MELISSA NEWS:
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 invitation only and the place was packed with M.E.I.N. members and their friends and loved ones. Fans stood in line for hours chatting and sharing their common bond - Melissa, her music and her message. It was a real coming together of the Melissa community.
The crowd poured into the intimate venue and soon it was show time. Celebrities filed in including Al & Tipper Gore, Jan Warner (Rolling Stone), Kelli O'Donnell, Dweezil Zappa, and others. Melissa began by answering questions from the audience and acknowledging the many familiar faces of her devoted fans in the crowd. It was then time to begin the concert but this wouldn't be the usual concert - Melissa would be playing every song from The Awakening.
The night included some massive audience sing-alongs... from "I'm sending out a message to myself, sha-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la," to the more thought provoking "What Happens Tomorrow." Fans held up "I Am Awake" bumpstickers and Melissa, overcome with emotion, had to walk away from the mic to compose herself. The encore included "I Need To Wake Up" and "Not Tonight" a song originally written for The Awakening but not included on the album. The concert was being filmed for a DVD so images of the audience as well as what was happening on stage were being projected on the various screens around the venue. As Melissa played "I Need To Wake Up," the camera focused briefly on Al Gore who was sitting with his hand over his heart. Next to him, Tipper sang along and rocked out.
When the concert was over and as we looked around the room, we felt pride and a shared sense of the feeling that all things are possible. Melissa and her message came across loud and clear. We have come to know many of Melissa's fans over the years as well as her management and crew. What a wonderful organization and community to be a part of! Thanks to Melissa and her crew and especially her amazing fans for making this such a special night and one many of us will never forget.
- The M.E.I.N. Staff
Comments on the evening from forum members:
Tracy: What an awesome night! Melissa came out before the start of the concert and had a question and answer period. The entire time Melissa was answering my question "How did you know when the CD was finished and ready to be released?" she looked me directly in the eye... she has the most intense eyes. Cool seeing the celebrities in the audience. Then after the question and answer period the show began. A boardie handed out I'M AWAKE bumberstickers to pretty much the entire front half of the audience. When Melissa began singing "What Happens Tomorrow" we all held them up. She got ALL choked up and had to walk away from the microphone. She thanked us for doing that and continued the song. I loved every second. Can't wait for the tour next summer!!!!!
Ladybugkris: Melissa looked incredible wearing new jeans, a greyish t-shirt and that pink overshirt that is in some of the current photos of her, and she sounded amazing. She really seemed to be having a lot of fun. It was one of her best performances and she seemed to love it just as much as we all did!!!
Dogrescuergirl: All I can say is WOW WOW WOW!!!!!! That was unfreakinbelievable. Just unbelievable. MLE rocked just as I was expecting, better even. I hope this comes out on CD live because the live of this is so much more powerful than the CD. There's not much more I can say because how do you put that feeling of being there, at the front of the stage, with your hero standing mere feet away from you, into words.
Nybabe58: What an incredible night at the Hard Rock Cafe!! To say this couldn't be any better is an understatement. I must give a shout out to so many new faces/boardies I met last night... great to finally meet you and so many others. We had originally thought we'd go and just find our place in line and then walk around the city but changed our minds when we saw it would be fun just to hang out and get to know people. Had a blast.
On to the show. Talk about over the top. Melissa and the band rocked our socks off! The biggest laugh of the night was when she started the song "Threesome" and IAM created this photo that originally was the Kissing Oscar Picture with Melissa and Tammy and removed the Oscar and placed a great shot of Linda Evan in between and it truly showed them both kissing her. When Melissa began the song she turned and cracked up! Talk about a fun night! What a nite and if this is any reflection of what is to come in 2008 I just can?t wait!
