Melissa Etheridge on CBS This Morning

Grammy winner Melissa Etheridge talks to Gayle King and Erica Hill about the latest "other news" - Beyonce's new baby, ageism in Hollywood and singer, Adele. View Melissa Etheridge on CBS This Morning at this YouTube Link.

Melissa Etheridge to be a guest on CBS This Morning

As posted by MEIN: Melissa will be a guest on the debut of "CBS This Morning" hosted by Gayle King & Charlie Rose on Monday, January 9 @ 7am-9pm ET / PT. Tune in and see Melissa!

CBS This Morning

Peter Thorn Mentions Melissa Etheridge in Premier Guitar

Peter Thorn contributes articles to Premier Guitar. In this issue, Peter answers questions, and talks about working with Melissa Etheridge.

Source: Premier Guitar

Last month, I solicited questions from readers on the online forum thegearpage.net regarding being a working guitarist. This month, I’ll provide longer answers to two great questions I received from readers about staying creative on tour and how to manage a number of different gigs.

How do you keep from getting stale as a player when you're on tour playing the same tunes night after night? Do you maintain a practice schedule or at least block out time to push yourself musically/creatively? – Andre Timothy

Great question! It really depends on your band and situation. If it’s up to you and your band, you can consciously choose to not be stale. My buddy Jorgen Carlsson is the bassist in Gov’t Mule, and those guys are constantly pushing themselves musically. They have a massive repertoire, with something like 14 albums out, and in addition to their own material they are always doing covers and having people sit in, which always creates challenges. Every Halloween they do a theme set, like when they performed the entire Who album Who’s Next at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California in 2010. They asked me to perform an entire 12-song set of Seattle grunge classics with them on New Year’s Eve in 2008, and it was an honor for me. We had one rehearsal—hardly enough time to hit each song once. But they are such good musicians, so tuned in to listening and playing with one another, that you realize when jamming with them that mistakes don’t really exist in their world. They see mistakes as musical opportunities! The gig was a total blast. My point is, no two Mule gigs are ever the same, and that is a conscious choice on their part. I find their approach inspiring.

Now if you aren’t in a situation like that, maybe you can at least vary your set a little from night to night, and/or create moments in the set where spontaneity is the goal—moments to just jam and stretch. We have lots of these moments in a Melissa Etheridge set. She really likes spontaneity and creativity on the gig. You could also suggest to your bandmates to try setting aside 20 minutes to jam or work on new material at the end of each soundcheck.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all of our followers!

Merry Christmas!

Sending out much love to everyone and their loved ones this holiday season.

Merry Christmas!

2011 Holiday Message From Melissa Etheridge

Message from Melissa Etheridge, as shared via MEIN:

Dear Friends,

Happy, happy holidays. I hope you are loving who and where you are at this very moment. I hope you have been discovering the joy that is the very essence of your being. I hope as you close 2011 and open the new year into 2012, that your intentions are exciting and your outlook glorious.

You can do anything. You and I are more powerful than we can ever dream. This is the year to prove it to yourself. Go do something crazy. Be that person you always have wanted to be. I am going to do that. I am going to tour Europe and Australia (finally!). I am going to make a new album and continue this journey of creating music and sharing it with you.

Thank you so much for being a part of this community that we have built here online.

Choose only love.

Melissa Etheridge

Interview with Valerie McCaffrey, Co-Producer and Director of 'Tumor: It's In The System'

Tumor: It’s in the System is a documentary about how alternative cures for cancer have been suppressed for many years, and the documentary includes an interview with Melissa Etheridge. The Eco-Friendly Street Team interviewed one of the documentary’s Producer and Directors, Valerie McCaffrey.

Street Team: How did this documentary come about/ why did you choose this subject?

Valerie: My producing and directing partner went to Bracebridge, Canada to explore an alternative cancer treatment called Essiac. That was 13 years ago! We interviewed the last person to make the Essiac tea, Mary McPherson, who worked with Rene Caisse on making it for terminally ill patients. It cured 2,000 patients.

Street Team: What do you hope people will take away after watching the documentary?

Valerie: Everyone has someone who has lost their lives to this terrible disease. Isn't it time we demand better and more humane treatment?

Street Team: When will it be released?

Valerie: We have submitted the film to Film Festivals, so let's see!

Street Team: How did Melissa Etheridge get involved in the project?

