In this classic performance from 1995, Melissa Etheridge and Jewel team up to perform “Foolish Games” during an episode of VH-1 “Duets.”

The post Etheridge, Jewel on VH-1 ‘Duets’ first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY CANDY PARKER

What did you miss this week in the world of LGBT news? Check out our Lesbian.com round-up and you’ll be ready to gather ’round the rainbow-colored water cooler to talk about five of the biggest, best and most interesting stories for June 29 – July 5.

Etheridge releases “Take My Number”

On Tuesday Melissa Etheridge released the debut single from her upcoming “This is ME” album. “Take My Number” is the first song off Etheridge’s much anticipated LP, expected to drop on September 30.

You can purchase the new song on iTunes and watch the official live video below.

Lesbian couple attacked after San Francisco Pride event

Police are investigating an attack on a lesbian couple in San Francisco in which the women were beaten and kicked by as many as six men.

Jennifer and Jakki, who requested that their last names not be released, were returning from a Pride event last Saturday evening when a group of men shouted a homophobic slur before initiating the attack on Jennifer.

The frightening ordeal left Jennifer with a concussion, bruises and lacerations while Jakki, who jumped in to try to protect her partner, suffered a broken wrist.

The couple speaks with a local news station in the video below.

Swedish ice hockey team shows support for LGBT rights

An ice hockey team in Kiruna, Sweden, announced that its players will don rainbow-colored uniforms for the 2014-2015 season in an effort to become the first sporting association to receive certification by the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights.

“During the season 2014/2015, Kiruna IF will change their uniforms and make a stand by wearing rainbow-colored jerseys,” the club announced in a press release. “In addition to this gesture, the players will give talks in schools, as part of a collaboration with Kiruna Municipality, and participate in events which aim to increase the understanding and acceptance of people’s differences and similarities. By setting a good example, Kiruna IF want to prevent bullying and exclusion and create the best opportunities for all young people to play and love hockey.”

Portia De Rossi rehab rumors

Reports surfaced this week that Portia De Rossi checked into Passages Malibu, a rehab facility, for treatment for drug and alcohol issues in early May following an “ugly fight” with wife Ellen DeGeneres.

An unnamed source told In Touch magazine that “Portia hadn’t been happy for a while and was drinking and isolating [herself], and Ellen confronted her. Portia lost it and blamed Ellen for driving her to drink because of her controlling ways and said she wasn’t in love with her anymore. Ellen was crushed and screamed at Portia to get out.”

The source continued, “Ellen is domineering and Portia is passive,” and their marriage is full of “jealousy, lies, and fighting.” De Rossi “felt like a prisoner in her own home. She went from sipping white wine occasionally to drinking at least a bottle or more a day and topping it off with a pill.”

During De Rossi’s 30-day stay at Passages, DeGeneres reportedly visited her every weekend to offer her support and the couple are said to be working to save the marriage.

DeGeneres and De Rossi issued no formal statement to address the reports.

Burger King unveils Proud Whopper for San Francisco Pride

A Burger King in downtown San Francisco celebrated Pride with the Proud Whopper, a Whopper wrapped in a rainbow-colored wrapper inscribed with the message “We are all the same inside.”

“It showcases who we are as a brand,” says Fernando Machado, senior vice president of global brand management at Burger King. “It shows how we, as a brand, believe in self-expression.”

All Proud Whopper sandwich sales, Machado says, will be donated to the Burger King McLamore Foundation for scholarships benefiting LGBT high school seniors graduating in spring 2015.

According to USA Today, one gay rights activist says Burger King is doing the right thing. “Whenever a company comes out in support of gay people, it makes a difference,” says Jordan Bach, a consultant to corporations on gay rights issues and a GLAAD media partner. “But when it’s done right — when it’s done with a campaign that shows the company understands diversity and really believes in the profound acceptance of other people — that sort of marketing can change minds and hearts at the deepest level.”

Burger King was also a sponsor of this year’s San Francisco Pride celebration, marking the first time the company has sponsored a U.S.-based Pride parade.

