Melissa Etheridge became one of the ‘90s most popular recording artists due to her mixture of confessional lyrics; pop-based folk-rock; and raspy,Janis Joplin/Rod Stewart-esque vocals. But the road to stardom was not all smooth sailing for Etheridge as she debated behind the scenes whether or not to disclose to the public that she was gay early on in her career. Born May 29, 1961, in Leavenworth, KS.