social conservatives are pressing to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that would undo the Supreme Court ruling and ban
gay marriage."Essentially, this boils down to love. We love each other. We now have equal rights under the law," declared a jubilant Robin Tyler, a plaintiff in the case along with her partner. She added: "We're going to get married. No Tupperware, please."
A crowd of people raised their fists in triumph inside City Hall, and people wrapped themselves in the rainbow-colored gay-pride flag outside the courthouse. In the Castro, long the center of the gay community in San Francisco, Tim Oviatt wept as he watched the news on TV.
"I've been waiting for this all my life. This is a life-affirming moment," he said.
By the afternoon, gay and lesbian couples had already started lining up at San Francisco City Hall to make appointments to get marriage licenses. In West Hollywood, supporters planned to serve "wedding cake" at an evening celebration.
James Dobson - chairman of the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family, which has spent thousands of dollars to get the measure on the ballot - called the ruling an outrage.
"It will be up to the people of California to preserve traditional marriage by passing a constitutional amendment. ... Only then can they protect themselves from this latest example of judicial tyranny," he said in an e-mailed statement.
In its 4-3 ruling, the Republican-dominated high court struck down state laws against same-sex marriage and said domestic partnerships that provide many of the rights and benefits of matrimony are not enough.
"In contrast to earlier times, our state now recognizes that an individual's capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual's sexual orientation," Chief Justice Ronald George wrote for the majority in ringing language that delighted gay rights activists.
Massachusetts in 2004 became the first, and so far only, state to legalize gay marriage; more than 9,500 couples have taken advantage of the law. But the California ruling is considered monumental by virtue of the state's size - 38 million out of a U.S. population of 302 million - and its historical role as the vanguard of many social and cultural changes that have swept the country since World War II.
California has an estimated 108,734 same-sex households, according to 2006 census figures.
"It's about human dignity. It's about human rights. It's about time in California," San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, pumping his fist in the air, told a roaring crowd at City Hall. "As California goes, so goes the rest of the nation. It's inevitable. This door's wide open now. It's going to happen, whether you like it or not."
Unlike Massachusetts, California has no residency requirement for obtaining a marriage license, meaning gays nationwide are likely to flock to the state to be wed, said Jennifer Pizer, an attorney who worked on the case.
The ultimate reach of the ruling could be limited, however, since most states do not recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. Nor does the federal government.
The conservative Alliance Defense Fund said it would ask the justices for a stay of the decision until after the fall election in hopes of adding California to the list of 26 states that have approved constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage.
"We're obviously very disappointed in the decision. The remedy is a constitutional amendment. The constitution defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman," said Glen Lavy, senior counsel for the organization.
Opponents of gay marriage could also ask the high court to reconsider. If the court rejects such a request, same-sex couples could start getting married in 30 days, the time it typically takes for the justices' opinions to become final.
Attorney General Jerry Brown, whose office had argued to uphold the ban, said Brown will work with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state agencies to implement the ruling.
The case was set in motion in 2004 when the mayor of San Francisco - the unofficial capital of gay America - threw City Hall open to gay couples to get married in a calculated challenge to California law. Four thousand wed before the Supreme Court put a halt to the practice after a month.
Two dozen gay couples then sued, along with the city and gay rights organizations.
Thursday's ruling could alter the dynamics of the presidential race, as well as state and congressional contests in California and beyond, by causing a backlash among conservatives and drawing them to the polls in large numbers.
A spokesman for Republican John McCain, who opposes gay marriage, said the Arizona senator "doesn't believe judges should be making these decisions." The campaigns of Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton said they believe that the issue of marriage should be left to the states.
Ten states now offer some form of legal recognition to same-sex couples - in most cases, domestic partnerships or civil unions. In the past few years, the courts in New York, New Jersey and Washington state have refused to allow gay marriage.
Outside the San Francisco courthouse, gay marriage supporters cried and cheered as news of the decision spread. Jeanie Rizzo, one of the plaintiffs, called Pali Cooper, her partner of 19 years, via cell phone and asked, "Pali, will you marry me?"
California already offers same-sex couples who register as domestic partners many of the legal rights and responsibilities afforded to married couples, including the right to divorce and to sue for child support.
Citing a 1948 California Supreme Court decision that overturned a ban on interracial marriages, the justices struck down the state's 1977 one-man, one-woman marriage law, as well as a similar, voter-approved law that passed with 61 percent in 2000.
The chief justice was joined by Justices Joyce Kennard and Kathryn Werdegar, all three of whom were appointed by Republican governors, and Justice Carlos Moreno, the only member of the court appointed by a Democrat.
In a dissent, Justice Marvin Baxter agreed with many arguments of the majority but said that the court overstepped its authority and that changes to marriage laws should be decided by the voters. Justices Ming Chin and Carol Corrigan also dissented.
California's secretary of state is expected to rule by the end of June whether the sponsors gathered enough signatures to put the amendment on the ballot.
