Melissa Etheridge at Hard Rock Live on May 16

Melissa Etheridge may no longer be shooting up the rock charts — but really, who is these days? Some time in the early aughts, though, she passed through those kinds of chart-topping requirements, making her officially a "Career Artist." When her albums Skin and Lucky performed well critically but not...

By Arielle Castillo

May 10, 2012

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Melissa Etheridge may no longer be shooting up the rock charts — but really, who is these days? Some time in the early aughts, though, she passed through those kinds of chart-topping requirements, making her officially a "Career Artist." When her albums Skin and Lucky performed well critically but not quite so well commercially, Etheridge decided to leverage her celebrity for a greater good. In ensuing years, she's championed breast cancer awareness (she is herself a survivor) and the legalization of medical marijuana and same-sex marriage, among various other issues. This has, in turn, helped to boost her back into the spotlight, and fans returning to her oeuvre will be rewarded by her signature rasp still intact and her pop-rock songwriting further maturing. The next step, she's said, is a slate of songs for a musical her partner is writing. But in all likelihood, most of the songs at this South Florida performance will come from her most recent album, last year's aptly titled Icon.

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