LisaD: Melissa put on quite a show. The Hard Rock was a great place to see her, too! She looked great, happy, vibrant, refreshed and was very into her music. She rocked and you can tell she loves this album. Phillip Sayce, what can one say about that young man? I've been to a lot of shows in my life and I can honestly sit here and say I have never seen a lead guitarist who comes slightly close to him. He is unbelievable; he and his guitar become one the moment the stage lights come on. All in all it was a great night, thanks M.E.I.N. for making the tickets available to us
Spktru14: I just have to say how great of an experience that show was last nite at the Hard Rock. For me, as well as others I am sure, that was an opportunity of a lifetime. I wouldn't trade that experience for the world. Melissa & the band ROCKED OUT last nite. Thank you Melissa for this amazing experience - one I will keep in my heart and memory forever. I personally love the album and the passion and emotions that are in the album. Thank you again and can't wait for the summer tour.
IAM: You cannot just say OMG about last nights show...you have to spell it out....OH MY GOD what a show? I swore after the Roseland shows, I would never wait in line for hours and not have seats at a MLE concert. Well that went right out the window and I showed up at the line at about 11AM....and YES...there were already others there before me. I did have a few things planned for the night. I handed out 120 bumper stickers to fans and asked that they hold them until MLE sang "What Happens Tomorrow." The stickers went up and we all had a very special MLE moment. To sum it up...this show was over the top....MLE was as good as she could ever be....Philip was unreal how he played last night....and being in the first row, leaning on the stage right in front of Philip I got a close up of his playing and HE ROCKED. Again all the boardies I met last night, your were all so kind, fun and great concert buddies. Looking forward to seeing you in the Summer 2008 Tour.
kathyb: What a Melissa high I had last night!! Everyone rocked. Philip was so sweet - I met him in the Hard Rock store last nite and when I asked him for a picture he put his arm around me and handed my camera to someone to take a picture of us together....((((Philip)))) I met some terrific Melissa fans last night and was happy to see everyone smiling. I was especially touched when Melissa started to sing "what happens tomorrow" and she was visibly moved by her fans response.
Upcoming TV/Web Appearances
2007-09-24
Upcoming TV Appearances:
Thursday, Sept 27: The Today Show & Letterman
Friday, Sept 28: Regis & Kelly
Saturday, Oct 6: Wetten Dass (T.V. show taping in Basel Switzerland)
Wednesday, Oct 10: Tyra Banks Show
Past Web Appearance:
Nissan Live Sets on Yahoo! Music
Melissa's performance on Stripped available Sept 25
2007-09-18
STRIPPED is Clear Channel's exclusive in-studio performance series created for artists who thrive on performing without the typical studio and video embellishments. Just music, raw and real! Melissa's recent performance will be available on the Stripped site on Sept 25.
Radio Station KLOS (Los Angeles) Monday, Sept 17
2007-09-13
Tune in to radio station KLOS in Los Angeles on Monday, Sept 17 at 9:00am PDT for a little surprise.
Melissa on the cover of Go NYC
2007-09-11
Melissa is currently featured on the cover of Go NYC, a national lesbian monthly. Check out the cover:
Checking In with Melissa
2007-09-11
It's been a whirlwind of activity at M.E.I.N. headquarters since the announcement of the September 25 release of Melissa's new album, The Awakening . The air is filled with the excitement, anticipation and joy that always accompany something new from Melissa. Like on your birthday, when you're eagerly waiting to unwrap a present!
We sat down for a chat with Melissa as she answered questions emailed in from M.E.I.N. members. She was her usual warm and happy self, laughing…and occasionally yawning (remember, she has twins) as we talked. Thanks to our Members for sending in questions and to Melissa for always speaking true.
Read the InterviewNew York Times Article regarding last month's Democratic Presidential forum
2007-09-10
"Gay Musician Skewers Candidates"
By BRIAN STELTER
Published: September 10, 2007
In last month's forum among the Democratic presidential candidates sponsored by the gay and lesbian cable channel Logo, seemingly simple questions were the most memorable. And many came from a somewhat surprising source: Melissa Etheridge, the rock musician who was invited to sit on the panel of mostly journalists.