Schwarzenegger, a Republican who has twice vetoed legislation that would have granted marriage to same-sex couples, said in a statement that he respected the court's decision and "will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this state Supreme Court ruling."
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Melissa Comments in The Advocate On Legalization of Gay Marriage in CA
2008-05-15
The movers and shakers of the LGBT community tell The Advocate how they feel about the California supreme court's landmark decision May 15 to legalize same-sex marriage in the state. Read more
Melissa Interview in Billboard
2008-05-15
Melissa Interview in BillboardMelissa Etheridge plans to take her fans on a "journey" with her Revival tour. Read the article here.
New M.E.I.N. Interview with Melissa
2008-05-06
Questions were submitted by M.E.I.N. members and, as always, the interview was filled with her words of wisdom, lots of laughs and the positive energy that is Melissa Etheridge.
Read the InterviewMelissa Interview & Ticket Giveaway at MomLogic.com
2008-05-05
Read Melissa's thoughts on being a mom and enter to win tickets to her upcoming Revival 2008 summer tour.
Melissa to perform at "Rock To Win"
2008-05-02
Melissa will perform at the Human Rights Campaign's "Rock to Win" concert in Denver. The show is scheduled for August 26 at The Fillmore Auditorium and will take place during the Democratic National Convention.
What do YOU want to ask Melissa?
2008-04-22
Ever read an interview and wonder why no one seems to ask the questions you want answered? Well, this is your chance to ask those questions!
We will be taking questions from M.E.I.N. members for our upcoming interview with Melissa. Be sure to submit your questions in the M.E.I.N. Members area by Tuesday, April 29 at 12 Noon Pacific Daylight Time. Maybe Melissa will answers yours in our upcoming interview!
Thank you for your questions! We are no longer excepting questions for this interview!
Melissa's Podcast
2008-04-07
Hear Melissa's podcast on radio station KINK
Awakening At Easter - posted by Melissa on WashingtonPost.com
2008-03-24
Melissa shares her thoughts on the traditions of Easter in her guest post on washingtonpost.com.
Performance at Nobel Peace Prize Airs March 15
2008-03-14
Melissa will be performing "I Need To Wake Up" on the Nobel Peace Prize Show which airs Saturday, March 15 on Fox. Check your local listings for time in your area or visit MyNetworkTV.com
Melissa Featured On Hard Rock Annual 2008
2008-03-04
Melissa is featured in the Artists Of The Year For Life list, Hard Rock Annual 2008. "Melissa Etheridge has achieved more in the last few years alone than most people do in a lifetime."
Click here to view the article! (PDF File)
Melissa mentioned in SNL Skit
2008-03-03
The Awakening tee in Saturday Night Live skit. Check out the clip below where Juno's Ellen Page is wearing an Awakening tee
Click here to view the video.
New Interview with Melissa, Midweek Magazine (Hawaii)
2008-03-03
Feb 29, 2008 (Midweek Magazine)
GREAT AWAKENING
by Yu Shing Ting
Melissa Etheridge talks about her gay marriage and four children, beating breast cancer, winning an Oscar, and her first concert of 2008 here March 7.
Multi-platinum recording artist Melissa Etheridge brings her first show of The Awakening tour to Hawaii, performing on the Neal Blaisdell Concert Hall stage Mar 7. "There's going to be some Melissa favorites - Bring Me Some Water, Come To My Window and I'm The Only One,"says Etheridge. "I'm taking sort of a different approach to the whole concert. It's actually hard to describe. "There will be hits and also a lot of new stuff. And material from my new album (The Awakening) will be placed in there."
Etheridge, who won an Academy Award last year in the Best Original Song category for I Need to Wake Up, the theme song to the Academy Award-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth, has been to Hawaii "numerous" times and is looking forward to this upcoming visit that she is calling a paid vacation. "You guys run at my pace," she says. "What I love about Hawaii is that I really enjoy the emphasis on the environment and on the human spirit. Those are things that people on the Mainland look to replenish in their souls when they go over to Hawaii. That's a vacation." Etheridge will be in the Islands for about week, staying on Maui with wife Tammy Etheridge (formerly Tammy Lynn Michaels) and their four children: 16-month-old twins Johnnie Rose and Miller Steven (given birth by Tammy via an anonymous sperm donor) and 11-year-old Bailey Jean and 9-year-old Beckett (given birth by ex-companion Julie Cypher through artificial insemination with rocker David Crosby as the sperm donor).
"Hawaii is my idea of a vacation," says Etheridge, who lists Hanalei Bay on Kauai as one of her favorite places in the state."I love to just sit and feel the incredible breeze, reading and watching my kids play in the ocean is my idea of a incredibly wonderful time. "That's what I love about Hawaii. I sit there and all the kids can be happy. I can sit there all day long and I don't really have to do anything."
