Melissa Etheridge took the stage with one of her iconic early 90s anthems during Can't Cancel Pride 2024. The legendary rock star blended genres as she introduced country artist Orville Peck to join her for the performance of I’m the Only One.”
Etheridge, 63, was one of several artists to perform and speak during the star-studded, fifth-annual event where iHeartRadio and Procter & Gamble® (P&G) come together to honor the impact of music and LGBTQ+ organizations, including CenterLink, GLAAD, National Black Justice Coalition, Outright International, The Trevor Project and SAGE.
Etheridge said the event “is such a great thing for us, as those of us who knocked some doors down. And now we’re enjoying the power and the community that we have now, you know? I’m loving that. I love seeing all the generations, all you youngsters, all coming together and continuing to support each other. And that’s just what our community’s about: support through joyful and through tough times, because you know we have those, too. So, that’s how we keep moving forward.
“Alright, now, oh my gosh, I get to do something really fun,” she continued, leading into the collaborative performance with Peck, 36. “I love this man. Every inch of him. He is amazing. (He’s) a generation younger than myself, but still, he is lovely, and I love seeing the doors in country music getting knocked down, you know? It’s like, come on, we’re everywhere. There’s not one kind of music for us. I knew he was gonna be here, and I wanted to have my Orville Peck moment.”
Etheridge and Peck delivered a powerful collaboration together during the event hosted by Elton John Impact Award recipient Billy Porter. Other performers included Meghan Trainor, David Archuleta, Victoria Monét, Ben Platt, RAYE, Allison Russell, and more. Can’t Cancel Pride 2024 premiered on Wednesday evening (June 12) on iHeartRadio’s YouTube and Facebook channels, Hulu, and on Revry. It will be available to stream throughout Pride Month.