Melissa Etheridge finds plenty of reason for hope these days. The foundation she created to help find solutions to opioid addiction is energized by promising research possibilities. The women she met at the Kansas prison featured in her 2024 documentary and live album are maintaining the momentum to live inspired lives. And there’s always new music. Whether anthemic or reflective, each song gives listeners another opportunity to connect with Etheridge — and one another — and to find energy to move forward in life. The Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter is making the rounds on her “Spring Tour 2025” — with a stop in Virginia Beach on May 5. What will she play? “I will always do the hits,” she said. “And I just made a new record.” “Rise,” that album, will offer listeners uplifting songs at a challenging time. “We need optimism,” she said. “We need some guidance toward joy.” Though the album is done, it won’t be out till the end of this year or maybe next, she told The Vindicator ; still, fans will want to listen closely. The rocker with the smoldering voice already is known for “Bring Me Some Water,” “Come to My Window,” “Ain’t It Heavy,” “I’m the Only One,” “I Want to Come Over” and other hits. Singer Joss Stone will be joining her for some dates, including the Beach, evoking memories of their powerful vocal pairing at the 2005 Grammy Awards ceremony. Etheridge, a breast cancer survivor still bald at the time from chemotherapy, joined Stone on stage for a stirring performance of “Piece of My Heart” during a tribute to Janis Joplin. Etheridge, who won an Academy Award for best song in 2007 for “I Need to Wake Up,” reflected on the qualities she believes make for a truly good song. “I believe the things I have found that resonate the most with people are people can relate to it and make it their own,” Etheridge said. “One that people can sing along to.” She remains committed to “just singing songs that people want to sing.” She launched the Etheridge Foundation after the death in 2020 of her 21-year-old son, Beckett, to support advocacy for and research of opioid use disorder. The foundation made a $40,000 grant late last month to the Heroic Hearts Project for its retreat for veterans. The retreat will foster mental health and opioid recovery support for veterans, who can face more risk because a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder can increase the likelihood of opioid use disorder. That grant was accompanied by a $4,000 contribution to Indigenous-led ayahuasca biocultural conservation projects. Ayahuasca, a vine found in the Amazon long used as a medicine by local cultures, is being researched for its therapeutic potential for patients facing addiction, depression, anxiety and trauma. A study in Spain, for which the Etheridge Foundation provided its first grant, is examining the possibilities of ibogaine and released its preliminary findings in January. Participants receiving ibogaine needed lower doses of methadone and experienced reduced withdrawal symptoms, among other benefits, and the final results are expected in June. “They stopped drinking and smoking,” Etheridge said of the participants. “I get so excited about the foundation. … It’s to give other options, other opportunities. Something that sends someone on a journey to emotional health; that’s what we’re missing. To really help someone heal inside is healing.” Music also has power to help people find internal healing, and it fosters an atmosphere of empathy and respect to honor people wherever they are. In 2024, Etheridge released a two-part Paramount+ docuseries, “Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken,” which was based on a song she was inspired to write after reading letters from five women at Topeka Correctional Facility. A companion live album followed; “I’m Not Broken (Live from Topeka Correctional Facility)” captures her performance for 2,500 women and their enthusiastic reception. The time she spent listening to women incarcerated in her hometown has inspired her to keep searching for more ways to help people break the cycle of addiction. Understanding what keeps the cycle spinning from generation to generation can offer valuable ways to reach people who can be overlooked by society. “It guides us to understanding we need to look at early childhood trauma,” she said. Different songs can resonate with fans at different times in their lives, while others ring true as constant touchstones. Etheridge’s fans like to weigh in on their favorites as part of a lighthearted competition in the spirit of NCAA college basketball’s March Madness bracket mayhem. The results are in for the annual Melissa Madness bracket on Etheridge’s website. The winners of the 2025 song showdown voted on by fans are “Like the Way I Do” in first place, “Bring Me Some Water” in second and “I’m the Only One” in third. “That’s my social media team having fun,” Etheridge said with a chuckle.
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