After her Hawaii concert - her first of 2008 - Etheridge doesn't start up again until June. Until then, she'll be back home in Los Angeles spending time with her family and recording a Christmas album, A New Thought For Christmas. "I usually don't tour unless the kids are out of school," she explains."But this date in Hawaii just happened to work out."
Etheridge's newest album, The Awakening, was released in September 2007 and was listed in Rolling Stone magazine's Top 50 Albums of the Year, coming in at No. 20. The Awakening has been described as a "colorful song cycle of her life story." In it, Etheridge openly shares her journey to becoming a rock star, life as a human rights activist, and more recently a parent and cancer survivor.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, Etheridge gave one of the most memorable performances in Grammy history when she appeared at the 2005 awards ceremony, bald from chemotherapy, and sang Piece Of My Heart in a tribute to rocker Janis Joplin. "I'm doing great,"says Etheridge on her personal battle with cancer. "I'm all clear for three years now, which is awesome. I'm actually healthier than I was then because I'm much more balanced in my diet, in my emotional life and spiritually. I'm just all much more balanced and that's what I believe health is. I'm actually glad I had that experience so I could reach the place that I'm at now. "Cancer survivors, they know that it's not about their hair, that it's about their health. There are more of us than they know. We're almost half the population in the U.S."
In addition to her music (she has two Grammy awards), Etheridge is also known for her voice on gay, environmental and human rights issues. "Winning the Academy Award last year was such an incredible experience because the movie meant so much," she says."It was so much bigger than all of us put together who worked on it and I was just so honored to be involved in that. "(The message of the film) It's the way that I live and the way I speak to people. And then to win an award for that was incredible." In an effort to save the planet, all of Etheridge's tour buses run on biodiesel fuel. She personally drives a Ford (diesel) Excursion and uses biodiesel in it. And she recycles. "We also have a hybrid and a couple of diesels," she says. "And I try to get off the grid as much as I can. "Also, when we go shopping we take our own bags. That's a huge thing. If people were aware of how many plastic bags go into landfills every day, it would freak you out. So, just doing that is a huge thing. Bringing your bags and putting the clothes that you buy, the books that you buy and the groceries that you buy in it."
With the little free time she has, Etheridge enjoys reading, yoga, taking walks and staying active. She's currently reading The Divine Matrix, which she says is "very good." But without a doubt, what she enjoys the most are the two things that consume most of her time: working and being with her family. "The twins, they're unbelievable," says Etheridge, who has a domestic partnership with Michaels that gives her some rights, including parental rights, to the babies."They're walking and running and starting to talk. They have their own little ideas and opinions about things. It's so awesome. "One thing I love about being a mom is the experience of it being yours. The spirit that is in these children. I have four little spirits and I'm watching them grow up and their impression of what the world is, and it's my job to slowly introduce them to the world in a kind and respectful way."
Melissa Nominated for GLAAD Award
2008-01-30
The 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards nominees have been released and Melissa has been nominated in the category of Music Artist for The Awakening. Check out the list of nominees.
Congratulations Melissa!
Melissa In Concert, Mar 7, 2008 Honolulu HI
2008-01-25
Melissa will be playing her first show of 2008 in Honolulu Hawaii at Neal Blaisdell Concert Hall. The show is scheduled for Friday, March 7 2008. Our Getaway To Paradise Travel Package and fan club ticket will be on sale Monday, Jan 21.
MetroTimes (Detroit) Reviews The Awakening
2008-01-24
The Awakening
MetroTimes
By: Mike Villano
Last summer, Melissa Etheridge looked out at the crowd gathered for the U.S. portion of Al Gore's Live Earth concert and said, "America, what happened to us?" Coming as it did in the middle of an incredibly moving set, Etheridge's emotions were palpable. The reactions from the audience ranged from tears to disgust; clearly she had touched a raw nerve that wasn't about to be discussed within the larger context of the event itself.
And then a bizarre thing happened: Her performance basically disappeared. On NBC's primetime highlights show that night, Etheridge's set wasn't included, and in the days that followed, reviews of the shows started popping up in the MSM, again with no mention of this truly outstanding performance. It wasn't even mentioned in passing that she was one of the performers. Just plain scary.
Completed before the Live Earth show, The Awakening is an autobiographic celebration of Etheridge's journey from a Midwestern girl with big dreams to L.A. rock star and the freedoms that come with that, which eventually led her to the realization that it was time to finally come out, and damn what the homophobic fans thought. The album's final third is where the real political sentiments come, however. Beginning with "The Kingdom Of Heaven," which examines religious fanaticism in both fundamentalist Christianity and radical Islam, even alluding to reprehensible Pastor Fred Phelps, he of the lovely "God Hates Fags" Web site. The album's final tracks allude to anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan and conscientious objector Army Lieutenant Ehren Watada. The stunning closing tracks, "Imagine That" and "What Happens Tomorrow," ultimately articulate Etheridge's real motive in making this album: an American artist and mother who wants a better world for her - and our - children, plain and simple. It'll be fascinating to see where her conscience takes her from here.
