Melissa Etheridge dishes on Ellen’s birthday party

IT was the star-studded bash that had everyone talking — and now one of the guests reveals what went on inside.

Melissa Etheridge: “There’s a real movement happening with my sisters, women who are flying their voices right now, like Pink — women who know why it is important to try to make a difference.” (Pic: Jane Dempster)

THE singer has been making music for many years — and at 56, she’s not done yet. She’ll be heading to Australia soon, and is ready for those marriage proposals once again.

You tweeted you were going to treat fans to photos from Ellen DeGeneres’s 60th birthday party earlier this month, yet didn’t deliver. Were you just having too much fun?

There was nobody taking selfies! That party was crazy. I got to sing and connect again with friends like Pink. We did ‘Me and Bobby McGee’. I love anybody who will get up and play with me. Adele didn’t do it. She was, “No thank you, I am not working tonight.” [Laughs.]

You and your friend Sheryl Crow are on the way to Australia for a tour you’ve titled Make Rock Great Again.

It was Sheryl’s idea — and my response was, “Oh yes, I am so there.”

Etheridge says rock’n’roll is a state of mind. (Pic: John Tsiavis)

Do you think rock can be great again in an era dominated by hip-hop and electronic pop?

I am very confident because rock’n’roll isn’t one little period, it’s a state of mind. Music can push social norms, push our culture into better understanding and scary places we don’t want to go — rock’n’roll will take you there. Look at what’s happening now: our social shifts are embracing the feminine, and rock’n’roll has been very androgynous in a weird way. In my own way, I was pushing those edges — me being me and singing from my experience was boundary shattering.

You’re now 56. You and Sheryl struggled to break through as rock artists in the early 1990s. Can you talk about some of the obstacles you faced as you were coming up?

I remember going to radio stations and them saying, “We are already playing a woman so don’t have room for another one.” My response was to just make music, do what I love and change that rule. And that has changed. There’s a real movement happening with my sisters, women who are flying their voices right now, like Pink — women who know why it is important to try to make a difference.

Melissa Etheridge features in Stellar magazine.

Given the fact Australia legislated marriage equality in December, are you expecting any marriage proposals to go down at your shows when you play here?

Oh my gosh, I haven’t heard from anybody asking yet. But it was getting out of hand there for a while, it was happening all the time.

You have been working on new music. Is there any chance you’ll road test those songs on this tour?

Probably not. We’ll just stick to the hits and blow people’s minds every night. I am fortunate to have a lot of those. Whenever I start ‘Bring Me Some Water’, there’s that universal recognition, that electricity that happens — and it never lets me down. ‘Like The Way I Do’ is another one — a big celebration, and we always go there. I love starting a song and knowing it has created this bond, that people know it whether they are 60 or 30 or a teenager. That’s all I ever wanted when I started.

Melissa and Sheryl Crow perform at Byron Bay Bluesfest on April 1. Make Rock Great Again starts on April 3; tickets at ticketek.com.au.

Originally published as Melissa Etheridge dishes on Ellen’s birthday party