Watch public reaction to the Proud Whopper in the Burger King video below.

The post LGBT week in review: New Etheridge release, De Rossi rehab, Pride colors shine first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Melissa Etheridge serenades Linda Wallem during their wedding ceremony on May 31 at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California.

The post Etheridge wedding serenade first appeared on Lesbian.com.

The pair who turned 53 on Thursday (as in, they have the same birthday) wed at San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California.

Etheridge sang a never-before-performed song she wrote for the “Nurse Jackie” creator. The couple has been dating since 2010.

All of Etheridge’s kids, Bailey Jean Cypher, 17; Beckett Cypher, 15; and Miller Steven Etheridge and Johnnie Rose Etheridge, 7, played a role in the wedding.

Chelsea Handler, Rosie O’Donnell and Jane Lynch were among the celebs in attendance.

The post Etheridge debuts song for her new wife at wedding first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Melissa Etheridge was honored at the 2014 Voice Awards for co-founding the Uprising of Love Foundation that brings visibility to LGBT struggles around the world. Watch the audience jump to its feet for this rousing rendition of “Uprising of Love” as Etheridge performs with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles for the first time.

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Diedra Meredith, Chairwoman of OUTmusic

BY EMELINA MINERO
Lesbian.com

The LGBT Academy of Recording Arts (LARA) launched a social media awareness campaign, Freedom of Expression = Music Equality (FOE=MEQ). The campaign serves to commemorate LARA’s 25th anniversary, celebrate the 9th production of the OUTmusic Awards and emphasize the importance of supporting LGBT artists.

Not only is LARA hoping to raise awareness about the importance of championing queer musicians and the impact that music created by queer people has on both queer and mainstream culture, they’re also using this campaign to raise $200,000 to fund the upcoming OUTmusic Awards and a documentary about the awards, “For Which WE Stand (One Queer Music Nation in The Visible).”

“This film and the live production of the OUTmusic Awards is integral to the Academy’s mission to document and archive our movement and history,” said Diedra Meredith, Chairwoman of OUTmusic.

“Our goal is to create more opportunities for LGBTQ recording artists and ensure that queer music culture be included as an integral platform in the music industry,” said Meredith.

The documentary will interweave live footage from the OUTmusic Awards as well as interviews with LGBT artists and allies such as Michael Musto, Dolly Parton, Melissa Etheridge, Frenchie Davis, Diana King, Chely Wright and Tona Brown.

LARA is taking on the important task of ensuring that the LGBT community’s contributions to music are recorded. Mainstream media often omits the minority in documenting history and those stories go untold. LARA believes that part of the fight for equality is inclusion in mainstream history, that LGBT voices need to be heard and amplified. LARA’s mission is to highlight LGBT artists who have contributed to the music world and to bolster the voices of those who are currently making contributions. They work to ensure that the stories of LGBT artists are included in the annals music history.

“It is important that OUTmusic Awards be included and celebrated in media, music and entertainment history just as the Latin Grammy Awards, the Country Music Awards and the Black Entertainment Music Awards. The more LGBT people are included, acknowledged and celebrated for their achievements and contributions, the more impact we can make in changing hearts and minds to erase the stigmas,” said Meredith.

LARA is hoping that through FOE=MEQ they will also help highlight the importance that music plays in our self-expression and in impacting our culture.

“It is important that LGBT people express their authentic emotions and images through their music, art, acting, performance art and writing,” said Meredith.

FOE=MEQ is about more than highlighting the importance of freedom of expression. It’s also highlighting LGBT musicians and artists and bringing the LGBT community together over a common goal: freedom and equal representation.

LARA is run completely by passionate volunteers, and all of the money raised in the current campaign will go toward the production of the 9th OUTmusic Awards and “For Which WE Stand (One Queer Music Nation in The Visible).” OUTmusic, Inc., is a nonprofit and donations are tax deductible. LARA is hoping to get 200,000 people to make a $1 donation to reach their $200,000 goal.

