“She walked in and said, ‘My wife is Melissa Etheridge. She has cancer. I want to get her something special’”: Melissa Etheridge on how she came to own a “museum quality” Fender from Norman's Rare Guitars – which she played at the 2005 Grammys

Melissa Etheridge plays a Fender Thinline Telecaster and performs "Piece of My Heart" at the 2005 Grammys.

Since storming into public consciousness in 1988 with her self-titled debut, Melissa Etheridge's journey as a guitar storyteller has gone from strength to strength – and with that, so has her impressive (and, to say the least, sizable) guitar collection.

One guitar in particular, though – bought from the well-loved Norman's Rare Guitars – reflects a very specific time: her cancer journey, which culminated in a raw (and, frankly, historic) performance of Janis Joplin's Piece of My Heart at the 2005 Grammys alongside Joss Stone.