To John Edwards: "I have heard that you have said in the past that you feel uncomfortable around gay people. Are you O.K. right now?" (Mr. Edwards denied ever saying such a thing and the issue was put to rest.)
To Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ms. Etheridge said that gays and lesbians were "thrown under the bus" after the 1992 election. "Are we going to be left behind the way we were before?" (Mrs. Clinton said she didn't see it quite that way.)
To Bill Richardson: "Do you think homosexuality is a choice or is it biological?" (Mr. Richardson's hesitant response became the pre-eminent headline of the forum.)
Viewers may have wondered whether Ms. Etheridge had any experience questioning politicians. In a phone interview last week, she said it was her inexperience that gave her an advantage.
"Maybe I didn't know the decorum. I didn't know the 'shoulds' of what you should do," Ms. Etheridge said. "I did try to be personable and did try to ask simple questions, and maybe that's what we've moved away from in our political discourse."
Her performance earned her plaudits. Bill O'Reilly, who regularly admonishes celebrities for promoting political positions, praised Ms. Etheridge's performance on his Fox News Channel show.
"I think Etheridge should do 'Meet the Press,' " he said, calling her "a tougher interviewer than most network news guys."
Ms. Etheridge said she appreciated Logo's forum because the six Democratic candidates were questioned separately, allowing for thoughtful answers as opposed to short sound bites. And she's already declared her preference for one of the Democratic candidates, Dennis Kucinich.
With 14 months till Election Day, Ms. Etheridge is skeptical she'll be asked to sit on another panel. "The way our media is set up, I don't know if I'll be invited."
Click here for the source.
Watch Melissa's live performance on Yahoo Music! Nissan Live Sets
2007-09-06
Melissa's August 21 live performance at Nissan Live Sets is now available for viewing. This is the FIRST time she has performed her new album The Awakening in its entirety and is also unprecedented for Nissan Live Sets!
Check out her performance, the fan blog, Q&A and photo galleries.
You can also read the full length version of the fan blog.
UPDATED 9/5 - Melissa Sings National Anthem At AQUOS® 500 at California Speedway
2007-09-06
*UPDATES*
Click on photos to enlarge.
Click here to view Melissa perform the National Anthem
Melissa performs the National Anthem prior to the Sharp AQUOS® 500 at California Speedway on Sunday, September 2. "As an outspoken advocate for the environment, human rights, and cancer survivors, Melissa Etheridge is more than just a wonderfully talented musician," Speedway president Gillian Zucker said. "We can't wait to introduce this Grammy and Academy Award winner to NASCAR at California Speedway." For more info, go here.
Melissa On The Cover Of Performing Songwriter Magazine
2007-08-24
Melissa is on the cover of the Sept/Oct 2007 issue of Performing Songwriter Magazine (Issue 104). The issue also contains a new interview and some great photos. For more information, click here
The Awakening Listening Parties
2007-08-14
Hear Melissa's new CD, The Awakening, in it's entirety before the official September 25 release date. Check back for details coming soon!
"I Need To Wake Up" Nominated in World Soundtrack Awards
2007-08-13
"I NEED TO WAKE UP" from An Inconvenient Truth has been nominated in the Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film category for the World Soundtrack Awards. Congratulations Melissa!
Winners will be announced at the World Soundtrack ceremony and concert on Saturday October 20, 2007 in Ghent, Belgium.
Nominees - Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film
"Le Festin" from Ratatouille Music & Lyrics by Michael Giacchino and Performed by Camille
"Falling Slowly" from Once Written and Performed by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
"I Need To Wake Up" from An Inconvenient Truth Written and Performed by Melissa Etheridge
"When You Taught Me How To Dance" from Miss Potter Written by Mike Batt, Nigel Westlake, and Richard Maltby, Jr. Performed by Katie Melua
"You Know My Name" from Casino Royale Written by Chris Cornell and David Arnold and Performed by Chris Cornell
Vote in Our Democratic Presidential Debate Poll
2007-08-11
We want to hear from you! After watching the debate, how do you think the candidates faired? Please note you can only vote once.