As part of their fundraising effort, LARA has partnered with various out and ally artists to help spread the word about FOE=MEQ, including the cast of the web series “Producing Juliet,” film director Sean Robinson, Kristen Henderson of Antigone Rising, Jamaican recording artist Kat C.H.R. and many more.

Each week, LARA will release a new FOE=MEQ photo from their campaign on their Facebook page highlighting a different artist and what freedom of expression means to them. To join the campaign, visit the FOE=MEQ website. Donations to the fundraising campaign can be made here.

The post LGBT Academy of Recording Artists launches photo campaign first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY HEATHER SMITH

When I was nine years old, I was playing softball and riding my bike. When Janet Robin was that age, she was studying with legendary guitarist, Randy Rhoads (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne). This is a woman who was raised on the guitar, and damn, can she play.

In Part I of our Q&A, I talked with Janet about her relationship with Randy Rhoads, her influences and her early career playing with the all-girl glam rock outfit Precious Metal as well as stints with Lindsey Buckingham, Air Supply and Meredith Brooks. Janet Robin has had experiences that many musicians only dream about and during the course of her career has proven over and over that girls really do know how to rock.

How old were you when you first started playing guitar? What made you pick it up?

I started when I was six years old on classical and folk guitar, then nine years old on electric. I did everything my older brothers did. When they took karate, I took karate; when they took guitar, I took guitar. Karate obviously didn’t work out, but I really enjoyed playing guitar. It was a different kind of focus for me even at a young age.

When did Randy Rhoads start giving you guitar lessons? How did that come about?

I started with him around age nine. My brother and I were taking acoustic guitar from another teacher and he wanted to play electric. Of course, I wanted to also. Someone recommended this great electric guitar teacher and he taught at his mom’s studio, Musonia, which was really close to my parent’s house.

How did Randy Rhoads influence you?

First, he couldn’t care less that I was a little girl who wanted to rock. Also, I was his youngest student, and he didn’t care about that either. It really gave me a lot of confidence as a kid and as a girl who didn’t want to play with Barbies. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I was obsessed with guitar.

Randy taught me how to practice, too. He also inadvertently taught me how to write songs. When we would jam during the lessons, he would show me a progression that usually included a guitar riff of some sort. A lot of the music I write has a “featured” guitar riff that’s a theme throughout. As far as his style goes, it definitely influenced me in learning all the tricks of the trade like pull-offs, hammer-ons, pinching, harmonics — cool stuff that lead guitar players use in their solos. I used it later in my bands and also use some of that stuff now on my acoustic guitar, which sounds really different and unusual.

What is one of your favorite memories of him?

I was lucky enough to actually see him play with Quiet Riot back in the day. He was with them before he got the gig with Ozzy Osbourne. They weren’t as big until after he died, but they were a popular Los Angeles band at that time. I enjoyed seeing him live and the buzz of the concert was really awesome. But to be honest, my favorite memories are just going to my lessons week after week, sitting in the little practice room. He would be smoking and drinking a Diet Coke, and just completely ripping on the guitar during our lessons. It was amazing; I’d never seen anyone play like him. I would actually bring friends and family members to sit in on my lessons.

How did his death impact you?

I was devastated. I remember I was at school; 15 years old. My mom called the school office and they sent me there to talk to her on the phone and she told me about the plane crash.

I just couldn’t believe it. I started crying immediately. I just felt like everything I had learned on guitar — the “serious” stuff was from him, and that it will never happen again now, and nobody would ever replace him.

I was lucky enough to have had one more lesson with him — in between tours with Ozzy he had a break and went back to teach his students for one week. That was the last time I saw him. I remember he came out and told my mom “When she gets to be my age she’s gonna be just as good.” I don’t know about that, but it was really cool thing to say! He was super dedicated. I think that also taught me a lot in my approach to teaching my students.

Who were were some of your female role models?

You know, growing up back in the 70s there weren’t a lot of female guitarists or even female-fronted bands. Of course, I loved Heart. I just thought they were so awesome. Nancy Wilson played fantastic guitar — finger-picking aggressively, but was still sexy and cool. She was definitely a role model.

