Melissa Etheridge & Joss Stone

Description

Melissa Etheridge
An unrepentant believer in the power of classic rock and R&B, Melissa Etheridge has managed to keep her traditionalism vital decades after the release of her eponymous debut in 1988. With a raspy delivery that recalled prime Rod Stewart and faith in the restorative power of rock learned from Bruce Springsteen, Etheridge distinguishes her lean, straight-ahead heartland rock with emotionally direct songwriting. She sharpened this skill on Melissa Etheridge, Brave and Crazy, and Never Enough, records from the early '90s that generated such rock radio hits as "Bring Me Some Water," "Similar Features," "No Souvenirs," and "Ain't It Heavy," the latter winning Etheridge her first Grammy. Early in 1993, Etheridge became one of the first prominent rockers to come out publicly as a lesbian, an event that raised her public profile, helping her fourth album Yes I Am to become a multi-platinum blockbuster, spinning off the hits "I'm the Only One" and "Come to My Window." From that point forward, Etheridge was a roots rock institution, recording and working steadily, occasionally re-entering the spotlight -- she won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "I Need to Wake Up" in 2007 -- while taking pains to stretch herself creatively, as when she dedicated herself to R&B on 2016's Memphis Rock and Soul, while also committing herself to activism: her 2024 docuseries I'm Not Broken focused on imprisoned women suffering from addiction.

Joss Stone
Armed with a powerful voice and a compatible sound based in vintage soul, Joss Stone hit the mainstream as a teenager and has enjoyed an enduring career of unpredictable twists and turns. The British singer first earned a devoted audience at home and abroad with reinterpretations of classic soul songs, and has expanded it with her songwriting chops and ability to explore styles far afield of vintage R&B, her first love. The Soul Sessions (2003), Stone's debut, sold over five million copies worldwide and led to greater acclaim with Mind, Body & Soul (2004), a chart-topping follow-up that garnered Grammy nominations in multiple categories including Best New Artist, and two BRIT Awards. Among Stone's highlights since then are Introducing Joss Stone (2007), which narrowly missed the top of the U.S. album chart; the U.K. and U.S. Top Ten entry The Soul Sessions, Vol. 2 (2012); and Never Forget My Love (2022), one of two solo albums she has made with Dave Stewart. A keen collaborator, Stone has also enriched her output with associates such as Betty Wright, Raphael Saadiq, and Jonathan Shorten. A collaboration with John Legend and Van Hunt on a cover of Sly & the Family Stone's "Family Affair" won Stone a Grammy, and another nomination resulted from her featured appearance on Jeff Beck's version of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You."