Dori Smith Interviews Melissa
2008-01-08
Melissa Etheridge talks about Dennis Kucinich, ABC's exclusion of her favorite candidate from the debates, and the influence of big media plus how to fight fear as a way of achieving larger goals. Listen Now!
Read The Bay Area Reporter's Review Of The Awakening
2008-01-03
The Awakening
Gregg Shapiro
Bay Area Reporter
January 3, 2008
The Awakening (Island), melissa Etheridge's 9th studio album and her first since her battle with cancer, finds her embracing her activist voice. Etheridge covers the politics of body image, religious fanaticism, war and more, and does so in what has become her signature style. I spoke with her about the new album and her own artistic awakening.
Gregg Shapiro: Would you say that The Awakening is your most personal and autobiographical effort?
Melissa Etheridge: It's the most consciously personal and autobiographical. Everything I've written has been personal, whether I knew it or not! I finally realized what I'm doing as an artist, and I finally let go of this dream of being some sort of famous thing.
GS: Does it ever surprise you to look back over the course of your nine studio albums, at the evolution of your political voice?
ME: That has definitely been a journey. I remember writing my first political song, "Testify," on my second album, Brave And Crazy. The song was about: I want to testify. Going back and listening to my songs, which I did on chemotherapy, I realized that I was forecasting. I want to be truthful.
GS: What is it about this set of songs that lent itself to being a song-cycle?
ME: The first song I wrote was "California," because I'd always wanted to write a song about California. So I did, and it turned out to be about leaving Kansas, and this place is going to make all my dreams come true. The second song I wrote was "Kingdom Of Heaven," and I thought, "Lord, I can't put that on the CD, people are going to crucify me. 'God is me,' what's that?" Then the songs came one by one until I finally just said, "Well, wait a minute, this is my journey," and I started realizing what I was writing.
GS: In spite of the album's serious nature, you find a way to work your sense of humor into it.
ME: That's because I want people to know, in expressing my awakening or my new spirituality, it's not a bummer, it is joy. Finding one true love can be extremely fun, sexual and exciting, and when you're in your 40s you're still very alive sexually for a long time. Yes, I can get political, and there are some serious issues in front of us and changes we need to make, but fun is a part of it.
GS: What did it mean to you to participate in the Democratic candidates' political debate on Logo?
ME: It meant that I was grateful for my celebrity. We live in a world of celebrity worship, we're celebrity-crazed. And I know that I was asked to be on that because I am a name, and it would bring in people. I hope that I represented my community, and it's hard the gay community, you can't get more different people; we're not even all Democrats or liberals. And I hope that I brought a personal side to it. That's what I was asked to do, and that's what I wanted to do. I was so honored to be there and I learned a lot.
Melissa #1 In "Top 10 Gay Stories of 2007"
2007-12-23
Check out the stories that topped 2007 according to 365gay.com:
1. Presidential Candidates Take Gay Concerns Seriously Gays and lesbians became major players in the Democratic primary race in 2007, with all of the candidates racing to assure us that they would (mostly) support our battle for civil rights. LOGO (which owns 365gay) and HRC made history by hosting a presidential debate for the Democratic candidates in which Richardson flubbed a question about choice, Kucinich rhapsodized about love and Melissa Etheridge impressed all of us with her wise questions.
Read more at 365gay.com
Melissa Interviewed For The Advocate, Jan 15, 2008 Issue
2007-12-21
Issue 1000 of The Advocate features a new interview with Melissa. This issue features Lance Bass on the cover. Excerpt: When she had recovered (from cancer) and was performing "I Run For Life" in front of live audiences, she noticed people were singing along, embracing what had been her soul's journey as their own. And then she understood. "Ah, that's what I'm supposed to do. That's the shaman in me. Music isn't a gold record on the wall and a manger and a deal with Coca-Cola. My job is to be a mirror, to inspire." - Melissa Etheridge
....Somehow, Melissa Etheridge belongs to us like a pair of jeans that only gets better with wear. - The Advocate
The Awakening On Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 50 List
2007-12-19
Congratulations to Melissa for The Awakening coming in at Number 20 on Rolling Stone Magazine's "50 Top Albums Of The Year." Here's what they had to say:
Etheridge has always had passion to burn. But there is a special urgency to the classy folk pop of her first studio album since she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. Etheridge is the fighting picture of health and hope as she hits and holds the high note in "California." There is intense reflection too in the quiet lessons of "All There Is" and the guilt of "An Unexpected Rain." In the latter, when Etheridge sings, "I've come so far in my Kansas dancing shoes," you hear every mile. On the rest of the album, you hear the thanks - and the determination to keep going.
Rolling Stone Magazine, issue 1042/1043, Dec 27, 2007 - Jan 10, 2008
New Content for M.E.I.N. Members!
