Melissa Etheridge & Tammy Lynn Michaels

[princess 1,712]

MELISSA 'WEDDING' WILL GO ON     

Page Six

 

WHILE we all try to cope with the postponement of Jennifer Lopez's wedding to Ben Affleck, we can report that at least one other celebrity "marriage" is still on - the union of lesbian lovebirds Melissa Etheridge and her gal pal of two years, actress Tammy Lynn Michaels.

 

The sapphic ceremony will supposedly take place in Malibu this weekend, and we're told that Al and Tipper Gore are on the guest list. Rocker Etheridge, 41, and Michaels, 28, have been dating for about two years.

 

Etheridge, who's also close friends with Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, shares custody of a daughter and a son with ex-girlfriend Julie Cypher. She and Etheridge made headlines in 2000 when they revealed that drug-ravaged rocker David Crosby was the sperm donor for their kids, who were borne by Cypher.

[princess 1,712]

Etheridge and Michaels Marry

imdb.com

 

Singer Melissa Etheridge married her TV actress girlfriend Tammy Lynn Michaels in a secret ceremony on Saturday. The pair, who had announced they intended to exchange vows at Christmas time, released a statement on Sunday describing themselves as married, even though gay weddings are not legally binding in their home state of California. The statement says, "We are so grateful for the blessings from our friends and family as we commence our vows, and begin the rest of our lives together." Etheridge, 41, wore a beaded jacket and crepe trousers, and Popular star Michaels donned a white gown, as they exchanged custom-made platinum and diamond wedding rings.

 

California doesn't acknowledge gay marriages, but they do acknowledge common-law marriages even when same sex, right??

[princess 1,712]

 

Tammy Lynn Michaels and Melissa Etheridge at the Showtime Premiere Screening Of "The L Word"

[princess 1,712]

 

The L Word Premiere in Los Angeles

January 6, 2004

[princess 1,712]

A 'LUCKY' STAR

By DAN AQUILANTE

NY Post

 

THERE aren't many blues-rockers who write like Springsteen and sing like Joplin.

 

But there aren't many superstars like Melissa Etheridge.

 

Yet she's so normal, she could be the gay rock star who lives next door.

 

"My friends tell me rock stardom was wasted on me. I've never had a substance abuse problem, I'm not really a drinker and I don't want to stay up all night," she told The Post from Orlando, Fla., on tour.

 

"The wackiest thing I've ever done was when I ended a relationship three years ago, I had one too many margaritas, came home, went online and bought a muscle-car on eBay."

 

Etheridge advises with a laugh, "Never drink and shop."

 

Although the 43-year-old has won a pair of Grammys for such memorable music as "Come to My Window," "I'm the Only One" and "Bring Me Some Water," it's her personal life that has fired inquiring minds at tabloids.

 

In the decade since she ended speculation about her sexuality and came out at an inaugural ball for President Clinton, she hooked up and broke up with Julie Cypher, with whom she had two children via artificial insemination. (Rocker David Crosby was the sperm donor.)

 

The children - Bailey, 7, and Beckett, 6 - now live with Etheridge, who got hitched last fall to 29-year-old actress Tammy Michaels.

 

Her now happy home life is chronicled in her just-released album, "Lucky," which she is supporting with a tour that plays four shows at the Roseland Ballroom starting tonight.

 

Post: Unlike your last album, which was dark, the songs of "Lucky" seem to say you're a happy person.

 

Etheridge: I am absolutely happy. Yeah, there's questioning and doubt and serious thought in "Lucky," but there's definitely a feeling that I've made the right choices and I'm moving down a much more enlightened path than I've ever been on.

 

Post: You're destroying the myth that an artist has to be miserable to create.

 

Etheridge: Bless your heart for saying that. I went into this wondering if all my happiness meant I had to turn in my career.

 

Post: Are you lucky?

 

Etheridge: Not in the superstitious sense. I'm lucky in that I make the right choices. I take advantage of opportunities, and that lets you create your own luck. I've never been unlucky in my career, but I settled for less in my personal relationships for a while.

 

Post: Has that changed since you got together with Miss Michaels?

 

Etheridge: You mean Mrs. Etheridge.

 

Post: Are you two married?