I liked The Runaways, too, but I wasn’t as aware of them as I was Heart. They seemed a little more trashy-punk which was cool, but I guess I was more into the classic rock style. I loved Janis Joplin, Grace Slick and Blondie as vocalists. But you know there just weren’t a lot of girls back then rocking on the guitar. I had heard of Bonnie Raitt but she was more in the blues scene. So, I admired a lot of male players — besides Randy of course, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Eddie Van Halen.

How old were you when you joined Precious Metal?

I answered an ad from the drummer and rhythm guitar player at the time — they were looking for a lead guitarist. I had just turned 17 and was in my senior year.

What was that experience like in metal/glam rock, which was seemingly a male-dominated genre?

Yes, well, there’s too many stories to go into. You know we had it okay. We really prided ourselves on our musicianship. We played all the parts on all of our records and we wrote all the songs. We put on an entertaining show. We did feel at times, though, that we had something to prove just because rock ‘n’ roll is so male dominated, but that just made us work harder. I think in the end we did get some respect.

I do have to say that back in the 80s the Sunset Strip scene was really cool. Lots of bands were close friends. We would play shows together, be at parties together, and there were several other really good female bands at the time that were awesome. We also hung out with the guys from Guns ‘n’ Roses and Poison, that was pretty cool. A lot of those bands just started making it, but they were still playing on the strip.

What was your best experience with Precious Metal?

That’s tough because we had a lot of great moments. Playing in Mexico at a benefit concert with 20,000 people in the audience was amazing to me. I had never played in front of so many people before. Writing and recording with Ann and Nancy Wilson and Sue Ennis for our last record in 1990 was pretty awesome.

Leslie Knauer (Precious Metal’s lead singer) and I flew up to Seattle, worked on a few songs, recorded some demos and then just partied! That was back when I could party. But it was amazing to actually be working with someone like the Wilsons who I admired growing up and then hanging out, playing and talking about music. They are still friends although I don’t see them that much. Several years ago I had the opportunity to open for one of their acoustic shows down in Cerritos. A few years back I went to their show and brought my 16-year-old female guitar student backstage who loves them, and she got to meet them and get her record signed.

Worst?

Well, there were some. I think one time I heard some guy say “Your boyfriends must be playing behind the curtains!” That was the craziest thing I’d ever heard. Then another time at a show on the road some idiots threw dildos on stage. That was so fucked up and disrespectful, so we threw them back into the audience.

What led to the demise of Precious Metal?

Well, we released our very last record around 1990 which was the beginning of the grunge scene — with Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, etc. That style was taking off on radio and the industry really didn’t want to have anything to do with glam-rock anymore. So after six years we called it quits.

How did you get the gig with Lindsey Buckingham?

If it wasn’t for Precious Metal, I wouldn’t have gotten the gig with Lindsey. A production assistant that worked at our former label started working for an agent in Los Angeles that was responsible for looking for touring musicians for major artists. Lindsey’s team went to her asking for female guitarists. He wanted two of them so they sent me in. The audition was crazy long — five hours of just hanging out, playing a little, talking, playing again, singing a little, talking. I’d never had an audition like that before. He’s old school and really wanted to get to know each player before he hired them.

How much did working with him influence your career?

Lindsey influenced me quite a bit. I’ve been lucky, you know. I’ve had some great female role models — Nancy Wilson, of course — but I also have had some amazing male role models and each guy I worked with gave me the utmost respect. I think they saw how hard I work, how much I love playing the guitar and performing and that I really take my career and work seriously. So maybe in a way, I attracted those kinds of people to work with. Lindsey is a perfectionist. I now strive to be as perfect as possible. It’s impossible of course, but I still strive to do my best with shows, songwriting and recording.

I learned a lot from him about putting an entertaining show together — not just playing songs — but interacting with the audience. I learned a lot about songwriting and, of course, incorporating guitar into it. I think Precious Metal was a great start for me in the industry, but I really, truly became a professional when I started working with Lindsey.

What is one of your favorite memories of working with Lindsey?

