Following her emotional and show-stopping performance at the 2005 Grammy Awards and in conjunction with the October release of her new album entitled Greatest Hits The Road Less Traveled, two-time Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge will host and perform on Lifetime Television's signature musical special for breast cancer awareness, Women Rock - Our Journey with Melissa Etheridge, it was announced today by Marian Effinger, Vice President Reality Programming. The event will feature Etheridge performing and include candid moments in which she will share details about her personal struggle with breast cancer.
Executive produced by Melissa Etheridge and produced by John Cossette, the program premieres October 18, 2005 on Lifetime Television.
"When the opportunity came to host and executive produce the annual Women Rock event this year, I jumped at the chance," said Etheridge. "Sharing my own personal journey with breast cancer with millions of people is an honor and a responsibility. I look forward to an entertaining and enlightening evening," explained Etheridge.
"Given her recent battle with breast cancer," Effinger said, "we are grateful that she wanted to share her story in such a passionate and honest way.
She performed at our first Women Rock concert and it is profoundly meaningful to Lifetime to partner with her at this year's event."
Lifetime is devoting an entire day to promoting detection with a slate of programming, public service announcements, motivational interstitials, live screen crawls announcing important facts and statistics, and corresponding online content.
"Today, one in seven women will develop breast cancer in her life, a risk that, 30 years ago, was one in eleven. It is critical that we encourage women to move beyond fear and misinformation, and make sure that they use the tools of early detection," said Meredith Wagner of Lifetime.
Etheridge has recorded eight albums over the course of her career. She has won the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance twice -- for the song Ain't It Heavy in 1992 and Come to My Window in 1994.
Cossette has a reputation as an innovative and creative producer of large scale and complex television events.