 

Etheridge: Yes, but we're still searching for a license so our union can be recognized lawfully. I don't believe most members of the gay community realize how many rights they're denied by not being granted marriage licenses. The emphasis should be on the license part, not the married part.

 

Post: How many rights are denied?

 

Etheridge: There are 1,138 rights granted married couples that I'm denied.

 

Post: Did you make that number up just now?

 

Etheridge: Not at all. I didn't know until I "divorced" (Julie) what I was being denied. We were together 10 years and we approached the relationship as if we were married, so when we split, we treated it like any married couple would, dividing our estate between us. But we were doubly taxed on everything. We were treated by the state as if we were a business partnership, not a couple. This isn't a moral issue. It's about civil law.

 

Post: Did this concern you and Julie when dealing with your children?

 

Etheridge: Absolutely. Marriage licenses are needed especially for same-sex couples with children. It's for the protection of the kids. That was the one part of my relationship with Julie that was legally bound. Before our divorce, I adopted the children after an astounding amount of red tape.

 

Post: Have your children shown musical or artistic inclinations?

 

Etheridge: You're asking their mom, who thinks that they're both geniuses. They're surrounded by music, they know music is my job, so we often make music together. Whether they choose that as their life's work is up to them.

 

Post: Given a minute with President Bush, what would you say to him about gay marriage?

 

Etheridge: I'd tell him his time here is just a small speck, and you can't change the direction that humanity is headed. He can make it miserable for a lot of us now.

 

Post: "Tuesday Morning" is one of the most controversial songs on your new record. It concerns the late Mark Bingham, one of the heroes of Flight 93, who was gay.

 

Etheridge: Of course, 9/11 affected every American. As an artist, I felt the power of that tragedy, I saw the unity it created and waited to see where the lines would be drawn.

 

Post: Where were the lines drawn?

 

Etheridge: The Red Cross recognized the gay families and gave the survivors financial support; the federal government chose not to. It bothered me that the government recognized the families of illegal aliens and gave them compensation, but not same-sex American families. Four he-men foiled the terrorists on Flight 93, and one of them, Mark Bingham, was gay. He saved lives, but the part of the population he represented is left out. The choices the government made then, and since, clearly say they want us left out.

 

Post: When you came out at the presidential inauguration in 1993, you kissed Elvira on the lips.

 

Etheridge: Doesn't everyone?

 

Post: Ten years later, Madonna and Britney kissed. Was it a stunt or a statement?

 

Etheridge: There was no political statement there. Pop music is always pushing the boundaries of moral decency; Madonna has always done that. It shouldn't have surprised anyone that she kissed America's sweetheart. I don't think she did it in the name of homosexuals - I think she did it in the name of Madonna. Besides, we aren't a nation of Beaver Cleaver people. We like to see two women kissing. So there.

[princess 1,712]

....she hooked up and broke up with Julie Cypher, with whom she had two children via artificial insemination. (Rocker David Crosby was the sperm donor.)The children - Bailey, 7, and Beckett, 6 - now live with Etheridge, who got hitched last fall to 29-year-old actress Tammy Michaels.

Even though they broke up, Julie Cypher still sees her kids right?? Anyone know if she does, or did she just ditch the situation entirely??

[Guest ilovestewie]

Melissa Ethridge is really down to earth for all her success! I've seen her play a show once before she was huge, huge and she gives a great performance, but the one thing I remember most was, "She is tiny!" She can't be much more than 5'0 tall! But, what a great big voice!!

[princess 1,712]

I saw her at JingleBall here in San Diego this last December, one of my favorites. What a great voice she has - one of my favorite voices in the music industry. And she seems so comfortable in front of everyone, she was talking and joking inbetween songs.

[Guest ilovestewie]

I do think Julie Cypher still sees the children--but permanent custody is with Melissa. Julie is the one who had the babies, it would be weird for her to ditch them completely. (Although I did read reports that Julie has a bad temper and her and Melissa used to have huge arguments).

