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Jersey Arts Podcast: Melissa Etheridge Prepares for Upcoming NJPAC Performance


By Gina Marie Rodriguez, JerseyArts.com

originally published: 04/10/2025

Grammy Award-winning Melissa Etheridge has been a household name for the last thirty years, but most recently she has released a new album entitled “I’m Not Broken” and executive produced a docuseries of the same name. The album and the series were recorded live at the Topeka Correctional Facility in Kansas as an ode to the strength and perseverance of women.

Etheridge isn’t the first singer-songwriter to perform at a prison but this album is in good company with the likes of B.B. King’s “Live in Cook County Jail” and "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison.” As a matter of fact, it was another Johnny Cash performance in her hometown, at the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, when Etheridge was just nine-years-old that would one day become the seed of inspiration.

In advance of Etheridge’s 2025 tour and upcoming performance at NJPAC,  Gina was able to steal a few moments of the icon’s time to talk to her about her new favorite song off her latest album, “A Burning Woman,” the progress of the LGBTQ community, the resilience of women, and the message behind her music.

Thanks for listening!

Melissa Etheridge performs at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on a bill with Josh Stone on Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 7:30pm.  Tickets are available for purchase online. NJPAC is located at 1 Center Street in Newark, New Jersey.




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About the author: Gina Marie Rodriguez is an award-winning screenwriter, director, and actress. Her foray into filmmaking began at a young age as a way to avoid public speaking in school. From there, it grew into a love of telling stories and creating new worlds. Gina Marie boasts a Bronze Remi win from Worldfest Houston, Best Female Filmmaker from the Cosmic Film Festival, and a Best Actress in a Comedy from the Hang Onto Your Shorts Film Festival alongside nominations from the Golden Door International Film Festival, Official Latino Film and Arts Festival and Los Angeles Cinefest among others.

Content provided by Discover Jersey Arts, a project of the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation and New Jersey State Council on the Arts.



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