After this grounding she had a more formal training at the Berklee College Of Music before playing the club circuit around Boston.However, her career took off after relocating to Los Angeles, where Island Records chief Chris Blackwell discovered her. Signed in 1986, her first break was writing the music for the movie Weeds. She had recruited one band to work with her but when this did not work out, she settled for a simple trio with Kevin McCormick on bass and Craig Krampf on drums. The first album was recorded live in the studio and spawned the single “Bring Me Some Water.” A turntable hit, it took some time to pick up sales but ended up a Grammy nominee. Former Iggy Pop sideman Scott Thurston made a guest appearance on the first album and returned for the second, along with U2’s Bono. Krampf did not play on the album, as he had been replaced by Maurigio Fritz Lewak.

Etheridge won a Grammy in the best female rock vocal performance in 1992 and 1994, and scored several mainstream hits, such as “Come to My Window,” “I’m the Only One” and “I Wanna Come Over.” She also announced herself as a lesbian by jumping onstage to kiss Elvira at the gay and lesbian Triangle Ball during the inaugural celebrations of President Clinton’s victory. She won the 1996 ASCAP songwriter of the year award, but took a lengthy break from the music business to concentrate on her domestic arrangements.

She returned in 1999 with the intimate, low-key Breakdown, followed by Skin in 2001. Far more high-profile was the media’s obsessive interest in unearthing the biological father of her and then-partner Julie Cypher’s two children. The sperm donor turned out to be David Crosby. After splitting with Cypher, Etheridge married actress Tammy Lynn Michaels in 2003. That same year, she appeared on a tribute album to Dolly Parton and shared the stage with her on CMT Crossroads. Etheridge offered the studio album Lucky in 2004.

With music that is as catchy as it is controversial, Ari Gold has not only been out from the beginning of his career, he has also never shied away from creating songs that come from his unique perspective as an openly gay man–something that is unprecedented in R&B/Pop music. Ari has been featured on VH-1, MTV Europe, Radio 1, IFC, Top Of The Pops, HBO Zone, Here!TV, BBC and is the first out artist to debut at #1 on MTV Networks LOGO’s Top 10 Video Countdown. He has received acclaim from trade papers, Billboard and HITS, style features in VIBE, W, V, critical attention in national lifestyle magazines The Advocate, OUT, Genre and Instinct and has graced countless regional magazine covers around the world. Ari has toured Europe (France, Italy, UK, Switzerland, Belgium), Canada, and in over 35 cities in the U.S, has opened for Cyndi Lauper, RuPaul and Chaka Khan. In his native NYC he has headlined music venues Lincoln Center, BAM (Brooklyn Academy Of Music) and Joe’s Pub as well as dance clubs Avalon, Pacha, and Crowbar. Both his first two self released studio albums are Outmusic Award winners for the 2002 Outstanding Debut and the 2005 Album of The Year. With his coffee table book and remix CD, released in over 25 countries, the press has coined him an international sex symbol and gay icon.With the release of his third studio album, Transport Systems, Ari is about to embark on the most exciting chapter of his career to date. Assembling a stellar cast of collaborators such as Steve Skinner (Akon, Jewel, Diana Ross), Grammy Award Winning Producer Joe Hogue and 2x Grammy Winning mixer/producer Bob Rosa, as well as guest appearances by Sasha Allen (VH-1’s Born To Diva), hip-hop artist Mr. Man and multi-platinum selling Grammy nominated Capitol Records Artist Dave Koz, Transport Systems is funky, sexy, smart and soulful–with topics ranging from the down low phenomenon, gay relationships, crystal meth addiction, gender identity and spirituality–all set behind infectious grooves, thick harmonies, and melodic hooks.

Born and raised in an orthodox Jewish household in the Bronx, Ari Gold was discovered while singing at his brother’s bar-mitzvah at the tender age of five. It was then that Ari landed his earliest job as a professional singer, performing the lead role on the CBS Children’s recording Pot Belly Bear: Songs and Stories. The album went platinum and led to his successful career as a child vocalist singing on over 400 jingles, providing various voices for Cabbage Patch Kids, cult-favorite Jem and the Holograms, and singing with Diana Ross on her Swept Away album. Ari recorded his first demo at age 12 and began writing his own songs at age 14. After graduating yeshiva high school in Manhattan, Ari studied at Yale University and got his Bachelor or Arts from New York University.

Ari’s video single “Wave Of You,” premiered during the launch of MTV’s new network LOGO, was named one of the “Best Videos of 2005″ was voted by the fans as the #3 “Ultimate Sexiest Videos” in a list that included superstars Madonna, Mariah, Janet and Christina Aguilera and in June 2007 was again recognized as the #2 Ultimate Queer Video.” In 2005 Ari released Ari Gold: The Photobook along with The Remixes with contributions by Boy George, Rupaul, Duane Cramer and illustrator Joe Phillips. The Remixes was named the #2 Best Indie Release of 2005 by the Advocate and spawned the Billboard Top 40 Dance/Club hit, “Love Will Take Over” which became an iTunes Pride Essential, received heavy airplay on Sirius Radio, and on the nationally syndicated radio show, Radio With a Twist which is licensed to over 6 U.S mainstream markets along with AOL radio. The song has also appeared on various compilations including Global Groove and Gay Games IV where Ari performed at Wrigley Field in Chicago for 30,000 at the closing ceremonies. The accompanying video debuted at #1 on LOGO’s “The Click List,” bumping Madonna out of the top spot and remaining in the top 10 for over 21 weeks.

Ari co-wrote and performed his first single, “I’m All About You” (released on Island Universal) with DJ Luck and MC Neat and hitmaker Desmond Child. The video was a mainstay on MTV Europe and Ari performed the song on virtually every major UK music outlet like Radio 1’s Big Sunday and the legendary Top Of The Pops. Ari has contributed his songwriting and production skills to various artists including Kevin Aviance’s “You Got The Groove” produced by Grammy nominated producer Tony Moran and “I’ll Be Here” for Nashom remixed by Grammy Award winning producer David Morales (Mariah Carey). Ari’s music can also be heard in hit independent films Boy Culture, Boys Shorts 4 (the “Wave Of You video is a DVD extra), Slutty Summer and John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus which premiered at Cannes. Ari served as music supervisor for the IFC’s documentary Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema and also on Latin Boys Go To Hell in which he performs his song, “See Through Me.”

Ari makes substantial use of his high profile by remaining at the forefront of the fight for human rights. His song “Home” can be heard on the Human Rights Campaign’s benefit album Love Rocks along with music by Melissa Etheridge, Christina Aguilera, Dolly Parton, and Carole King. He contributed “Bashert (Meant To Be)” to the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) benefit CD Marry Me, released in an effort to secure the rights of same sex couples. Ari offers his own charity package through his website that donates proceeds to The Ali Forney Center for LGBT homeless youth and serves on the board of Bailey House.