Valerie: I knew Melissa survived breast cancer and I was intrigued by her story. Not only is she a talented performer, she is incredibly smart and courageous.

Street Team: What one word would you use to describe Melissa Etheridge, and why did you choose that word?

Valerie: I would call her Brave. Brave to speak her mind, tell her story and knowing that when she does that-it could save lives!

Thanks so much Valerie! Best wishes for the documentary.

Click here for the Tumor- It's In The System website.

Melissa Etheridge Interview with Sunrise Entertainment

Melissa was interviewed on Australia's Sunrise Entertainment show. Click here to watch the video.

Melissa Etheridge in Cancer Documentary: Tumor- It's in the System

There's a few seconds of MLE speaking in this YouTube clip of a cancer documentary directed by Cindy Pruitt and Valerie McCaffrey.



There's also a website for the documentary, but there's no info on the site yet http://www.becomearevolution.com/Welcome.html

The YouTube description reads:

Directed By
Cindy Pruitt and Valerie McCaffrey

This documentary reveals how alternative cures for cancer have been suppressed since the early 1900's and how the bureaucratic regulatory system has maintained chemotherapy and radiation as the only choice of treatment since the 1930's. Citing testimonials to the horrors of chemo and radiation adjacent to those who have secretly cured their cancer with alternative means, this film is a call to action for the freedom to publicize alternative cures, and a call to people to demand the freedom to make better choices.

Melissa Etheridge Australian Tour Commercial

Here's a commercial by Frontier Touring for Melissa Etheridge's 2012 Australian Tour:

Melissa Etheridge Concert Videos: Primm, NV

Enjoy these Melissa Etheridge concert videos and photos taken November 12, 2011 in Primm, NV.

Heaven on Earth:


All The Way To Heaven:


Gently We Row:


Pictures from the concert can be found on our Facebook page. Click here to join us on Facebook!


Photo Credit: Eco-Friendly Street Team


Photo Credit: Eco-Friendly Street Team


Photo Credit: Eco-Friendly Street Team

All Access Q&A with Melissa Etheridge

Source: All Access Music Group

10 Questions with ... Melissa Etheridge

1) How are you adjusting to your new career as a radio show host? How do balance your musical career, recording, touring, being a mom, and now doing a daily radio show?

I love radio! I've always loved radio. This is a very exciting place to be right now. It feels like I actually have a real job. I do it Monday through Friday and it sets my rhythm of the day. I enjoy it very, very much!

2) What inspired you to do a syndicated radio show? What is it about your show that you feel really makes it stand apart from other radio shows?

I found that over 20 years, as an artist, I have started a conversation with my audience who listen to the music. I spend a lot of time talking in my concerts and now I can take that conversation to a different venue. The venue of radio is perfect, it is music-based and it is thought-based. It's about life, family and Rock & Roll. I really enjoy sharing it, and sharing the stories of my listeners on the radio.

3) What was the tipping point in your musical career? Who are some of the people who really believed in you, and gave you that shot that really helped you break through early in your career?

I've had an incredible music career. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Many of the years along the way I moaned, "Oh, why wasn't I the one on the cover of that magazine or why I didn't have the hit number one song." But then when I look back at it, I would not trade it for the world. It is a journey creating music that inspires people; that they want to listen to. I am so grateful that people want to come see what I do live on-stage.

4) How does your radio show get delivered to your local affiliates, and how can the music and the show be customized for each market?

My friend Masa Patterson at Benztown knows all about this stuff. I asked Masa and here's what he said: "The show gets sent out digitally to each station. Our delivery partner is Mr. Master, and they're like wizards with the technology. Custom liners and re-joiners get merged with the show content for each station so all of our affiliates keep that local feel and get customized content. When the show segments are delivered, everything is automatically synced up with a station's log and playlist. It works with virtually every automation system, and all the radio stations have to do is schedule their music locally like they normally would. Easy and seamless."

5) How do you prep yourself for your radio show? What are some of the topics that are discussed?

Usually I start with a good cup of tea. Then, the one criterion that each subject has to meet is that it has to mean something to me. I have to feel personally connected to the topic in some way by my family, by my life, or by the music. When we stay in that arena I have things to share and I can entertain.

6) How are you using new technologies in the production of your music, your radio show, and in your personal life?