Melissa Guest Panelist On Historic Democratic Presidential Debate
2007-08-10
MELISSA FOR PRESIDENT!!!
Last night history was made, and our 'hero' Melissa Etheridge was there on the front line.
The first presidential forum for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community was held in Los Angeles on Thursday, August 9, 2007. Melissa was a guest panelist for this historic event. The forum, co-sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign Fund and LOGO featured Democratic hopefuls Barack Obama, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich, Mike Gravel, Bill Richardson, and Hillary Clinton.
Melissa joined fellow panelists HRC President Joe Solmonese, journalist Jonathan Capehart, and host Margaret Carlson to serve up hard and important questions to the candidates on topics concerning the LGBT community. Melissa was not shy and spoke true throughout the night, pushing for clarity and commitment on the candidates? positions.
Melissa invited M.E.I.N. staff to be present. As members of the community and believers in the principals and foundations that our country was born from, we were honored and encouraged by the passion, strength and commitment that Melissa exhibited.
Just to have this forum is monumental and for Melissa to be one of the leaders standing tall on the front line is motivating and inspirational.
Thank you Melissa for being you, for speaking your truth and for standing up and being heard for all of us.
- The Staff of M.E.I.N.
If you didn't have a chance to watch the Debate, visit LOGO to find out when it will be rebroadcast or how to stream the program on your computer.
Melissa On Entertainment Tonight
2007-08-10
Melissa will be on ET discussing the events of last nights Democratic Presidential Debate. Check out the video clip from ETonline.
"Message To Myself" Video Premiere
2007-07-31
Watch for the video premiere of Melissa Etheridge's first single, "Message To Myself" on Yahoo! Music Wednesday Aug 1.
Billboard Review of "Message To Myself"
2007-07-27
Billboard magazine reviews Melissa's new single, "Message To Myself." You can read the review here and in the August 4, 2007 issue of Billboard magazine.
The Awakening Press Release
2007-07-27
MELISSA ETHERIDGE TO RELEASE NEW STUDIO ALBUM
THE AWAKENING ON SEPTEMBER 25TH ON ISLAND RECORDS
"MESSAGE TO MYSELF" IS FIRST SINGLE
Los Angeles, CA - It was announced today that multi-platinum Oscar®-winner and two time Grammy®-winner Melissa Etheridge will release her first studio album in 3 ½ years, THE AWAKENING, on September 25, 2007 on Island Records. Her 9th studio album, THE AWAKENING, has been described as a collection of powerful and playful yet confessional and engaging songs that are personal as well as universal. THE AWAKENING was co-produced with David Cole and recorded with her band: bassist Mark Browne, drummer Mauricio 'Fritz' Lewak, and guitarist Philip Sayce.
The first single, "Message to Myself," goes to radio on July 30. It rides an indelible pop hook that is surely Melissa's most buoyant sing-along. The sly "Threesome" is a country-rocker that is unlikely to be covered by Carrie Underwood. Other songs include "California," "An Unexpected Rain," "I've Loved You Before" and "The Universe Listened." They are poetically detailed chapters of her remarkable life and the epiphanies along the way.
"The album is my story and my journey. I hope that it will ring universally," states Melissa. "I began to retrace the path of my own American dream: from my early years in California in the '80s, to my dream for fame and fortune and my sad realization of the false images that lead so many of us into misery," elaborates Melissa. The story begins with Melissa's first steps, continuing through her well-chronicled rise to fame as a rock star, activist, parent of four, cancer survivor, and 2007 Academy Award winner for her song "I Need To Wake Up."
