Melissa Etheridge settling into married life

Melissa Etheridge is settling into marriage, though there are a few kinks to be worked out musically between the singer and her partner. Etheridge, 42, and Tammy Lynn Michaels, 28, got married on September 20, an event captured by cameras for ABC's InStyle Celebrity Weddings, which aired in January. Their age difference is something Etheridge dismisses. "It's in the rock and roll handbook," she told the San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday. "Hit 40, get divorced, and marry the young actress. I'm just following the rules." So far, she insists, the gap hasn't caused any awkward Mrs. Robinson-type moments. "She's actually an old-fashioned girl," Etheridge says. "Her favorite music is Rosemary Clooney. But every now and then I'll be like, 'Honey, it's the Who!' And she'll be like, 'Who?' Other than that, she's very wise. Much more wise than her years." In 2000, Etheridge's relationship with Julie Cypher ended. The couple had two children, Bailey, 6, and Beckett, 4. The singer-songwriter has a new album, the uncharacteristically hopeful Lucky. "I was worried that people might not like it if I'm not singing, 'I'm the only one and I'm in pain,' " Etheridge said. But her new relationship inspired new feelings: "I fell in love with someone who fell in love with me back."