Melissa Etheridge (born May 29, 1961, in Leavenworth, Kansas ) is an iconic American rock singer‑songwriter and guitarist, known for her raspy, powerful vocals, confessional lyrics, and heartland‑rock sound. She broke through in the late 1980s with her self‑titled debut and became a mainstream force in the early ’90s with hits like “Come to My Window,” “I’m the Only One,” “Bring Me Some Water,” and “I Want to Come Over.” Etheridge is a two‑time Grammy winner, an Academy Award winner for “I Need to Wake Up” (from An Inconvenient Truth), and a trailblazer for LGBTQ+ visibility in rock, having publicly come out in 1993 at the height of her fame. Over her career, she has released 16 studio albums and remained a powerful cultural voice through activism, survival, and storytelling.
In 2026, Melissa Etheridge is on The RISE Tour, which supports her new studio album Rise, released in March 2026. The tour kicks off March 26 in Detroit and runs through spring 2026, covering theaters and performing arts centers across the U.S. and Canada before wrapping in May. Later in the summer, she also joins Wynonna Judd for select dates on the Raised on Radio Tour, extending her 2026 live presence into June and July. The shows blend new material with her classic, emotionally charged hits, emphasizing raw vocals, guitar‑driven arrangements, and intimate storytelling.