Melissa's first album, Melissa Etheridge (1988), was a critically-acclaimed debut that led to an invitation to sing on the 1989 Grammy® Awards broadcast. For several years, her popularity built around such memorable originals as "Bring Me Some Water," "No Souvenirs" and "Ain't It Heavy," for which she won a Grammy® in 1992. Etheridge hit her commercial and artistic stride with her fourth album, Yes I Am (1993). The collection featured the massive hits, "I'm the Only One" and "Come to My Window," a searing song of longing that brought Etheridge her second Grammy® Award for Best Female Rock Performance.
In 1995, Etheridge issued her highest charting album, Your Little Secret, which was distinguished by the hit single, "I Want to Come Over." Her astounding success that year led to Etheridge receiving 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, releasing Skin (2001) and the upbeat Lucky (2004) along with her DVDs Live And Alone (2002) and Lucky Live (2004). 2005 marked the release of Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled, which includes "I Run for Life," commissioned by Ford Cares as part of their cancer initiative in support of The Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure. The album was recently re-released in an Eco-pak, to include Melissa's Oscar® winning song "I Need To Wake Up." 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.
"This is my ninth album and I wanted to get back to why I love music," Melissa says of The Awakening. "It's already a success for me. I got to create it. That was the fun and joy."
Melissa Contributes Vocals To Annie Lennox Release
2007-07-20
The new Annie Lennox release Songs Of Mass Destruction, will be released on October 2. Among the songs on the album is "Sing" which was inspired by her work with Nelson Mandela's 46664 campaign to curb the spread of AIDS. The song includes contributions from 23 superstar female vocalists, including Melissa Etheridge, Madonna, Sarah McLachlan and others.
Melissa Etheridge makes surprise visit to Lafayette
2007-07-19
Melissa Etheridge makes surprise visit to Lafayette. Read more here!
Melissa To Host Presidential Candidates Forum
2007-07-11
Logo, a division of Viacom's MTV Networks, and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation will co-present an historic televised forum on issues of importance to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community with the leading 2008 Democratic presidential candidates, including, currently confirmed and in alphabetical order, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The one-hour event will be held on August 9th at 6:00PM PT / 9:00 PM ET in Los Angeles before a studio audience and broadcast live, without commercial interruption, exclusively on Logo's 24/7 cable television channel as well as through live streaming video at LOGOonline.com.
See Logo News for more details.
"Imagine That" on Randi Rhodes Show - Listen Here
2007-07-09
On July 9, 2007, Randi Rhodes interviewed Cindy Sheehan. Ms. Sheehan has been trying to have an audience with President Bush for the past year about her son who died fighting in Iraq. Randi played Melissa's new song "Imagine That" during the interview. Those who viewed Melissa's powerful set during Live Earth witnessed her performance of "Imagine That" which references Cindy Sheehan's situation. M.E.I.N. members can listen to the 3-hour interview here.
Track Listing For The Awakening Revealed!
2007-07-02
As it gets closer to the September 25 release date of The Awakening, anticipation is in the air. How many songs? What will they sound like? Rockers or ballads? Be sure to come back soon as we will preview these songs, exclusively right here!
All There IsCalifornia
An Unexpected Rain
Message To Myself
God Is In The People
Map Of The Stars
Threesome
All We Can Really Do
I've Loved You Before
A Simple Love
Heroes And Friends
The Kingdom Of Heaven
Open Your Mind
The Universe Listened
Imagine That
What Happens Tomorrow
Melissa Blogs About Her New Album
2007-06-20
Read Melissa's new blog in the M.E.I.N. members-only section. She blogs about the writing, recording & release date for the new album, The Awakening.
The Live Earth Badge Is Here!
2007-06-18
Check out this really cool site. Find out more about the Live Earth concerts and how you can help spread the word about ways to combat global warming.
Melissa Speaks Green in Rolling Stone
2007-06-14
Keep an eye out for the June 28 issue of Rolling Stone magazine. Melissa has a few quotes in an article titled, "Rock's New Mission: Save the Planet."
