Editing Melissa Etheridge (section)

===1982–1992: Road to rock stardom===
Etheridge was discovered at Vermie's, a bar in Pasadena, California. She had made some friends on a women's soccer team, and those new friends came to see her play. One of the women was Karla Leopold, whose husband, Bill Leopold, was a manager in the music business. Karla convinced Bill to see Etheridge perform live. He was impressed, and became a pivotal part of Etheridge's career.<ref name=autobiography>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5_4DEtjV0vcC&q=carla+leopold+%2B+etheridge&pg=PA72|title=The Truth Is ...: My Life in Love and Music|last1=Etheridge|first1=Melissa|last2=Morton |first2=Laura|year=2002|edition=2nd|publisher=Random House|location=New York|page=72|isbn=978-0-307-76564-2}}</ref>  This, in addition to her gigs in lesbian bars around Los Angeles, led to her discovery by [[Island Records]] chief Chris Blackwell. She signed a publishing deal to write songs for films including the 1986 movie ''[[Weeds (1987 film)|Weeds]]''.<ref name="Country Music Television">{{cite web|url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/melissa-etheridge|title=Melissa Etheridge|author=cmt.com|publisher=MTV Networks|access-date=September 7, 2017|archive-date=September 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908021303/http://www.cmt.com/artists/melissa-etheridge|url-status=dead}}</ref>

After an unreleased first effort that was rejected by Island Records as being too polished and glossy, she completed her stripped-down, self-titled debut in just four days. Her eponymous debut album ''[[Melissa Etheridge (album)|Melissa Etheridge]]'' (1988), was an underground hit, and the single "[[Bring Me Some Water]]" performed well on radio and was nominated for a Grammy Award.<ref name="Country Music Television" />

At the time of the album's release, it was not generally known that Etheridge was a lesbian. While on the road promoting the album, she paused in [[Memphis, Tennessee]], to be interviewed for the syndicated radio program ''Pulsebeat—Voice of the Heartland'', explaining the intensity of her music by saying: "People think I'm really sad—or really angry. But my songs are written about the conflicts I have...I have no anger toward anyone else."<ref>Dickerson, James L. (2005) "Go, Girl, Go! The Women's Revolution in Music", Schirmer Trade Books, p. 115.</ref> She invited the radio syndication producer to attend her concert that night. He did and was surprised to find himself one of the few men in attendance.<ref>Dickerson, James L. (2005) "Go, Girl, Go! The Women's Revolution in Music", Schirmer Trade Books, p. 114.</ref>

Etheridge's second album, ''[[Brave and Crazy]]'', was released in 1989.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/brave-and-crazy-mw0000201739|title=Brave and Crazy – Melissa Etheridge &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic}}</ref> ''Brave and Crazy'' followed the same musical formula as her eponymous debut; it also garnered a Grammy nomination. The album peaked at No. 22 on the [[Billboard charts|''Billboard'' charts]] (equal to her first album). Etheridge then went on the road, like one of her musical influences, [[Bruce Springsteen]], and built a loyal fan base.<ref name="Biography.com" />

In 1992, Etheridge released her third album, ''[[Never Enough (Melissa Etheridge album)|Never Enough]]''. Similar to her prior two albums, ''Never Enough'' didn't reach the top of the charts, peaking at No. 21, but gave Etheridge her first Grammy for [[Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance|Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female]] for her single "Ain't It Heavy". ''Never Enough'' was considered a more personal and mature album from Etheridge at that time. With rumors circulating around her sexuality (Etheridge was not out yet at this point), the album seemed to inadvertently address these rumors.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|last=Loftus|first=Johnny|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r6883|pure_url=yes}}|title=Never Enough – Melissa Etheridge|website=AllMusic|date=March 17, 1992|access-date=May 18, 2012}}</ref>

In 1992, Etheridge established a performing arts scholarship at Leavenworth High School in honor of her recently deceased father. According to Etheridge, her father purchased her first guitar and "would come with me to bars in the area when I played because I was underage".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/1992/5/20/18984888/scholarship-venerates-memory-of-singer-s-dad|title=SCHOLARSHIP VENERATES MEMORY OF SINGER'S DAD|date=May 20, 1992|website=Deseret News}}</ref>