I truly enjoy all the technological advances in the entertainment industry, be it music or radio. It enables me to work more quickly in the studio; Pro Tools and all the computer technology are just amazing. It is really astounding what you can do. It is also a little overwhelming in that one could 'over techno' their music. I try to let the technology help me and not overcome the music. Now in the radio show it's all technology. I'm amazed that we can do the show and it can be sent out and stations can cut in whatever music they like, it's a total user-friendly show. I love that I can be on in so many cities across the country at one time.

7) What do you believe will be the next trend in music technology? What are your thoughts on new music streaming services such as Spotify, Pandora, and iHeartRadio? Will these new services help to reduce music piracy?

I love that music is out there in the world, music is what we still go to in our lives to make us feel emotions to and to cement a moment in life; a wedding has a song, every occasion has music. So it's not going away. I see my own kids. They listen to radio, they pass music on Facebook. It's all word of mouth, a true gauge of what people are enjoying. There is a whole array of music opportunities that are available to everyone and it's a very exciting time. I think radio has become more targeted to what these people might like, so you get different stations that are different feelings. It's another "Golden Age" of radio.

8) Who would be your ideal guest on your radio show? And who would be the ideal musician to collaborate with?

There are so many interesting people in the world that I would love to talk. I try to make sure that any guests I have on the show are people who I can personally relate to; that they are not just selling some product, but we are actually connecting on a deeper level. I'd love to bring my friends in but they're a little busy right now. Oprah... you wanna come talk? Come talk to me! We'll see if that happens. Musically, I've been blessed to be side-by-side singing with Bruce Springsteen, and some incredible people in the world. I still have yet to sing with Steven Tyler to do that rocking' tune. I really want to do that.

9) When will be hearing some new Melissa Etheridge music?

I am writing right now. Right this very minute I'm creating the music that's going to be on the next album. I plan to go into the studio somewhere between January and April, and I am looking for new music to be out by the end of next year, by the fourth quarter. Look out, here it comes!

10) How did you feel the first time you heard your song on the radio?

I was in London, England going to a train station. I was in the car with the record rep and we were trying not to miss the train and we were driving around the streets with the radio on. Then, all of a sudden the song started. It was 'Similar Features' and it blew my mind! It was such a feeling of being on the other side now, inside that magical place called radio. It was quite a thrill!

Bonus Questions
Tell us what music we would find on your MP3 player right now?

Well I am listening to the new Coldplay, and listening to a lot of old Soul music. I love the new wave of R&B music, music with a good beat, a soulful center. I'm listening to a lot of that, and my old Chill music. I like a good Chill! The British Rock too!

Do you have any guitar tricks? Open tunings? Or cool guitar chords you'd like to share with the musicians reading this? Do you have any suggestions on how to keep an Ovation acoustic 12-string guitar in tune?

One of the reasons I play the Ovation twelve-string acoustic guitar is that it stays in tune. I can beat the crap out of that guitar on stage and it stays in tune! It takes three or four songs before I have to switch it out and I play those things hard! So I would recommend that if you're looking for that acoustic twelve-string sound you just can't beat it. It stays right there with you.

Most of my career I didn't use any alternative tunings. But I have recently in the past few years discovered that gorgeous "drop D." As a songwriter, when you drop that last string from E down to D, it gives you a different way to approach the same old chords. It gives you that different very Rock & Roll sound. Try it if you haven't!

What are your thoughts on the new season of American Idol and other singing competitions such as "The Voice," "X-Factor," "Sing Off," etc?

I think we've reached the saturation point, haven't we? I think our television has become a big talent show. I get it, its fun to watch people try something you would probably never try yourself. Then I think the music, the artists that are creating and making a career doing it that way, and I love seeing that's still around.

Please tell us your funniest road story or radio experience (either on your show or during a radio visit to perform your music?)

That's one of the fun things about my radio show that I get to tell those stories. Like when I fell off stage, or what we do to our opening acts, like my tour manager saving my life numerous times. I get to talk about that on my radio show. So you'll just have to listen to the radio show!

How do you inspire yourself to write during a creative slump?

I don't give myself a hard time. Sometimes I have to go live or have an experience before I can write. So I don't give myself a hard time if it's not happening.

Who has had the biggest impact on your life?

If we're talking personally, it's definitely been my children and my experience with cancer. If we're talking musically I would say Bruce Springsteen. I'm still a "what would Bruce do?" type of girl.

What are your thoughts on the "Occupy Wall Street" movement?