View the article.
New Summer Items
2007-05-30
We've stocked the shelves with new summer items! Go to the M.E.I.N. Store to check out:
Flower of Life Polo Shirt
Women's Hemp Tee
Eco-Symbols Hemp Cap
Beach Towel & Bottle Bundle
Gold Guitar Necklace
Melissa receives ASCAP Founders Award
2007-04-17
On Wednesday, April 18 Melissa will receive the ASCAP Founders Award during the performing rights group's 24th annual Pop Music Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. The ceremony is part of ASCAP's "I Create Music Week" to celebrate songwriters and music-makers. Other festivities surrounding this event include the Film & Television Music Awards honoring composer Marc Shaiman, and the second annual ASCAP "I Create Music" Expo, a three-day conference dedicated to songwriting and composing, at the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel.
Congratulations Melissa!
Live Earth Concert On Sale April 16!
2007-04-11
As we reported back in February, Melissa will perform at Live Earth Concerts - Save Our Selves, on July 7, 2007. More than 100 of the world's top acts will unite against global warming. Event organizers have just announced 16 of the headliners for the U.S. leg of the show, to be held at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. The concerts will be streamed live on MSN and each concert will run between four and eight hours.
Headliners include: AFI, Akon, Alicia Keys, Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, Fall Out Boy, John Mayer, Kanye West, Kelly Clarkson, KT Tunstall, Ludacris, Melissa Etheridge, Rihanna, Roger Waters, Smashing Pumpkins and The Police will all share the stage as more than 2 billion viewers worldwide tune in via TV, radio and internet distribution.
Tickets for the show go on sale Monday, April 16 at 10 a.m.
For more info visit: Live Earth's homepage
Free Oscar® Magnet Offer Extended
2007-04-10
Join or renew M.E.I.N. before May 1st and receive a limited edition keepsake of Melissa's Academy Award winning night. An exclusive, commemorative magnet honoring Melissa's brand new Oscar® will be included in your membership kit when you join/renew.
"Come To My Window" on South Park
2007-04-09
South Park will use "Come To My Window" in this weeks episode which airs Wednesday, April 11 on Comedy Central. Check local listings for time in your area.
The Making of "An Inconvient Truth" ~ Showtime On Demand
2007-04-05
If you haven't had the chance to see this special, check out Showtime. The special airs through April 8 and features Melissa's video "I Need To Wake Up."
Bring Me Some Bootlegs - New Contest!
2007-04-04
You know that great little video clip you took at Melissa's show while trying to avoid the burly security guard who was trying to get your camera? Or that amazing photo of Melissa that you snapped and have been unable to get posted on the M.E.I.N. message board? Well now is your chance to submit those images for possible use in the promotion of Melissa's upcoming CD!
Melissa is putting out the call to all her fans to submit their best video or photo images. All you need to do is upload the video/photos to our web site and we'll take it from there. It is important that the files you are submitting are your own property meaning that they were shot or taken by you.
Melissa will look through all the entries and pick five grand prize winners. The winners will receive signed copies of An Inconvenient Truth & the re-packaged Eco Pak Road Less Traveled Greatest Hits from Melissa and Al Gore. And no worries about any repercussions from submitting bootleg material - today is a whole new day!
CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!
Check out the transcript for Melissa's chat last night!
2007-03-16
M.E.I.N members had an opportunity to chat it up with Melissa. Come check out what fans, like yourself, asked Melissa and how she responded! Check it out here!
Melissa Blogs About Her Oscar®
2007-03-07
Read Melissa's new blog in the M.E.I.N. section. She blogs about her Oscar® win.
Click here to read Melissa's new blog! (members-only)
Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled will be re-released on March 13, 2007
2007-03-06
Melissa Etheridge's Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled will be re-released on March 13th, 2007 by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe)/Island Records in its ground-breaking environmentally-friendly packaging format. A first for the music industry, the standard package (both sleeve and tray) will be completely paper-recyclable, continuing the company's long-standing commitment to being "green".
