Photos by Orest Dorosh – Melissa Etheridge is an American singer-songwriter and activist, born on May 29, 1961, in Leavenworth, Kansas. She began playing guitar at age eight and later attended Berklee College of Music before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a music career. Her 1988 self-titled debut album garnered attention, and her 1993 breakthrough, Yes I Am, featured the Grammy-winning hit “Come to My Window.” Known for her raspy voice and confessional lyrics, Etheridge has released 16 studio albums and sold over 25 million records worldwide. Wikipedia+2Wikipedia+2CT Insider+2
A prominent LGBTQ+ advocate, Etheridge publicly came out in 1993 and has been a vocal supporter of gay rights. She won an Academy Award in 2007 for the song “I Need to Wake Up” from the documentary An Inconvenient Truth. In 2004, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she overcame, and she has since been an advocate for cancer awareness and prevention. Her resilience and activism are central themes in her 2024 docuseries, Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken, which explores her experiences performing for female inmates and reflects on her personal journey. WikipediaPeople.com+1New York Post+1
Etheridge has been married to Linda Wallem since 2014, and they celebrated their tenth anniversary in 2024. Despite personal tragedies, including the loss of her son Beckett to opioid addiction in 2020, Etheridge emphasizes the importance of love and support in her life. Her enduring career and advocacy continue to inspire audiences worldwide.
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