There are too many stories regarding working with Lindsey and they are all great. Going to Hawaii for two weeks, renting out the hotel lounge at The Grand Wailea on Maui, and turning it into a recording studio was one of the most incredible experiences. We would get up, go snorkeling and then by 12 noon we were in the lounge recording ideas, jamming, etc.

He flew the whole band out there to do what we thought would be his next solo record. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way, but still it was an amazing experience.

Also, touring with Tina Turner. We opened for her for six weeks and that was also pretty damn cool. We played arenas. I grew up going to concerts in arenas and here I was playing in them. That was a dream come true. Also, I would watch her every night. She is such a pro. I learned a lot from her, too!

Also, I think a really cool experience for me was when our band (with Lindsey) played in Seattle and Nancy Wilson came to the show. Then we all went out to dinner and drinks. To be surrounded by two amazing guitar players and to have their respect was just a pinnacle of my career.

You played with Air Supply, which is known for being the epitome of soft rock. How did you come to work with them?

Well, that was another Precious Metal hook up. One of Precious Metal’s former road managers was now Air Supply’s road manager. I was hired by an agent to play guitar for a 70s concert featuring soft rock artists, like Gary Wright and Ambrosia. We opened for Air Supply that night and my former tour manager from Precious Metal recognized me. He told me that Air Supply was looking for a lead guitar player and that Russell and Graham (of Air Supply) saw me play there and were impressed with my playing and wanted to hire me. Literally, there was no audition. A month later I got a live CD from them, learned all the songs and parts and started heading out on the road with them.

Your background is more rock, so what was it like to play with a band that has a softer edge?

I was a lot older than when I was with Precious Metal so it was okay for me to play that style. Yes, it wasn’t as rockin’, but they did have me do some cool solos and featured me a lot which was really great. I think I added a little edge which I think they were okay with. And they had no problem about me being a girl either. Again, male performers giving respect. I really appreciated that they could care less about my gender. It just didn’t work out because my own solo career was becoming more important to me at that point in my life. I had already begun touring the U.S. for several years, as well as Europe, and I just really wanted to focus on my own music at that point.

Who are some of the other artists/bands you have played/collaborated with?

There are many. Maia Sharp, we’ve written a lot of songs together. Garrison Starr, Adrianne, Sarah Bettens, Michelle Shocked, Meredith Brooks and many more.

Meredith Brooks was a great experience — we opened for Melissa Etheridge on a summer tour back in 2002. Great fun and great audiences. I think they loved the fact that there were two girls rockin’ on the guitar. Meredith is a killer guitar player and I thought it was cool that she wanted another girl guitar player in the band. She also let me sell my own CDs at those shows and also let me open for her when she played solo shows. Super supportive woman.

Be sure to catch part two of our interview with Janet Robin soon. She is headed to Europe where she will be touring through the UK, Germany, and the Czech Republic throughout May and June.

Janet Robin will be performing at the Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles on May 11. For more information and additional tour dates, be sure to check out her website.

Heather Smith is the creator and producer of Rubyfruit Radio, a podcast featuring the best in female artists.

The post Don’t dare tell Janet Robin that girls can’t rock first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY CANDY PARKER

Let’s face it, as much as we would all love to be front and center for a Melissa Etheridge concert almost every night, it’s just not possible. Thankfully in this digital age we can enjoy the next best thing — fan-posted videos on YouTube!

Etheridge is currently out on her “This Is Me” tour and we’ve managed to pull together some of the better concert videos that we’ve seen pop up recently. No, you can’t grab the set list at the end of the show and there’s no chance of catching a guitar pick tossed into the crowd, but at least you can get a wee taste of what might be headed your way later in the tour.

