Etheridge, Melissa
From Astro-Databank
| Name |
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| born on | 29 May 1961 at 13:15 (= 1:15 PM ) | ||
| Place | Leavenworth KS, USA, 39n18, 94w55 | ||
| Timezone | CST h6w (is standard time) | ||
| Data source |
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| Astrology data |   08°09'   02°59 Asc. 22°41'
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Biography
American musician, a singer, songwriter and rock superstar, nominated for a Grammy early 2000 in the Best Female Rock Vocal Performance category for "Angels Would Fall." Her early work had periodic hits, but since 1988 she's been solid on the charts.
Melissa began playing the guitar and writing her own songs as a kid but did not leave Kansas until she was 21. By then she had a little more awareness of who she was and wanted to be, and her first gigs in California were in lesbian bars. In 1986 she was discovered by Island Records and cut her first album. At age 17, Melissa had her first romantic relationship with a woman and life changed forever. Her hits include "Yes I Am," 1993 and "Your Little Secret," 1995, in which she acknowledges her sexual orientation.
In 1988, Melissa met 22-year old video and film director Julie Cypher, who divorced Lou Diamond Philips the following year. Her record company asked that she not go public with their relationship for the sake of her career, and it was not until January 1993 at Clinton's inauguration ball that she and Julie came out publicly as a couple and she openly acknowledged her homosexuality.
In February 1997, they had a baby girl, Bailey Jean. The couple refused for several years to make any comment on the father until March 2000 when they revealed that their good friend, musician David Crosby had fathered both Bailey and recently born Beckett, their son. Julie is the natural mother of both kids and Melissa has adopted them.
In 1999 Etheridge put out "Breakdown," a heartfelt collection of songs that includes "Scarecrow," a tribute to gay-bashing victim Matthew Shepard.
After a ten-year relationship, Etheridge announced on 9/19/2000, that she and Julie were parting. The couple said in a joint statement, "Though elements of our lives will change, our family will always remain intact." Giving it more than lip-service, they took homes that were next-door to each other so that their kids could share time with both moms. Their friend, David Crosby, acknowledges his paternal role and drops around to visit the kids periodically.
For her 40th birthday bash in 2001, she introduced her new girlfriend, 14-year-younger actress Tammy Lynn Michaels. Her autobiography, "The Truth Is...." arrived in stores in June 2001, a pull-no-punches book that includes an account of childhood sexual abuse between the ages of seven and ten by her older sister, Jennifer . Etheridge says that she realized that she was lesbian as an adolescent and began seeing a therapist at 22.
At age 42, on September 20, 2003, the musician united with a 28 year old woman, Tammy Lynn Michaels, in a commitment ceremony with both brides reciting their vows in front of 150 guests in Malibu, CA. In his officiating role, Reverend Charles Hall declared them "beloved wives."
On October 7, 2004, the singer’s publicist revealed that Etheridge had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Two days later, on October 9, she had a lumpectomy in Los Angeles. She cancelled the remainder of her North America tour in order to undergo treatment.
The singer and her partner Tammy Lynn Michaels had twins on October 17, 2006 in Los Angeles, a boy named Miller Steven and a girl named Johnnie Rose. Michaels conceived the children via an anonymous sperm donor.
She won a 2007 Academy Award for her song “I Need to Wake Up,” written for the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth”
Relationships
- friend relationship with Crosby, David (born 14 August 1941)
Events
- Work : Published/ Exhibited/ Released 1999 (Release of album, "Breakdown")
- Work : Contracts, agreements 1986 (Signed with Island Records)
- Work : Gain social status 1988 (Staying on charts, notoriety)
- Relationship : Begin significant relationship 1988 (With Julie Cypher)
- Social : Secrets revealed 1993 (Revealed homosexuality)
- Family : Change in family responsibilities February 1997 (Daughter Bailey Jean was born)
- Social : Secrets revealed March 2000 (Announced David Crosby as father of two kids)
- Work : Gain social status 2000 (Nominated for Grammy)
- Relationship : End significant relationship 19 September 2000 (With Julie Cypher, 10 years)
- Work : Published/ Exhibited/ Released June 2001 (Autobiography published)
- Relationship : Marriage 20 September 2003 (commitment ceremony with Tammy Michaels)
- Health : Medical procedure 9 October 2004 (lumpectomy)
- Family : Change in family responsibilities 17 October 2006 (Twins delivered by her partner impregnated a sperm donor)
- Work : Prize 25 February 2007 (for her song in "An Inconvenient Truth")
Source Notes
Simon-Astley Scholfield quotes Joyce Luck, "Melissa Etheridge: Our Little Secret," 1997, p.9, given on his website http://Astroqueer.tripod.com
Categories
- Vocation : Entertain/Music : Vocalist/ Pop, Rock, etc. (Pop, rock and jazz, lead singer)
- Passions : Sexuality : Lesbian
- Family : Relationship : Cohabitation more than 3 yrs (Ten years with Cypher)
- Vocation : Entertain/Music : Song writer
- Vocation : Entertain/Music : Instrumentalist (Guitar)
- Family : Relationship : Mate - Same sex (Julie Cypher)
- Family : Parenting : Foster, Step, or Adopted Kids (One girl and one boy, adopted)
- Diagnoses : Major Diseases : Cancer (breast cancer)
- Notable : Awards : Oscar