The world is changing my friends. Stay tuned!

What advice would you give people new to the business?

Make the music you love, love the music you make.

What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?

One of things I say on my radio show whenever I sign off is "Speak true." It's something that I have used throughout my career. I really hold to that so when the dust settles it's still me.

Melissa Etheridge to Tour New Zealand and Australia

Visit MEIN or The Frontier Touring Company website for tour information. From the Frontier Touring website:

MELISSA ETHERIDGE
TOURING AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
IN JULY 2012

The Frontier Touring Company is proud to announce that Oscar® and Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter MELISSA ETHERIDGE is returning to New Zealand and Australia for a very special July 2012 live tour.

Fans will experience an intimate evening of over two hours of powerful performances from Melissa's extensive catalogue of hits when she returns for her first Australian appearances since 1996. The tour will kick off in New Zealand in July 2012 and will continue on to Australia taking in QLD, NSW, VIC, SA and WA.

On September 27, 2011 the Grammy Award-winning singer officially reached global star status after she received the honour of having her own star placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This comes on top of her remarkable 2007 Academy Award for her song "I Need To Wake Up," written for the Al Gore documentary on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth.

The singer's honest and confessional song writing style paired with her bluesy rock-infused vocals has seen her rise to the top of the musical spectrum since the her 1988 debut album Melissa Etheridge, which is certified triple platinum in Australia and double platinum in New Zealand.

Fan favourites such as 'Bring Me Some Water', 'No Souvenirs' and 'Ain't It Heavy', for which she won her first Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal, are amongst many of the songs that make Etheridge one of rock music's most exciting performers.

Etheridge's 1993 album Yes I Am contained the massive hits 'I'm the Only One' and 'Come to My Window', a scorching song of desire that delivered her second Best Female Rock Grammy. Since then, Melissa has continued to tour constantly and has released a total of ten studio albums, and has recently launched the daily Melissa Etheridge Radio Show for broadcast throughout the world.

"As one of the most prominent women in rock, Melissa Etheridge has blazed a striking path through the genre with her soulful, gritty voice and formidable guitar playing... This compilation presents highlights from Etheridge's remarkable career" - CD Universe

"What can be said about Melissa Etheridge that hasn't already been said? The singer/songwriter/guitarist has done it all. Nominated for fifteen Grammy's, winning two, one Academy Award, selling millions of albums and is even a breast cancer survivor." - rockshowcritique.com

"Melissa Etheridge is to female rock vocalists, what Robert Plant is to male rock vocalists. She's got that full growling throaty sound, plus tremendous guitar skills and writes songs that are truly inspirational." - sceneinthedark.com

Fans can rejoice at the news that the one and only Melissa Etheridge is returning to our shores for a series of electric and inspirational shows. Don't miss a chance to see the legendary performer live in your city.

Five Stars Who've Battled Breast Cancer

Source: She Knows Entertainment



Singer Melissa Etheridge found out she had breast cancer back in 2005.

"We all have this sense of invincibility. Even though my father, aunt and grandmother passed away from cancer -- it was all over my family -- I was surprised to hear the diagnosis. The possibility might have been somewhere in the back of my head, but I wasn't walking around thinking this would happen," the singer told Shape in 2009.

However, beating the disease had lasting positive impacts on her life.

"Once I overcame breast cancer, I wasn't afraid of anything anymore. I now have a different relationship with fear. There are only two things in our reality, love and fear. I try to make my choices out of love," she said.

Inspiring words to live by.

Interview with Melissa Etheridge in Today's Woman Magazine: Fearless Embrace

There's in interview with Melissa Etheridge in the October edition of Today's Woman Magazine, called Fearless Embrace.

From the article: "I have to be honest," she says suddenly, "in the future, if for some reason my body would ever get out of balance to the point where the cancer came back, I would not do chemo or radiation. I would go totally holistic, because I believe that my body is a super bio-computer, and if I know how to operate it with care it can survive."

To read the entire article on pages 66 and 68, visit Today's Woman Magazine's website.