2007-12-18
Check out videos for songs on The Awakening in the media section! Also, see what other M.E.I.N. members want to share with you!
Melissa Rocks The Nobel Peace Prize Concert
2007-12-12
Melissa joined artists Annie Lennox, Alicia Keys, Kylie Minogue, Juanes and Earth Wind & Fire at the Spektrum Arena, Oslo Norway, in celebration of Nobel Peace Prize recipients Al Gore and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change. Melissa was part of the Nobel Peace Prize Band who were accompanied by the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. Melissa performed "I Need To Wake Up" and "What Happens Tomorrow." The event was hosted by Kevin Spacey and Uma Therman. Check back soon as we will be posting a review from M.E.I.N. members who attended the event. You can also read a review here.
Photos: Sandy Young/WireImage
Billboard Reviews "California"
2007-12-10
Check out what Billboard Magazine had to say about Melissa's second single from The Awakening.
Read the Article here
Melissa to play Nobel Peace Prize Concert
2007-12-07
Melissa Etheridge and others will celebrate peace through music at 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Concert on December 11th in Norway.
Below is the Press Release:
ALICIA KEYS, MELISSA ETHERIDGE, ANNIE LENNOX, JUANES, KT TUNSTALL, EARTH, WIND & FIRE AND JUNOON TO CELEBRATE PEACE THROUGH MUSIC AT 2007 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE CONCERT DECEMBER 11TH IN NORWAY
Star-Studded Concert Honoring Peace Prize Laureates Al Gore & United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change To Air in More Than 100 Countries
OSLO, NORWAY, OCTOBER 19, 2007 - The Nobel Peace Prize Committee has announced an all-star lineup for the annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert the evening of December 11th at the Spektrum Arena in Oslo, Norway. The show will feature performances by world renowned acts including Alicia Keys, Melissa Etheridge, Annie Lennox, Juanes, KT Tunstall, Earth Wind & Fire and Junoon. Additional artists and concert hosts will be announced in coming weeks.
This year's Nobel Peace Prize Concert will honor laureates Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change.
This annual event, presented by the esteemed Norwegian Nobel Committee, is broadcast to more than 100 countries around the world. The award is given annually to an individual whose humanitarian efforts exemplify a spirit of generosity and leadership that will help spread the positive message manifested by the Nobel Peace Prize throughout the world.
"The Nobel Committee is pleased to welcome such a talented and eclectic group of artists for this momentous occasion," said Geir Lundestad, Secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. "Each year the concert is a wonderful celebration of peace and unity and we hope the world will tune-in and join us."
The Nobel Peace Prize is the most prestigious award in the world, honoring icons such as Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, Kofi Annan, and other remarkable individuals and organizations. For the past decade plus, the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony has been followed the next day by the Nobel Peace Prize Concert, a musical celebration honoring the laureate.
The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Concert lineup includes:
Alicia Keys - Nine-time Grammy Award winner Keys returns with her long-awaited third studio album, As I Am, set for a worldwide release on November 13, 2007 on J Records. Within 10 hours of being serviced to radio, Alicia's first single, "No One," became one of the fastest moving and highest charting single on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Since the 2001 debut of Songs In A Minor, the New York native has built an unparalleled repertoire of hits and accomplishments with over 20 million albums sold worldwide! Songs In A Minor, which spawned her signature hit "Fallin," sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and garnered five Grammy Awards including Best New Artist and Best R&B Album. Alicia's follow-up disc, 2004's The Diary of Alicia Keys, which is currently 7 times platinum, captured four Grammy Awards and featured the hits "If I Ain't Got You," "You Don't Know My Name," and "Karma." With the 2005 release of Unplugged, which has sold 2 million copies, Keys became the first female R&B artist to have three consecutive #1 debuts on the Billboard 200 album chart in as many releases.
Melissa Etheridge - It doesn't get much more elemental than "All There Is," the brief, swirling invocation of the essence of the universe with which Melissa Etheridge opens The Awakening, the ninth studio album of her singular career, just released on Island Records. The story she tells through this involving, colorful song-cycle, though, is completely her own, a tale that runs from her first uncertain steps through her well-chronicled rise to rock star, human rights activist, parent, cancer survivor and 2007 Academy Award winner for "I Need to Wake Up," featured in the Al Gore environmental documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." It's a journey full of joys and tears, portrayed in songs that are at turns powerful and playful, at once confessional and engaging, personal and universal. In other words, Melissa Etheridge at her creative peak and the most open she's ever been.
The Grammy Award winner first picked up the guitar at the age of eight and began penning her own songs shortly thereafter. Etheridge's fourth album, Yes I Am, proved to be her massive commercial breakthrough in 1995 with two major MTV/radio hits with "I'm the Only One" and "Come to My Window." The album 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.
