Melissa Etheridge Covering Bruce Springsteen's 'Born to Run' at Kennedy Center Honors

Posted on Dec 4th 2009 12:00PM by Melinda Newman
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On the set of the video shoot for her new single, 'Fearless Love,' Melissa Etheridge enthusiastically waxes about the song's message of acceptance, but get her talking about her weekend plans and she becomes downright giddy.

That's because she's playing 'Born to Run' for one of her musical idols, Bruce Springsteen. "I'm about to sing for him this weekend," she reveals to Spinner in a hushed, reverential tone.

Springsteen will be feted at the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, Dec. 6. The 32nd annual celebration salutes artists for their cultural contributions. Joining Springsteen this year are Robert DeNiro, Mel Brooks, opera singer Grace Bumbry and jazz legend Dave Brubeck.

Etheridge got the call asking her to pay tribute to Springsteen, who will be seated in a box alongside President and Mrs. Obama and will not perform. Even though Etheridge has three days of rehearsal time, it's hardly necessary "because I know the song," she laughs. "It's so rocking. Kenny Aronoff on drums, horn section -- it's going to massive."

This time she'll be playing for the Boss, but her memory of performing alongside Springsteen still makes her glow. The pair played 'Thunder Road"' together on Etheridge's 1995 'Unplugged' special.

"You can see me [looking like] 'I can't believe we're doing this,'" she recalls. "It was one of those moments where I was like 'Can time stand still? Let me feel this a little longer.'"

The Kennedy Center Honors will air as a two-hour primetime special on CBS on Dec. 29.