Nashville, Tennessee — April 15, 2014 — “The Different”

Nashville, Tennessee — April 15, 2014 — “You Can Sleep While I Drive”

Hershey, Pennsylvania — April 22 — “I’m the Only One”

Hershey, Pennsylvania — April 22 — “Like the Way I Do”

Northampton, Massachusetts — April 23 — “A Little Bit of Me”

Westbury, New York — April 27 — “Only the Good Die Young”

Westbury, New York — April 27 — “The Letting Go”

Etheridge’s tour will continues with stops in the following cities:

June 8 — Concord, New Hampshire
June 9 — New Bedford, Massachusetts
June 10 — Rutland, Vermont
June 12-13 — Boston, Massachusetts
June 14 — Albany, New York
June 16 — Chicago, Illinois
June 19 — Syracuse, New York
June 20 — Toronto World Pride
June 22 — Salamanca, New York
July 4 — Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
July 30-31 — San Francisco, California

The post Etheridge on tour: ‘This Is Me’ concert videos first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY HEATHER SMITH

You’ve filled your phone with the latest Melissa Etheridge, k.d. lang, Indigo Girls, Brandi Carlile, and Tegan and Sara. So that’s it? You think you’re all set in case there’s a spontaneous queer music party on the next block? Not even close. While those more mainstream artists certainly have their place in the lesbian music collective, the multitude of new artists is growing by the day and the level of talent isn’t lacking. Don’t get overwhelmed. I’m here to get you started with a look at five artists that are sure to expand your listening horizons. Whether you’ve got a broken heart or you want to dance around, there is something for everyone on this list. Your ears will thank you.

Meshell Ndegeocello
Meshell Ndegeocello has always pushed the envelope with her music. From blurring the lines of musical genres by incorporating rock, jazz, R&B, funk and hip-hop into her sound to writing songs about provocative topics like race, sex, politics, religion and feminism, Ndegeocello, over the course of the last 20 years has consistently put out some of the most authentic and honest songs possible.

She has a new album called, “Comet, Come To Me” coming out in June. Here is one of the new tracks, “Conviction.”

Mal Blum
With quirky, self deprecating lyrics along with perfect melodies, it’s easy to connect with Mal Blum’s music. Her 2013 release “Tempest In A Teacup” manages to show vulnerability and be funny at the same time. It’s this characteristic that has given this album earworm status for me. It also helps that she is friggin’ adorable.

One of my favorites off the album is “Valentine’s Day (Let’s Stop Cheating On Each Other),” which highlights Blum’s sense of humor.

Allison Weiss
Allison Weiss’ “Say What You Mean” is full of songs that say the things you wish you could say, but you just can’t find the words. Weiss does this without an overabundance of analogies and platitudes. The songs lament about broken hearts, but over a catchy beat with completely relatable scenarios.

The skill with which Allison Weiss is able to articulate the angst over a broken relationship without sounding depressed is quite a feat and even if you’re not in the midst of a breakup, the album says something and remains fresh. This album has been in a constant rotation for me since it came out last spring, even though I was not suffering from a broken heart. Weiss is, however, saying some of the things I wish I had during my last breakup.

Check out this acoustic version of her song “Making It Up” from her latest album “Say What You Mean”.

Hannah Thomas
Georgia girl Hannah Thomas can’t be pigeonholed. Part rock and part country, she brings an energy to her music that cannot be contained. She’s been touring and writing relentlessly since she was 16, kicking ass and taking names along the way. I think that her talent truly shines when she performs live, so if you get a chance to see her perform, take advantage of it.

One of the highlights from her last release, “Goodbye On Wasted Time” is “Watch Out For the Deer,” a fan favorite that makes hanging out in a parking lot sound like a hell of a lot of fun.

CocoRosie
Sisters Bianca and Sierra Casady, form the core of this group whose music has been described as “freak folk” and “New American Weird.” Their sound, at first listen can sound a bit baffling, but the more you listen, the more haunting and lush it sounds.

What I love about CocoRosie is that they pay no mind to what they think others might want to hear and are doing this for themselves and seemingly, loving every minute of it. I had the chance to see them in New York knowing very little about them. My first thought was that it was a cacophonous spectacle. Then I really listened to them and paid attention to the layers of their sound and saw it for it’s beauty.

Check out “After the Afterlife” from their latest release, Tales of a GrassWidow.

Heather Smith is the creator and producer of Rubyfruit Radio, a podcast featuring the best in female artists.

The post Five musicians you need to know first appeared on Lesbian.com.