Chicago Melissa Etheridge Fans- Request The Melissa Etheridge Radio Show

If you live the Chicago, IL area, you can request The Melissa Etheridge Radio Show be carried by the following radio stations. Here is their contact information:

WLIT
Phone: 888-581-9548
E-mail: E-mail them from their website
Twitter: https://twitter.com/939litefm
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/939LitefmChicago
Website: www.litefm.com/main.html

WILV
Phone: 312-297-5100
E-mail: bjames@hubbardradio.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rewind1003fm
Website: www.wilv.com/home.php

WXRT
Phone: 312-649-0099
E-mail: XRTComments@wxrt.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/93XRT
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/93XRT
Website: wxrt.radio.com

WXLC
Phone: 847-336-7900
E-mail: hjohns@nextmediachicago.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/1023xlc
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/1023XLC
Website: www.1023xlc.com

WZSR
Phone: 847-336-7900
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Star1055
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/star1055fm
Website: www.star105.com

WSSR
Phone: 815-556-0100
E-mail: ppendergast@nextmediachicago.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/star967
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Star967
Website: www.star967.net

WZVN
Phone: 219-462-6111
E-mail: E-mail them from their website
Twitter: http://twitter.com/1071thez
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/1071TheZ
Website: www.z1071.com

Request a list of stations in your local area you can contact to request they carry The Melissa Etherige Radio Show! Visit the Radio Show website and fill out the form.

John Salley sits down with Melissa Etheridge to talk family

Source: Reelz Channel

John Salley gets up close and personal with celebrities, athletes, politicians, musicians, and newsmakers for an edgy and totally unpredictable approach to conversational television. Below is a clip from the upcoming interview with Melissa Etheridge, airing Sun. at 10pm ET/ 7pm PT with encores Wed. at 5:30pm ET/ 2:30pm PT and Tue. 1:00pm ET/ 10pm PT.


Game On! with John Salley | Melissa Etheridge | John Salley | Movie Trailer | Review

Melissa Etheridge 2012 Fearless Love World Tour

Fan Club tickets on sale now for Melissa Etheridge's 2012 Fearless Love World Tour!

Click here for tour and ticket information.

February
14 Dublin Ireland
16 Manchester UK
17 London UK (Travel Package offer)
19 Brighton UK
20 Brussels Belgium
22 Utrecht NL (Travel Package offer)
23 Amsterdam NL (Travel Package offer)
24 Neu-Isenberg Germany
26 Zurich Switzerland
27 Stuttgart Germany
29 Hamburg Germany

March
01 Berlin Germany
02 Dresden Germany
04 Vienna Austria
05 Munich Germany
07 Hannover Germany
08 Cologne Germany
09 Groningen NL

Melissa Etheridge Article in The Hollywood Reporter

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Hollywood Walk of Fame Honoree Melissa Etheridge Talks 'Glee,' Obama (Q&A)
by Shirley Halperin

It's a classic Hollywood tale: Wide-eyed 21-year-old steps off the bus from Kansas with dreams of rock stardom, hit records, awards and maybe an introduction to one of her idols. Melissa Etheridge achieved all that and more -- she duetted with the Boss, for starters, and won two Grammys and an Oscar. Even now, as the 50-year-old singer is recognized for her achievements with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, she vividly recalls her place during the boulevard's seedier days, telling THR: "When you grow up in the Midwest, this is the Land of Oz. It's the dream; I bought it hook, line and sinker."

THR: You've accomplished so much in music -- Grammys, multiple Top 10 hits, an Oscar for the song "I Need to Wake Up" from An Inconvenient Truth. Which moment stands out?

Melissa Etheridge: Singing "Thunder Road" with Bruce Springsteen [on MTV in 1995]. I was very proud. It was one of those markers, like the brass ring. Having just come out of singing at Woodstock '94 for 300,000 people, it was amazing.

THR: Many recall your 2005 Grammy performance. You had undergone chemotherapy while battling breast cancer and lost your hair. What were you thinking that night?

Etheridge: I hadn't been out of my house for three months, so it was a bit of a shock but a very personal night. I was in a private meditation, like: "OK, Melissa, show the world that cancer didn't kill you, that you're not suffering. And stand up and sing one of the greatest songs ever ["Piece of My Heart"], by one of the greatest artists, Janis Joplin." I hadn't prepared myself so much for the bald thing -- I didn't think about the social part it played. But years later, not a week goes by when someone doesn't tell me how much the performance meant to them.

THR: Was there anything profound said backstage?

Etheridge: I remember being in the back hallway and hearing someone yell, "Move aside, everyone!" because J.Lo and Marc Anthony were walking by. I had to line up against the wall. I thought, "What a funky job I have in this crazy world." It was a stark contrast to the spiritual awakening I was having at the time. … The most profound thing was during dress rehearsal when Kris Kristofferson walked onstage weeping and held me for, like, three minutes.