This enhanced cd includes both the track and music video of the Oscar® Winning and Grammy® nominated song 'I Need To Wake Up' from the Oscar® winning documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth' featuring Al Gore. After receiving an invitation from Vice President Gore to attend his slide show Melissa wrote this song for the end titles.
Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled covers Etheridge's career to date, including hits like "Come To My Window," "I Want To Come Over," and "Bring Me Some Water" through "I Run for Life," an inspiring anthem for those who, like Etheridge, have had their lives impacted by breast cancer and the Oscar® winning "I Need To Wake Up".
Etheridge is scheduled to perform on July 7 as part of the 24-hour worldwide series of "Live Earth" concerts. The event is part of the recently launched Save Our Selves (SOS) Campaign for a Climate in Crisis.
UMe is the first North American music company to replace the traditional jewel case with recycled paperboard sleeves and the plastic tray with trays made from PaperFoam®, a new packaging technology from Shorewood Packaging, a business of International Paper, that is paper-recyclable and biodegradable. Shorewood Packaging is the first North American packaging supplier to produce disc trays from PaperFoam®.
I Need To Wake Up Bundle
2007-03-04
Melissa has an Oscar® for "I Need To Wake Up" and it's time to celebrate! This earth-friendly bundle includes:
- Re-release of the enhanced Road Less Traveled CD (which includes the audio & video of "I Need To Wake Up") in it's ground-breaking environmentally-friendly packaging format.
- A cool blue Melissa Etheridge Rainforest Hemp tee
- The perfect companion- the M.E.I.N. Rainforest hemp tote bag ideal for carrying those organic vegetables
All this goodness for a breathtaking $39.95, while supplies last.
Orders made before April 1st will receive the Academy Award commemorative magnet at no charge.
*Orders will ship starting March 14
*Smalls are back ordered until March 21
Media coverage for Melissa & I Need To Wake Up!
2007-03-01
UPDATED: Access Hollywood Tuesday Friday on "Instant Access Hit"
CNN Tuesday on CNN affiliates & Headline news
AP TV "New Music Tuesdays"
E! "Daily 10" on Tuesday, as well as E! News
KTLA Morning News Friday morning
Watch Melissa Oscar® Footage
2007-02-28
Oscar.com Thank You Cam
To view her video:
- Click here
- Wait for the commerical to finish
- Scroll down to the "Thank You Cam" section
- Select "Original Song - An Inconvenient Truth" (on the right)
Melissa Wins An Oscar®!
2007-02-27
Congratulations Melissa on winning your first Oscar®! Melissa won in the category of "Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)" for her song "I Need To Wake Up" from the documentary feature "An Inconvenient Truth."
Melissa To Perform at Live Earth Concerts - Save Our Selves 7.7.07
2007-02-20
Al Gore has announced a series of worldwide concerts to take place on July 7, 2007, in Shanghai, Johannesburg, Sydney, London and cities to be announced in Japan, Brazil and the United States. The 24-hour event is part of the Save Our Selves Campaign which addresses our global climate crisis.
More than 100 performers are scheduled to appear, including Melissa Etheridge, Foo Fighters, Lenny Kravitz, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Duran Duran, Korn, Pharrell, Black Eyed Peas, Akon, Enrique Iglesias, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. Proceeds from the event will create a foundation to combat climate change led by The Alliance for Climate Protection, which is chaired by Gore.
The concerts will be streamed live on MSN, each concert will run between four and eight hours and locations and ticket sales information will be announced in March. The event is estimated to attract two billion viewers, most of them via television, radio and the Web.
