Melissa Etheridge

Etheridge had a long-term partnership with Julie Cypher and during this period Cypher gave birth to two children fathered by sperm donor David Crosby. In September 2000, Etheridge and Cypher announced their separation.

From 2002 to 2010, Etheridge had a partnership with Tammy Lynn Michaels, and had a commitment ceremony. They had twins via an anonymous sperm donor. In 2010 they announced that they had separated.

In 2013, she said that she planned to get married to her partner Linda Wallen and they got married on May 31, 2014 in San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California.

Melissa Lou Etheridge was born on May 29, 1961 to John Etheridge, a psychology teacher at Leavenworth High School, and Elizabeth Williamson, a computer consultant. She had a sister elder to her.

She attended David Brewer School, in Leavenworth, Kansas. She graduated from Leavenworth High School in 1979. She was a member of the first “Power and Life” musical/dance group at high school.

She began playing the guitar at the age of eight, and through her teenage years, played in all-men country music groups. She then moved to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music.

Etheridge performed in lesbian bars around Los Angeles, and was discovered by Island Records chief Chris Blackwell. In 1986, she received a publishing deal to write songs for movies including the movie “Weeds”.

After initial rejections, her self-titled debut album “Melissa Etheridge” was completed in just four days. Her single, “Bring Me Some Water”, was nominated for a Grammy in 1989 for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female.

She provided background vocals to Don Henley’s “The End of the Innocence”. Her second album “Brave and Crazy”, released in 1989, won a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female.

In 1992, Etheridge established a performing arts scholarship at Leavenworth High School in honor of her father who used to drive her around so she could play in bands.

The success of 1993’s “Yes I Am” improved sales of her previous albums. The album “Melissa Etheridge” earned a RIAA certification of 2× Platinum while “Never Enough” earned a RIAA certification of Platinum.

In 1993, she released her album “Yes I Am”. Co-produced with Hugh Padgham, it spent 138 weeks on Billboard 200 charts, and spawned the hits “Come to My Window” and “I’m the Only One”.

The album “Breakdown” was released in October 1999. It peaked at 12 on the Billboard charts, and spent 18 weeks in the charts. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album.

Her single “Angels Would Fall” won two Grammy nominations: Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female and Best Rock Song in 2000. A year later, “Enough of Me” was nominated for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female.