[princess 1,712]

 

people.com

 

ANNOUNCED: Melissa Etheridge, 43, has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has canceled upcoming tour dates to undergo surgery and treatment, her publicist announced. "I am fortunate to be under a wonderful doctor's care and thankful that this was caught early," Etheridge said in a statement. "I am looking forward to a quick and full recovery." Etheridge and actress Tammy Lynn Michaels held a commitment ceremony in September 2003. The musician shares custody of a daughter and son with former partner Julie Cypher, who had the children through artificial insemination using a sperm donation from rocker David Crosby. ABC recently announced a new sitcom project with Etheridge that has been described as a Will & Grace in reverse, with her playing a lesbian music teacher who lives with her best friend, a straight man, and the two raise an adopted child together.

 

[princess 1,712]

histar.comMELISSA ETHERIDGE appears to be winning the war against breast cancer. She had surgery last weekend to have her lump removed, and everything went fine. Her doctors say her prognosis is, quote, "excellent". There's no word yet what the next step in her treatment will be. That hasn't been determined yet.

[princess 1,712]

Etheridge Speaks About Cancer Surgery

Monday Oct 18, 2004 3:45pm EST

By Stephen M. Silverman

people.com

 

Melissa Etheridge is recuperating at her Los Angeles area home following two surgical operations to treat breast cancer, according to a message the singer posted on her Web site.

 

Etheridge, 43, says that a tumor and her lymph nodes were removed, and that the next step for her is to undergo chemotherapy.

 

"I still have both of my breasts and whether I will keep them is a bridge I have to cross later," she says on the site. Etheridge also thanks her fans and her partner, actress Tammy Lynn Michaels, for all their love and support.

 

Etheridge underwent a lumpectomy after the discovery of a lump in her breast during a self-examination. As she said in a statement to PEOPLE last week: "I'm taking all of this one day at a time and spending time with the ones I love. I want to thank everyone for their concern and outpouring of affection."

 

Etheridge, who was forced to cancel 11 concert dates in seven cities this month because of the medical emergency, is still planning to shoot a pilot for ABC that has been called a "Will & Grace" in reverse, in which she plays a gay music teacher who lives with a straight man, the Associated Press reports.

 

She and Michaels held a commitment ceremony in September 2003. Etheridge shares custody of a daughter and son with former partner Julie Cypher, who had the children through artificial insemination using a sperm donation from rocker David Crosby.

[princess 1,712]

 

 

MOST POSITIVE OUTLOOK

"She's in a good place," Rosie O'Donnell told PEOPLE this week about friend Melissa Etheridge, who underwent a lumpectomy to have a tumor and lymph nodes removed after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Now at home resting with partner Tammy Lynn Michaels (left), the singer, 43, is staying positive. "I am looking forward to a quick and full recovery," she reassured fans on her Web site.

[princess 1,712]

pagesixsixsix.com

 

Melissa Etheridge has been keeping a low profile since her diagnosis with cancer. However, the pioneering lesbian singer/songwriter recently wrote this message to her fans on her official message board.

 

"Hello there boardies! I just wanted to give you a quick hello and tell you I am doing fine. I received my last chemo treatment (yuk) 3 weeks ago. I am on to radiation and then I will be done with all of this. It has been quite a journey, one which I could not have done without the love and support of my sweet wife Tammy.

 

Be sure and tune into the Grammys on Feb. 13th (I think that's the date...chemo brain) for a little surprise, but I warn you...I am bald. Yep, all of that fine full dyed blond hair is gone. It will grow back, slowly.

 

Thank you for all of your well wishes.

 

See you soon.

 

Melissa”

 

We wish you a speedy recovery Melissa! And, we hope you will rock out – bald and proud – at the Grammys.

[Guest Nekaybaw]

 

OMG!!! Did everyone see Melissa ROCK OUT the Grammys??? She was AWESOME!!!...and the bald head?? TOTALLY works for her...she's still sooooo sexy!! Speedy recovery and thank you SO MUCH for ROCKIN OUT despite it all! You are a true survivor! May the Creator continue to bless you as you have blessed us!

 

Nekaybaw

[princess 1,712]

I missed it, but I know she was performing at the Grammys!

[princess 1,712]

Yes, she looked good in the pics (I didn't see broadcast):

 

 

You can see more pics of the Grammy's in the Grammy's thread.

[RedandBlue 0]

Melissa's performance was unbelievable - my husband and I were just staring at the screen in awe, and we're both Joplin fans. What a brave person and truly great talent.