Annie Lennox - Multi-million selling, iconic artist Annie Lennox released her fourth solo album, Songs Of Mass Destruction, in October 2007 through RCA Label Group. The first single to be taken from the eagerly awaited album is the wonderful and mesmerising Dark Road. In a career that has spanned over 25 years, including the 15 years since Annie released her first solo album, Diva, no other British female artist has achieved so much. Over 78 million sales across the globe, and 33 hit singles compliment the four Grammys, 11 BRITS, five Ivor Novellos, an Academy Award and two Golden Globes among other accolades.
In addition to her artistic achievements, Annie is a celebrated activist and humanitarian. Her new album features the powerful feminist anthem Sing, born out of Annie's involvement with Nelson Mandela's 46664 and Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) - organizations fighting for human rights, education and health care for those affected by the HIV AIDS virus. Sing features 23 of the most recognized and successful female solo artists in the world invited by Annie to raise awareness and finances for TAC initiatives. Included among the group are TAC activist members own vocal group known as "The Generics," whose music inspired Annie to make Sing a reality.
Juanes - One of the most popular and honored Hispanic artists of our time, Juanes was named by Time Magazine as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World" in 2005 for both his musical accomplishments and notable humanitarian efforts. The Colombian superstar has sold over ten million albums worldwide and won 12 Latin Grammy Awards. His new album La Vida Es Un Ratico ("Life is a Moment") is set for release this month by Universal Latino and is the much-anticipated follow-up to his globally multi-platinum release Mi Sangre. Before embarking on his hugely successful solo career, Juanes founded the rock band Ekhymosis, which recorded seven albums in 11 years and enjoyed considerable success in South America.
As an activist, Juanes established the Mi Sangre Foundation to help victims of land mines with his home country and was honored by at the annual benefit gala for Sir Paul McCartney's Adopt-A-Minefield for his work. In 2006, French Culture Minister Renaud Donnedie awarded Juanes with the highest cultural honor given by France, L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, declaring him "Knight in the order of Arts and Letters" for his work in social activism.
KT Tunstall - The Scottish-born singer-songwriter, known to her family as Kate, just released a highly-anticipated new album entitled Drastic Fantastic on Virgin Records. Tunstall's gritty, soulful debut, Eye to the Telescope was certified platinum in the U.S. and quintuple platinum in the U.K., with worldwide sales exceeding 3.5 million copies. Her music - a provocative sonic mesh of heartfelt pop, rootsy electric blues, and left-field alt-olk - became omnipresent all over radio, television, movies, and the Internet with multi-media exposure of its three singles (the Grammy-Award nominated "Black Horse the Cherry Tree," "Suddenly I See," and "Other Side of the World.").
Her latest album is filled with powerful lyrics and bold, colorful melodies, showing Tunstall's growth as both a songwriter and a musician. KT grew up in the university town of St. Andrews, the daughter of a grammar school teacher and a physicist. By age 16, Tunstall had fallen in with a group of local musicians and spent the next few years learning about folk music. Tunstall's musical journey eventually took her to Edinburgh, where she hosted her own acoustic nights, dubbed Acoustic Extravaganza. Finally, after deciding that opportunities for a career in music were passing her by, she moved to London where she burst upon the music scene and now calls home.
Earth, Wind & Fire - One of the most musically accomplished, critically acclaimed, and commercially popular funk bands of the 1970's, Earth, Wind & Fire (EWF) is still going strong three decades later with new material, collaborations with chart-topping artists and their elaborate and dynamic sold-out concerts around the world. Founded by Maurice White in Chicago in 1969, EWF's all-encompassing musical vision uses funk as its foundation, but also incorporates jazz, smooth soul, gospel, pop, rock & roll, psychedelia, blues, folk, African music, and disco.
In 1975, Earth, Wind & Fire first hit it big with the love-and-encouragement anthem "Shining Star," which shot to the top of both the R&B and pop charts, making EWF mainstream stars; it later won a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group. 1979's I Am contained EWF's most explicit nod to disco, a smash called "Boogie Wonderland" that climbed into the Top Ten. The band put together a string of six straight multi-platinum albums. After two decades of continued success, the group joined forces with several top-shelf contemporary artists and released 2005's Illumination. The album features collaborations with Kenny G, Will I Am of Black Eyed Peas and legendary producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
Junoon - With a distinct blend of Western and Eastern musical styles, Pakistani band Junoon has ignited audiences and sold over 20 million albums worldwide. Junoon has performed with Pearl Jam and Oasis, and was the first Asian band to appear at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark. The band has also raised awareness of political issues like AIDS, and was honored with the Outstanding Achievement in Music and Peace Award from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Junoon's roots stretch back to the 1970's when eleven-year-old Salman Ahmad and his family moved from Pakistan to New York, where he would attend a Led Zeppelin concert. Junoon formed in 1990 when Ahmad left the popular band Vital Signs. His vision was a combination of Eastern and Western styles that would heal the wounds of the world through music. The band called itself Junoon, which means "passion" in Urdu. Junoon's fame grew rapidly. Within months of the release of Azadi in 1997, the album had sold over half a million copies. In October of 2001, the band played a peace concert at the United Nations and VH1 aired a special about the group. In 2002, Junoon began a new chapter by releasing the antiterrorism song "No More" in English, another attempt to spread their message to a wider audience.
