Rocker Melissa Etheridge Diagnosed with Cancer

James Joyner · Friday, October 8, 2004 · 1 comment

Rocker Melissa Etheridge Diagnosed with Cancer (Reuters)

Rock singer Melissa Etheridge has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has cut short her North American concert tour to undergo surgery, her publicist said on Friday. Etheridge, 43, said in a statement that the cancer was detected early and that she is “looking forward to a quick and full recovery.” I am fortunate to be under a wonderful doctor’s care and thankful that this was caught early,” she said. The statement said doctors described her prognosis as “excellent.”

Etheridge’s publicist said the recording artist has canceled the remaining 11 dates on her tour, including stops in Quebec, Washington, D.C., New York and California, to deal with her illness. Refunds for tickets to those shows can be obtained where they were purchased.

The Kansas-born singer-songwriter, known for such hits as “Come to My Window” and “I’m the Only One,” has sold more than 25 million records. Her latest album, “Lucky,” was released in February. The raspy-voiced singer made headlines and became a hero in the gay community in 1993 when she publicly revealed that she is a lesbian. In 2000, she revealed that fellow rocker David Crosby was the biological father of her children.

We’ve moved beyond the point where breast cancer, even if detected early, was a death sentence. Still, a scary few months ahead for Etheridge.