Born on 29 May: Melissa Etheridge, the sincerity of intimacy

Melissa was born in Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1961 and, since her coming out in 1993, has also fought for gay rights.

At an age when some children still need their comfort blanket to fall asleep, Melissa was already strumming an acoustic guitar at the age of 7. Naturally, she was recruited by an amateur country band, which she only left to attend the prestigious Berklee College Of Music in Boston—the dream destination for every musician. She spent three years there before deciding to venture out into the real world. After all, music is above all meant to be performed in front of an audience—often one not yet won over. Playing the bars from Pasadena to Los Angeles, she eventually met scouts who recognised her talent. Her unique vocal timbre—not far from Tina Turner or Bonnie Tyler—truly leaves no one indifferent.

After unsuccessfully knocking on the door of Olivia Records, a small openly lesbian label, she took their rejection to heart and kept their letter as a totem of motivation to keep moving forward.

She eventually caught the attention of Chris Blackwell, head of the famous label Island. He quickly offered her the chance to release a debut album simply named after herself. It was 1988. And "Like The Way I Do", one of her biggest hits, was already on it, as well as the touching "Bring Me Some Water".

From the very beginning, she set the tone with uncompromising, both intimate and explosive music. "I never wanted to hide," she revealed in an interview with "Rolling Stone" in 1993. "If I sing my truths, then I need to live in accordance with them." This honesty culminated publicly in 1993 when she came out. Tom Robinson had, it’s true, already sung "Glad To Be Gay" in 1978 (which was censored by the BBC) and Bronski Beat had long since topped the charts, but very few female artists were then openly claiming their homosexuality.

That same year, "Yes I Am"—her fourth album, featuring tracks like "Come To My Window" and "I’m The Only One"—marked her breakthrough.

Over the years, with sixteen albums to her name, Melissa Etheridge continues to combine her artistic career with activism. She campaigns not only for LGBTQ+ rights, but also for the environment—causes that have become particularly precarious in the USA since Trump’s election. After surviving breast cancer in 2004, she also advocated for the legalisation of medicinal cannabis. "Illness taught me I didn’t have time to live half a life," she told Oprah Winfrey. "So I started writing, singing, loving as if every day counted twice."

Committed artist, passionate singer, Melissa Etheridge remains, even today, ready to take on new battles with a seemingly inexhaustible drive.

Upcoming concerts:

16 June: Royal Concert Hall – Glasgow (Scotland)

17 June: Union Chapel – London (England)

21 June: Blues Village – Grolloo (Netherlands)

6 July: Volkshaus – Zurich (Switzerland)

11 July: Sjock Festival – Gierle (Belgium)

Photo: Melissa Etheridge at the Pinkpop festival (Netherlands), June 1990