For more details, visit:
liveearth.org
saveourselves.com
liveearth.msn.com
Melissa to Perform at the Oscars®
2007-02-14
Melissa will be performing her song "I Need To Wake Up" at the 79th Academy Awards on February 25, 2007. Melissa has been nominated in the category of "Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)" for her song "I Need To Wake Up" from the documentary feature "An Inconvenient Truth."
The Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, February 25, 2007, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network at 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST), beginning with a half-hour arrivals segment, "The Road to the Oscars®."
Melissa Grammy® News
2007-02-12
For those of you tuned into the Grammy's last night looking for Melissa who was scheduled to present, she missed the festivities as she was at home sick with the flu. Get well soon Melissa!
Melissa Attends Oscar® Luncheon
2007-02-07
Melissa attended the 79th annual Academy Award nominees luncheon held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 5, 2007 in Beverly Hills. Melissa has been nominated in the category of "Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)" for her song "I Need To Wake Up" from the documentary feature "An Inconvenient Truth."
View photos of Melissa in attendance @ the 49th annual Academy Award nominees luncheon: Reuters | Yahoo! !
49th Grammy® Online Charity Auction
2007-02-07
Bid on exclusive guitar autographed by Melissa in the 49th Grammy® Online Charity Auction benefiting MusiCares and the Grammy Foundation. Auction runs now through February 15 (with a special second round running February 12-22.)
Visit ebay.com/grammy to check out the auction today!
"I Need To Wake Up" by Shinji Harada
2007-02-07
Shinji Harada, a famous pop artist in Japan, has recorded a version of "I Need To Wake Up," Melissa's Oscar®-nominated song, with The Voices of Japan, a famous choir. This version was performed at a reception for Al Gore during a recent visit to Japan. Listen Now
Melissa Interviewed in Science of Mind Magazine
2007-02-02
Melissa is interviewed in the February issue of Science of Mind Magazine. Pick up your copy today!
Melissa To Present @ The Grammys®
2007-02-02
Melissa will be a presenter at this year's Grammy's. Along with presenting, Melissa has been nominated for Best Song from a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual by the Grammys® for her song “I Need To Wake Up" written for Al Gore's feature documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth." The music industry's premier event will take place live on Sunday, Feb. 11, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in HDTV and 5.1 Surround Sound on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).
Melissa Nominated for an Oscar®!
2007-01-23
Congratulations Melissa on your first Oscar® nomination! Nominations for the 79th Academy Awards® were announced Tuesday, January 23, 2007 by Academy President Sid Ganis and past Oscar® nominee Salma Hayek. Melissa has been nominated in the category of "Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)" for her song "I Need To Wake Up" from the documentary feature "An Inconvenient Truth."
Melissa will perform her song "I Need To Wake Up" at the Academy Awards ceremony on February 25, 2007.
Statement from Melissa:
"Al Gore has crashed through the barriers of partisanship and brought the single most important issue of our time to the forefront. To have this song recognized by the academy with a nomination brings me more hope that our generation can turn the current climate crisis around and make the earth a safe and healthy place
for ourselves and our children. It was an honor to contribute to this project by writing "I Need To Wake Up."
-- Melissa Etheridge
The other nominees and songs in Melissa's category are listed below.
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"I Need to Wake Up" from "An Inconvenient Truth"
(Paramount Classics and Participant Productions)
Music and Lyric by Melissa Etheridge
"Listen" from "Dreamgirls"
(DreamWorks and Paramount)
Music by Henry Krieger and Scott Cutler
Lyric by Anne Preven
"Love You I Do" from "Dreamgirls"
(DreamWorks and Paramount)
Music by Henry Krieger
Lyric by Siedah Garrett
"Our Town" from "Cars"
(Buena Vista)
Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
"Patience" from "Dreamgirls"
(DreamWorks and Paramount)
Music by Henry Krieger
Lyric by Willie Reale
The Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, February 25, 2007, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network at 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST), beginning with a half-hour arrivals segment, "The Road to the Oscars®."
Congratulations Melissa!