For more information on the Nobel Peace Prize and Concert, please visit nobelpeaceprize.org. Cisco Systems is a proud global sponsor of the Nobel Peace Prize Concert. The Nobel Peace Prize Concert is organized by the Norwegian Nobel Committee in cooperation with Dinamo Story and IMG.
Melissa One Of Top 25 Grammy Moments Of All Time
2007-12-04
Congratulations to Melissa for being voted one of the Top 25 Grammy Moments Of All Time for her performance of "Piece Of My Heart" with Joss Stone at the 2005 Grammy Awards ceremony. What an amazing honor and what an incredible performance!
Watch the performance
Melissa Etheridge to host "My Night At The Grammys" airing Nov 30 on CBS
2007-11-28
GRAMMY AWARD WINNERS MELISSA ETHERIDGE, FAITH HILL AND ALICIA KEYS TO HOST "MY NIGHT AT THE GRAMMYs," A NEW ENTERTAINMENT SPECIAL CELEBRATING THE UPCOMING GRAMMY AWARDS 50TH ANNIVERSARY WITH THE TOP 25 GRAMMY MOMENTS OF ALL TIME, AS VOTED ON BY VIEWERS, TO BE BROADCAST NOV. 30 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK
Christina Aguilera, Billie Joe Armstrong, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Bono, Elvis Costello, Celine Dion, Alan Jackson, Elton John, Ricky Martin and Usher Among The Stars Who Will Remember Their Own GRAMMY Moments. Two-time GRAMMY Award winner Melissa Etheridge, five-time GRAMMY Award winner Faith Hill and nine-time GRAMMY Award winner Alicia Keys will host MY NIGHT AT THE GRAMMYs, a new entertainment special celebrating the upcoming GRAMMY Awards 50th Anniversary with the Top 25 GRAMMY moments, as voted on by viewers, as well as the stories behind them as told by the artists themselves, to be broadcast Friday, Nov. 30 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
Christina Aguilera, Billie Joe Armstrong, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Bono, Elvis Costello, Celine Dion, Alan Jackson, Elton John, Ricky Martin and Usher will join hosts Etheridge, Hill and Keys remembering their own remarkable moments as performers and winners on past GRAMMY Awards shows. The special will feature some of the unique pairings the GRAMMYs have come to be renowned for including performances by the Gorillaz and Madonna, Eminem and Elton John, Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand, Jay-Z with Linkin Park and Paul McCartney, among others. The special will also feature a montage of acceptance speeches over the years, a special review of outstanding Lifetime Achievement Awards presentations and a view of 50 years of GRAMMY Awards as seen through the career of Tony Bennett beginning with his appearance on the 1963 "The Best on Record" show through the 49th GRAMMY Awards broadcast where he shared the award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals with Stevie Wonder for their duet, "For Once In My Life."
Viewers were invited to vote online for their favorites from a selection of 50 GRAMMY moments from past broadcasts including performances by Eric Clapton, Marvin Gaye, Bruce Springsteen and U2. The Top 25 were determined from that voting period.
Click here for more information
Melissa Etheridge Supports Dennis Kucinich
2007-11-21
Melissa Etheridge and The Safeway Foundation Celebrate!!!
2007-11-08
Melissa Etheridge and Safeway raised more than $16 million in October for breast cancer research and awareness. Melissa actively linked her efforts to a month-long public awareness campaign educating women on the importance of early detection through self exams and annual mammograms. Melissa's picture was on posters in Safeway stores throughout October as just a small part of a huge mutual effort to help raise funds for breast cancer research. Melissa's contributions during Breast Cancer Awareness month have been a wonderful success!
Melissa's Ebay Auction Raised $90,400 For Breast Cancer Research
2007-10-30
Our recent auction to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Research Fund was a tremendous success. The auction was for:
- two front row tickets and a meet & greet with Melissa on her 2008 summer tour
- a signed Ovation Guitar
- a signed The Awakening CD
There were two high bidders, who donated $45,200 each to the BCRF. Congratulations to Jane J and Kathy B, both M.E.I.N. members and thanks so much for your generous donations!
Win A Chance To Chat With Melissa
2007-10-29
Melissa will chat it up online with members of her official fan club, M.E.I.N., on Monday, November 5, 2007 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Sign up for a chance to be randomly picked for this chat. Once you submit your information you will be included in our random drawing. Please submit an email address that you check often as winners will be notified via email from cs@fanasylum.com. Members who have participated in an online chat within the past 12 months are not eligible for entry. You must be an official member of M.E.I.N. to enter.
