Melissa Etheridge, Making the Most of ‘Beyond Chance’

On a West Los Angeles sound stage, cameramen prepare to film an intimate reunion between rock star Melissa Etheridge and her father, John. Far from an installment of “This is Your Life, Melissa Etheridge,” the singer’s father succumbed to liver cancer nine years ago, and the “reunion” is being channeled via a renowned medium.

The paranormal encounter is anything but unusual on the set of “Beyond Chance,” Lifetime’s hourlong reality series, which returns Sunday at 10 p.m. for a second season of coincidental reunions, mysterious rescues and against-the-odds love stories.

Backstage, moments before meeting her medium, Etheridge is overcome with emotion and curiosity. “I’m excited,” says the show’s Grammy Award-winning host. “I’ve tried not to expect anything--to just be open.”

Maintaining an open mind has long been an essential ingredient in Etheridge’s assent to superstardom--both for herself and her fans. At a January 1993 gay and lesbian inaugural gala for President Clinton, she came out as a lesbian--a decision she knew could have created fan backlash.

As it turned out, her honesty was embraced worldwide, causing her fame and popularity to skyrocket. Since her debut album in 1988, Etheridge has sold more than 25 million records worldwide and won two Grammys. Now, with partner Julie Cypher, she is mother to two young children biologically sired by musician David Crosby. Not surprisingly, she was searching for career opportunities that would allow her to remain close to her L.A. home.

“I came to a point in my musical career where my original dream to grow up and become a rock star happened,” says Etheridge. “It’s funny when that happens in your mid-30s. You wonder, ‘OK, what now?’ I wanted to put more goals in front of me.”

Etheridge is an unusual choice to host a reality program, but her openness about her life and the relatability of her music made her a favorite among Lifetime execs.

“We didn’t want a typical reality host,” says executive producer Stephen Kroopnick, no stranger to the paranormal, having previously helmed Fox’s “Exploring the Unknown” specials and more than 100 episodes of Paramount’s “Sightings.” “We knew we didn’t want a journalist or somebody who had some spare time between sitcoms.”

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When discussing possible hosts, Kroopnick thought it would be interesting to approach an author or songwriter--artists already familiar with storytelling. When Lifetime suggested Etheridge, Kroopnick was not optimistic. “We thought, ‘Great idea, but she’ll never do this,’ ” he remembers. “But we approached her and she was intrigued. As it turned out, she had moments in her life that were related to our concept.”

While she often sings of angels in her songs, Etheridge, raised Methodist, does not believe in angels and no longer considers herself a religious person. “What I do believe in is other worlds and spirits,” she says. “There is some other power in control--levels of energy that perhaps we don’t see.”

Though she was with her father, John, during his final hours, she has long felt guilt over traveling during the weeks prior to his passing. “I always felt like I missed out,” she says. “That I wasn’t there for him.” Today, she hopes to find acceptance. “There are some issues with my family that if my dad were here, he could help me out with. So I want to see if he has any insight.”

Concealed from Etheridge in another room on the opposite side of the studio, medium George Anderson quietly sits. Dressed like a bookworm schoolboy in a yellow shirt and blue blazer, Anderson is a peculiar gentleman who claims he developed his remarkable abilities after being stricken with a debilitating case of the chicken pox at age 6. Soon after his recovery, the spirits, he insists, began calling.

In recent years, Anderson has been the medium for many talk-show hosts wanting to communicate with deceased loved ones--Joan Rivers and Rosie O’Donnell with their mothers, Howie Mandel with his father and Sally Jesse Raphael with her late daughter.

Determined to not turn people’s grief into entertainment, Anderson says he gains little pleasure from his television appearances, for which he accepts no money. “The other side doesn’t like me to go out there pushing and hustling, so we certainly never solicit anything,” claims Anderson. “The way I look at it is if it comes to me, then that means I’m supposed to do it.”

Etheridge and Anderson, meeting for the first time that day, make an odd pair. He seemingly dressed for Sunday school, while she, decked out in leather pants and jacket, looks ready to rumble. Over burning candles, Anderson blesses himself, then begins scribbling madly (though pen never touches pad) as a method of distraction.

Almost immediately, Anderson informs Etheridge he senses a male presence. “He blesses you for being so good to him before his passing,” he tells her. Intimate details ring true for Etheridge, who begins dabbing her eyes with a tissue. There are a few laughs, but mostly the session brings tears, before Anderson suddenly announces the spirit has left the building.

Afterward, Etheridge appears solemn, though satisfied with the results. “I have absolutely no doubt I was speaking to my father,” says Etheridge minutes after her session. “George captured his sense of humor and answered questions about some issues that are going on with my immediate family.”

This is not the first time Etheridge has been personally touched by her own show. “So many of our stories deal with children--dying or being lost or given up,” she says. “I usually go home after [taping] one of these and just hug my kids so hard--just being grateful for their health.”

In Sunday’s season premiere, Anderson will help a mourning couple connect with their dead son. Other stories involve a 6-year-old boy trapped in a car with his seizure-stricken mother at the wheel and two former New Hampshire orphans, separated for 45 years, who are reunited after being seated at adjoining tables in a Florida restaurant.

Many of last season’s inexplicable tales were pulled from the pages of People magazine, as well as books and small-town newspapers. Now with the show gaining popularity, stories are being e-mailed from viewers all over the country.

Only a few stories suggested by viewers ever make it on the air. “The perfect formula,” Kroopnick says, “is a reunion, where they fall in love, get married and live happily ever after. Or the last-minute rescue of someone whose life is in jeopardy.”

Etheridge’s encounter with her father will most likely not make the cut. “It wasn’t amazing,” acknowledges Etheridge. “No big parlor tricks.” But that’s fine with the singer, who was searching for something deeper.

In between changing diapers and midnight feedings, she will go back to writing songs and shooting intriguing intros and summations for the “Beyond Chance” segments. And in November, an autobiographical “musical memoir” called “The Truth Is” is set to debut on Broadway. What’s changed is that now the performer is re-energized with the knowledge that John is watching.

“I can be a rock star with a television show and still have self-esteem problems,” she says. “So it’s nice to have your dad go, ‘Hey Melissa, I’m proud of you--you’re doing good.’ ”

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“Beyond Chance” can be seen Sunday at 10 p.m. on Lifetime.