Hometown Proud: Melissa Etheridge

Photo of singer Melissa Etheridge on stage playing guitar

Leavenworth is the hometown of singer/songwriter/Oscar/Grammy Award Winner Melissa Etheridge. Etheridge graduated from Leavenworth High School and while her career and her fame have taken her far and wide, she has never forgotten where she comes from. She has been a consistent inspiration to her community and a role model for young musicians wanting to follow in her footsteps.

Etheridge was born on May 29, 1961 and lived in Leavenworth until 1979 when she left to pursue her music career. Many of her songs over the years commemorate her growing up in Leavenworth, KS and can be noted in the lyrics, such as “Silver Thorn on a Midwest Rose”, and her “Kansas Dancing Shoes.”

While Etheridge may have moved out of Kansas, she continues to give back to her community. She has given generously over the years such as the A-X-1 Band Organ she donated to the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum in 2003. In 2012, Etheridge paid homage to 4th Street in Leavenworth on her aptly titled “4th Street Feeling” album. She sang the national anthem at NFL games as well as locally in 2015 when Etheridge returned to Sportsfield Park in Leavenworth to dedicate a baseball field in honor of her late father, Coach John D. Etheridge, and his years in support of Leavenworth youth sports. In 2016, Etheridge played a concert for the Leavenworth Public Schools Education Foundation as part of their fundraising efforts. In November 2019, Etheridge held a “Hometown Tour” for her biggest fans and they enjoyed the day visiting all of Etheridge's places that were meaningful to her while growing up. She returned to Leavenworth in May to celebrate with another local rising star who was on the hit TV singing competition “The Voice.”

For more information: melissaetheridge.com