We are no longer accepting entries to this contest! Winners will be notified via email. Thank you for participating.
If you did not get picked for this contest, you can still view it in the chatroom.
Melissa Nominated - Lifetime Achievement in Music Award 2007
2007-10-25
Melissa has been nominated in the Stonewall Society's 2007 Pride In The Arts Music Awards. Voting is open from Oct 14-Nov 14. Click here to learn more and to cast your vote.
Melissa to Play Hard Rock Live Nov 17
2007-10-22
Melissa to Play Hard Rock Live
Nov 17, Hollywood FL
Fan Club Tickets on sale Wednesday, Oct 24 at 11:00am PDT
Click here for more information
The Awakening Live DVD Available Nov 20
2007-10-22
Did you miss Melissa's legendary album performance at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York? Did you attend but still have the itch for more? Either way, mark your calendars! On November 20th, Melissa Etheridge's The Awakening LIVE DVD/CD set will be released! Now you can have that unforgettable experience for the first time or all over again! The set includes Melissa's incredible LIVE performance, a behind-the-scenes film, new videos from The Awakening, and more!
Meet Melissa & Front Row Tickets (2008 tour)
2007-10-16
Check out our new eBay auction for:
1) Two front row tickets to the MLE show of your choice on her 2008 tour.
2) Meet & Greet with MLE at the show
3) Autographed set list from the show
4) Autographed Ovation guitar
5) Autographed copy of The Awakening
Proceeds benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Interview with Melissa on Women Rock Radio
2007-10-15
Thursday, Oct 25 at 8:00pm EST/5:00pm PDT Women Rock Radio (an internet radio station) will be playing an hour of Melissa's music. At 9:00pm EST/6:00pmPDT they will air a new interview with Melissa as she discusses her new CD. For more information, visit: http://www.ntgradio.com/
Al Gore Wins Nobel Peace Prize
2007-10-12
Al Gore will share the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for their work to raise awareness about global warming. "This is a chance to elevate global consciousness about the challenges that we face now," Gore said, speaking to reporters in Palo Alto, California. "It truly is a planetary emergency, and we have to respond quickly." He announced that he would donate his half of the $1.5 million prize to the Alliance for Climate Protection, an organization he founded to persuade people to reduce global warming by cutting pollution.
Rolling Stone Magazine Review of The Awakening
2007-10-04
Oct 4, 2007
On her first album since being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, Melissa Etheridge finds both a depth and an ease that eluded her on previous releases. She's never had a problem with passion -- which is still present in boatloads here -- but now she has discovered restraint, fun and the joys of pop. "Message to Myself," the album's first single, borrows sunny harmonies and a catchy chorus from the Beatles, while a Stones-ish country-rock riff drives "Threesome," a sly paean to fidelity.
Unsurprisingly, spirituality and a regard for life in the here and now suffuse the album as well. "Imagine That" protests the Iraq War and lauds Cindy Sheehan, and "What Happens Tomorrow" envisions a more equitable world. Quieter moments like "A Simple Love," "I've Loved You Before" and "All There Is" establish the place of individual relationships and universal love in our lives. None of this feels abstract. Etheridge's conviction -- not to mention her muscular band -- conveys urgency, not piety. Her illness means she's earned the right to explore the big picture. But even if you had no idea of what Etheridge has been through, The Awakening would still rock your world.
RS: 3.5of 5 Stars Average User Rating: 4of 5 Stars
Anthony DeCurtis
UPDATED: Listening Party Escapade!
2007-10-02
We did it! All around the globe Melissa fans gathered together to celebrate the release of Melissa's concept album, The Awakening. It was a phenomenal effort with superhuman results! The energy and the excitement made our listening parties a proud moment for M.E.I.N. Our Team Leaders are a testament to how extraordinary ME fans really are. They made each party unique, exciting and an overall HUGE success for M.E.I.N. and Melissa. Thank you! We will be sharing awesome stories and photos with you, so be sure to keep popping your head in. You can read about our incredible turnout in L.A., the savvy Team Leaders who hosted events on their own, and check out the stories from our lucky autographed guitar winners. There is so much to look forward to.
Thank you for celebrating Melissa with us!
Check out the Listening Parties' reviews! Don't forget to check back as we are adding more cities and updates!
Want to share your own listening party experience? Email us your reviews and photos at reviews@melissaetheridge.com!
Melissa Rocks NYC
2007-09-26
amazing
emotional
inspirational
playful
joyous
phenomenal
How does one find the right words to describe a Melissa Etheridge concert? Awesome music and musicians, warm and happy feelings, camaraderie, a ton of energy and sincerity coming from the stage, lots of caring and love?this is the Melissa Etheridge concert experience.
It was a crazy Tuesday night in NYC and Melissa fans from all over the world were gathered to help her celebrate the release of her new album, The Awakening. The event was invita