“Life happens, and I write about it wherever I
am.” –
Melissa Etheridge
A native of Leavenworth, Kan., Etheridge was born
on this date in 1961 and almost from the time she could walk and talk was
interested in music, singing everywhere she went and learning to play the
guitar at age 8.
Known for her mixture of "confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals," her songs often are inspired by her own experiences. “But, sometimes,” she said, “they (the words) are more than my real-life and, conversely, my life is more than just my songs.”
Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 (now in
remission) she underwent surgery and chemotherapy and said it caused her to
celebrate life each and every day. "I don't have a bucket list," she
said. "Whatever I do each day IS my bucket list."
A gay rights activist she wrote her
award-winning album “Yes, I Am” about being gay in the early 1990s and has
continued to be a champion for gay rights since. She is also a committed
advocate for environmental issues.
“As an artist, singer and songwriter,” she noted, “I
try to use my words to create pictures in people's minds.”
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