THR: With Top 40 skewing so urban and dance-influenced of late, where do you see your role in music today?

Etheridge: I'm writing for my next album now, and I have completely let go of ever fitting into the pop world. My job is to create music of my soul. I don't need to play the game anymore.

THR: Are you a fan of Glee?

Etheridge: It's clever and totally shows that the world loves gay entertainment. Without us, what would you laugh at? Although I had to go see the Glee concert with my daughter -- oh my God, shoot me. But it's a formula that's been around forever: kids singing songs we know, big lights, dancing and screaming girls. They've been doing it since Frank Sinatra.

THR: You came out 18 years ago. If Glee had been around when you were a teenager, would it have changed your life?

Etheridge: Yes! I see my daughter's experience in high school. She and her friends actually talk about [their sexuality]. … Giving young people the choice to label yourself now or not, honoring whatever it is that you are -- the next generation is going to shame us.

THR: Your songs have been performed on American Idol. What do you make of all the TV singing shows today?

Etheridge: It's like a spectator sport. We all want to judge; it's an intrinsic part of our society and human nature. I'm not surprised that talent shows are hits, but I'm glad some of them aren't so brutal.

THR: You were a vocal supporter of Barack Obama's presidential bid in 2008, declaring at an L.A. concert that you "felt change coming." How are you feeling about things now?

Etheridge: In hindsight, it will probably be my last political endorsement of a Republican or Democrat. Not because he's disappointed me but because I now see very clearly that they all answer to the same boss: big business -- the multinational corporations that completely run our country. They're going to nitpick as our nation slowly turns into fascism. I'm not even going to pretend anymore. I believed in Obama for social issues. I believe he brought our nation together and healed our racial divide. Martin Luther King's dream came true when he was elected. That's huge. … But the division isn't working for me anymore.

THR: The Walk of Fame star means you've left a permanent mark on this town. How do you feel about the honor?

Etheridge: It's the weirdest thing. I was that girl in 1982 that walked along Hollywood Boulevard before it was a tourist attraction, when it was crack dealers hanging out. I'd say, "This is the town where, when you make it, they put your name in stone." If there was the zombie apocalypse, my name would live on. It's very mythic and iconic.

WALK OF FAME
When: 11 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 27
Where: 6901 Hollywood Blvd. in front of the Hard Rock
Guest speaker: Hamish Dodds of Hard Rock International

Media Planet Article on Melissa Etheridge and Breast Cancer Awareness

Media Planet article on Melissa Etheridge and Breast Cancer Awareness. Click here to access and read the article.

A Painted Portrait of Melissa Etheridge

Artist Randy Watkins paints a portrait of Melissa Etheridge, and speaks of her appearance on the Grammy's. Very cool video!

Posted on YouTube by starpainter4u

My HealthySELF: How Melissa Etheridge Stays Healthy (and Calm) After Breast Cancer

Source: Self.com

It seems long overdue, but rock 'n' roll legend Melissa Etheridge is finally getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next Tuesday after almost 20 years of radio hits.

Since the debut of her 1993 Grammy-winning album "Yes I Am," Etheridge has been a musical icon. Heck, she's even got an Oscar!

So it's kind of funny that the one person who's actually surprised about the honor is Etheridge herself.

"It's crazy!" Etheridge says. "People keep asking me about it, and I'm like, 'Huh?!' I feel like I'm maybe halfway through my career. And this star is like the mythological dream come true!"

But true to her mindful, introspective personality, Etheridge is taking this moment to reflect, she says.

"I think it's the universe telling me I have to stop and pay attention to what I've done and achieved, and take that in with gratitude and humility and respect. You gotta do that sometimes, or you just start running on empty."

We caught up with Etheridge about life after breast cancer, her project with Hard Rock Cafe's PINKTOBER and her stay-healthy secrets.

Why did you decide to get involved with PINKTOBER?

When breast cancer came a callin' seven years ago, that experience totally changed my life. It knocked me down and set me up on a new path. As I got my stride back, I realized just how many women go through this every year, and it's just not a good experience -- it's so common, and we really should figure out how to make it better. So I wanted to do something to help, and even though there's a ton of breast cancer stuff out now, I wanted to narrow my focus down to one charity. It just makes sense to work with Hard Rock, because of the music, and I love that all the money we raise goes to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which is really on the cutting edge, finding those alternatives we need to look for.