[tyler 408]

Melissa's performance was unbelievable - my husband and I were just staring at the screen in awe, and we're both Joplin fans. What a brave person and truly great talent.

Hers was the only performance I wanted to see. It was worth the wait.

[biffer 0]

I also saw the performance ...WOW!Here's what i think...they should release that duet, and put proceeds towards breast cancer!I sat there and while watching it , i got goose bumps!!!

[princess 1,712]

Page SixWe Hear.... . . THAT Stone Phillips has landed the first post-Grammys sit-down with Melissa Etheridge for "Dateline NBC" . . .

[Endora 0]

NY DAILY NEWS

Rock star Melissa Ethridge is telling the heartrending truth about the moment she realized she had cancer, her decision to quit chemotherapy, and her chrome-domed appearance on the Grammys. "I'm not gonna be afraid of the truth," she said in an interview with "Dateline NBC" that airs tomorrow night. "The truth is, yes, I had cancer. Yes, I got it outta me. Yes, I went through chemotherapy. Yes, I'm bald. Yes, I'm still walking." Etheridge, 43, inspired millions of viewers with her roof-raising rendition of Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart" on the music awards show last Sunday. She also got kudos for her decision to take the stage without a wig or hat, but said she never even considered hiding her hair loss. "You know what? When I came out, when I walked that walk ... I just followed the truth," she said. The singer was diagnosed with breast cancer last October during the Canadian leg of her "Lucky" tour, after she found a lump in her breast. "It was rather large. And I didn't know why I hadn't noticed it the day before," she said. "And I touched it and ... there's something in your soul. You're like, 'This is different.'" She had two operations to remove the tumor and affected lymph nodes and then started a grueling regimen of eight chemotherapy sessions. "It's the closest to death I have ever been," said Etheridge, who has two young children with ex-lover Julie Cypher. She cut the treatments short after five sessions - because the drug Taxol was leaving her guitar-strumming fingers numb - and moved onto radiation therapy.

[Rebelgirl 1]

http://people.aol.com/people/articles/0,19...1089619,00.html By Stephen M. Silverman Melissa Etheridge and partner Tammy Lynn Michaels say they are ready to add to their family. While Etheridge's rep says there's no pregnancy as of yet, the singer tells TV's Extra that another child is "already in the works." The two-time Grammy winner already has two children from a previous relationship: daughter Bailey Jean, 8, and son Beckett, 6. The kids were conceived via artificial insemination, but Etheridge says this time the donor will not be friend and rock legend David Crosby. "Been there, done that," Etheridge, 43, tells the show in an interview slated to run Wednesday night. Etheridge adds that she's now cancer-free and "a totally healthy person." She says that Michaels, 31, was instrumental in her battle against cancer. "At the end of the whole thing when it was over I came home to a bouquet that said 'in sickness and in health' and she means it. And the love and support of someone like that is worth all the money in the world," says Etheridge. The singer stopped the show at last February's Grammy Awards ceremony with her rendition of Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart" - and with her shorn locks, which she lost before starting chemo. But if Etheridge's baldness was a startling reminder of the breast cancer she was diagnosed with last fall, her high spirits were an indication of how well she was recuperating, PEOPLE reported. "I'm feeling great," Etheridge said at the time. After having two lumpectomies in one breast at the end of October, she completed a two-month course of chemotherapy at the end of December. She followed with radiation treatments a few times a week that ran through the end of March.

[BobbyD 2]

(Out.com)Call Her “Professor Etheridge”About 300 cancer biology students at the University of California, Los Angeles, got quite a surprise when none other than Melissa Etheridge showed up to be their guest speaker this week. According to the Associated Press, the singer spoke for an hour about her battle with breast cancer and answered students’ questions about her ordeal. “I’ve been a rock star since you were very young,” Etheridge told the class. “But I’ve never encountered anything as powerful as cancer.” The event was filmed for mtvU, MTV's college network. “Were you afraid to die?” asked one student. “I don’t fear death,” noted Etheridge. “I have a lot more to do.”

[WiLdFiRe 0]

I'm glad she's doing better & talking to people & educating them about her awful ordeal.