What are you working on with them?

We're doing an event at the Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood on September 27. Also, Hard Rock makes a pin every year where the proceeds go to BCRF. And I'm auctioning off a guitar I've played all year on tour, a pink guitar I use to play my song "I Run for Life."

What do you want every woman to know about breast cancer?

If you have breast cancer, remember that this experience is about you. It sometimes feels like this Western medicine world we're in puts you on a conveyor belt and gives you a number and there you go. But it should be personal, and you should look at the alternatives out there -- you don't have to do the treatment path that everyone else does.

What kinds of changes have you made since your diagnosis?

It's ALL about change. People who make a change in their lives are the ones who survive. I've changed my eating, and my whole attitude toward food. I'm not going to feed my houseplants Diet Coke and Doritos -- that's gonna kill them. So I probably shouldn't feed myself that kind of food, either. Now I look at a vegetable, that hopefully has come from my garden or as local as possible, I eat it, and my body works. I also started walking, stretching, doing yoga when I can. Keeping active and keeping in touch with my body. And I'm on a quest to get rid of all the stress in my life -- that's an ongoing spiritual journey.

What's your secret for that -- how do you relax?

(Laughs) Breathe! A lot of breathing. It's the key to relaxing, wherever I am. I'm on a mission to just BE relaxed throughout my whole day, not just taking time out to relax every once in a while. It's all about when I do feel the stress coming up, instantly identifying it and moving out of the situation or thinking about it differently -- responding rather than reacting.

What's your idea of a perfect night out?

There's all different kinds of nights, whether I'm touring or at home, but I love nights with my family. I'm so lucky -- I love my children's friends' parents. It's a really good situation! I can invite their family over, and their three kids are best friends with my four kids, and they all hang out and have fun, and we can sit and just relax and have a wonderful dinner out under the stars in my backyard. It's a great night in!

What's your most urgent goal?

To stay in the moment. To understand that there's no urgency, that I'm learning as I need to. Everything I need to know and learn and be is right in front of me.

What's the best happiness advice you know?

That happiness is a journey, not a destination. It was just one of those things written on a board in a store somewhere. But I was like, "Yeah! That's right!"

September 21 is World Peace Day

Source: TED Blog



September 21, 2011, is World Peace Day — dreamed up by Jeremy Gilley, as he explains above, as a day when combatants take a day off. It seems a simple, crazy idea, but on this past World Peace Day, in regions of Afghanistan, more than a million children were able to be immunized during the lull in fighting.

Today, Gilley is kicking off a yearlong runup to Global Truce 2012 — “a day of ceasefire and nonviolence observed by all sectors of society globally.” Not just countries at war, but neighborhoods, communities.

DADT- "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Repealed Today

Posted on Barack Obama's Facebook Page:

Today, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is officially over. Millions of Americans fought hard to end this law over the course of nearly two decades, and President Obama is proud to have signed the repeal. Watch a video about some of the people affected by this law.



Quote of the day: “Today, every American can be proud that we have taken another great step toward keeping our military the finest in the world and toward fulfilling our nation’s founding ideals.” —President Obama in a statement today marking the end of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell"

Dallas, TX Melissa Etheridge Fans- Request The Melissa Etheridge Radio Show

If you live the Dallas, TX area, you can request The Melissa Etheridge Radio Show be carried by the following radio stations. Here is their contact information:

KDMX
Phone: 214-866-8000
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mix1029dfw
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MIX1029
Website: http://www.mix1029.com/

KVIL
Phone: 214-525-7000
E-mail: kjohnson@cbs.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/1037litefm
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/1037-Lite-FM/377045716428
Website: www.1037litefm.com

Request a list of stations in your local area you can contact to request they carry The Melissa Etherige Radio Show! Visit the Radio Show website and fill out the form.

Melissa Etheridge Star on Hollywood Walk Of Fame and Pinktober Launch 9/27 11:30 AM

Source: Walk Of Fame

SHE’S THE ONLY ONE
MELISSA ETHERIDGE TO BE HONORED WITH
STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME

WHO: MELISSA ETHERIDGE
Emcee: Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, President/CEO Leron Gubler
Guest speakers: Hamish Dodds, President/CEO of Hard Rock International

WHAT: 2,450th Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Category of Recording

WHERE: 6901 Hollywood Boulevard in front of Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood on Hollywood Blvd.

WHEN: September 27, 2011 at 11:30 a.m.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will honor Melissa Etheridge with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday, September 27, at 11:30 a.m. in front of Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood, 6901 Hollywood Boulevard. The star ceremony ties into Hard Rock’s PINKTOBER™ month-long campaign featuring star-studded PINK carpet events, high-energy concerts and more at Hard Rock Cafes, Hotels and Casinos worldwide, raising awareness and funds for breast cancer research.

In February 2007, Melissa Etheridge celebrated a career milestone with a victory in the “Best Song” category at the Academy® Awards for “I Need to Wake Up,” written for the Al Gore documentary on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth. Over the course of her more than two decades as a performer and songwriter, Etheridge has shown herself to be an artist who has never allowed “inconvenient truths” to keep her down. Earlier in her recording career, Etheridge acknowledged her sexual orientation when it was considered less than prudent to do so. In October 2004, Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer, a health battle that, with her typical tenacity, she won. Despite losing her hair from chemotherapy, Etheridge appeared on the 2005 Grammy® telecast to sing “Piece of My Heart” in tribute to Janis Joplin. By doing so she gave hope to many women afflicted with the disease. Etheridge, has served as “Artist Ambassador” for Hard Rock’s annual PINKTOBER™ program for six years, helping to spread an empowering message of hope to fans worldwide.

Born in Leavenworth, Kansas, Melissa Etheridge picked up the guitar at the age of eight and began playing in local bands in her teens. After completing high school, Etheridge was accepted as a student at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, but left after only one year to make her way as a performer in Los Angeles. Her bluesy vocal style and riveting stage presence began earning Etheridge a strong following. Legend has it that in a chance encounter at a small club in Long Beach with music industry legend and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, she was signed on the spot.

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 and released her ninth studio album, The Awakening, selected by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of their Top 50 Albums of 2007. In 2009, Melissa released her latest studio album, Fearless Love, to a Top 10 Billboard debut. 2011 has been an exciting year of new projects for Melissa. She made her Broadway debut as St. Jimmy in Green Day’s rock opera, American Idiot. When Melissa is not on tour, she records her syndicated Melissa Etheridge Radio Show for daily broadcast on stations throughout the US and Canada.

For more information and to view who shares a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, visit www.walkoffame.com.

Melissa Etheridge on Dougall Fraser Show

Dougall Fraser excitedly welcomed Melissa Etheridge as a guest on his radio show. Visit Dougall Fraser's website to listen to the interview.

Never Forget

Melissa Etheridge Star on Hollywood Walk Of Fame 9/27

The ceremony to present Melissa Etheridge with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame will take place on Tuesday, September 27 by the Hard Rock near Hollywood and Highland in California.

From Twitter:

“@KouklaKim: @MEradioshow Has Walk of Fame date been set? Couple oldsters from The K wanna know.” Sept 27!!!!

"@RhoAsh nah. But right at Hollywood Highland location. By Hard Rock."

Congratulations, Melissa!

Jacksonville, FL Melissa Etheridge Fans- Request The Melissa Etheridge Radio Show

If you live the Jacksonville, FL area, you can request The Melissa Etheridge Radio Show be carried by the following radio stations. Here is their contact information:

WNFB
Phone: 386-961-9494
Website: http://www.mix943.com

WXMK
Phone: 912.261.1000
E-mail: jackonmagic@gmail.com
Website: http://www.magic1059.com

WBHQ
Phone: 386-437-1992
E-mail: marc@wnzf.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/thebeach927
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Beach927
Website: http://www.beach927.com

WQGA
Phone: 912-264-1033
E-mail: Kevin@my103q.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/my103Q
Website: http://www.my103q.com/wordpress/

WMUV
Phone: (904) 727-9696
E-mail: cbeck@rendabroadcasting.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/LegendsJax1007
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/countrylegends1007wmuv?ref=sgm
Website: http://www.movin1007fm.com

WEJZ
Phone: (904) 727-9696
E-mail: cbeck@rendabroadcasting.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lite961
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lite961wejz?ref=sgm
Website: http://www.wejz.com

Request a list of stations in your local area you can contact to request they carry The Melissa Etherige Radio Show! Visit the Radio Show website and fill out the form.