Jake Shears (born October 3, 1978) is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known as the male lead singer of pop-rock band
Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters were an American pop rock band formed in 2001. Its members include Jake Shears and Ana Matronic as vocalists, Babydaddy as multi-instrumentalist, Del Marquis as lead guitar/bassist, and Randy Real (who replaced Paddy Boom) ...
.
Early life
Shears was born in
Mesa, Arizona
Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by Tempe on the west, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Communit ...
, the son of an entrepreneur father and a
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul c ...
mother (Freida Sellards). He grew up on
San Juan Island, Washington, where he attended school at
Friday Harbor High School and was bullied. His "first real concert was
Siouxsie and the Banshees
Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. ''Q'' magazine ...
".
At the age of 18, he moved into a dorm at the
Northwest School in
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...
, to finish high school. Shears later attended
Occidental College
Occidental College (informally Oxy) is a private liberal arts college in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887 as a coeducational college by clergy and members of the Presbyterian Church, it became non-sectarian in 1910. It is one of the oldes ...
in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. At the age of 19, he traveled to
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County. By population, it is the second-largest city in Kentucky and 57th-largest city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 28th-largest ...
, to visit a classmate, who introduced him to
Scott Hoffman
Scott Hoffman (born October 10, 1961, in Fort Myers, Florida) is an American rock drummer. He is best known for his years playing with Southern rock band 38 Special, from 1992 to 1997.
Hoffman graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1983 with ...
. Shears and Hoffman hit it off immediately and moved to New York a year later.
Career
Early work
Shears attended New York's
Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, where he studied fiction writing and was a classmate of
Travis Jeppesen
Travis Jeppesen is an American novelist, poet, artist, and art critic. He is known, among other works, for his novel '' The Suiciders''; a non-fiction novel about North Korea, ''See You Again in Pyongyang''; and for his object-oriented writing ...
. He also wrote pieces for the gay magazine ''HX''. In 2000, he worked as a music reviewer for
''Paper'' magazine.
Scissor Sisters
Shears and Hoffman formed
Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters were an American pop rock band formed in 2001. Its members include Jake Shears and Ana Matronic as vocalists, Babydaddy as multi-instrumentalist, Del Marquis as lead guitar/bassist, and Randy Real (who replaced Paddy Boom) ...
in 2001 as a performance art stunt, playing outrageous shows in clubs like Luxx, the heart of the electroclash scene in
Williamsburg,
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, where Shears lived. After a couple years struggling in New York (working with the record label A Touch of Class, who produced "Comfortably Numb" and "
Filthy/Gorgeous"), Scissor Sisters finally found success in the United Kingdom and Ireland, ending 2004 with the biggest-selling album of the year in the UK. In concert, Shears is known for provocative dancing, flamboyant outfits, and near nudity. (During his early years while he was struggling to make it in New York, he would often earn extra money as a
Go-go dancer
Go-go dancers are dancers who are employed to entertain crowds at nightclubs or other venues where music is played. Go-go dancing originated in the early 1960s at the French bar Whisky a Gogo located in Juan-les-Pins. The bar's name was taken ...
and male
erotic dancer
An erotic dance is a dance that provides erotic entertainment and whose objective is the stimulation of erotic or sexual thoughts or actions in viewers. Erotic dance is one of several major dance categories based on purpose, such as ceremon ...
at male
strip clubs
Strip or Stripping may refer to:
Places
* Aouzou Strip, a strip of land following the northern border of Chad that had been claimed and occupied by Libya
* Caprivi Strip, narrow strip of land extending from the Okavango Region of Namibia to ...
.)
Shears' musical influences include
The Bee Gees
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
,
Leo Sayer
Gerard Hugh "Leo" Sayer (born 21 May 1948) is an English-Australian singer and songwriter whose singing career has spanned five decades. He has been an Australian citizen and resident since 2009.
Sayer launched his career in the United Kingdom ...
,
ABBA
ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The grou ...
,
Blondie,
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
,
Duran Duran
Duran Duran () are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger Taylor the following year the band we ...
,
Roxy Music
Roxy Music are an English rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter—and bassist Graham Simpson. The other longtime members are Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (saxophone ...
,
The New York Dolls
New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved much commercial succ ...
,
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
,
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
,
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...
,
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
,
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
,
Pet Shop Boys
The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo ...
,
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
, and
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album ...
. The Scissor Sisters video for ''
Filthy/Gorgeous'' was directed by
John Cameron Mitchell
John Cameron Mitchell (born April 21, 1963) is a two-time Tony Award winning American actor, playwright, screenwriter, singer, songwriter, producer and director. He is best known as the writer, director and star of the 2001 film '' Hedwig and th ...
after Shears met him at a gathering of the
Radical Faeries
The Radical Faeries are a loosely affiliated worldwide network and countercultural movement seeking to redefine queer consciousness through secular spirituality. Sometimes deemed a form of modern Paganism, the movement also adopts elements from ...
. Shears attended
Sir Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after Rocket Man (song), his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially s ...
's "stag" party before John's
civil partnership
A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage ...
ceremony with
David Furnish
David James Furnish (born 25 October 1962) is a Canadian filmmaker and former advertising executive. He is married to English singer, pianist and composer Sir Elton John.
Early life and education
David Furnish was born in Toronto, Ontario, the ...
in 2005. John and Shears discussed each other in ''
The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...
'' in 2006.
Other work
Shears performed with
Erasure
Erasure () is an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously known as co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a membe ...
's
Andy Bell on "Thought It Was You", on Bell's 2005 album ''
Electric Blue''. He has also collaborated with
Tiga on "
Hot in Herre
"Hot in Herre" is a song by American rapper Nelly, released as the first single from his second studio album ''Nellyville'' (2002). It was released on May 7, 2002, by Universal Records. It was written by Nelly, Charles Brown, and the producers ...
", "You Gonna Want Me", and "What You Need" from Tiga's album ''
Ciao!''. He also worked on Finnish house musician
Luomo
Vladislav Delay is the most frequently used pseudonym of Sasu Ripatti (born 1976), a Finnish electronic musician. He has also recorded as Luomo, Sistol, Uusitalo, Conoco, and Ripatti, working in styles such as minimal techno, glitch, and house. ...
's "If I Can't". Together with Babydaddy, he co-wrote with
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
on her
hit single
A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single or simply a hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record' ...
"
I Believe in You I Believe in You may refer to:
Film
* ''I Believe in You'' (film), a 1952 British film starring Celia Johnson
Music Albums
*'' I Believe in You. Your Magic Is Real.'', a 2007 album by Yacht
* ''I Believe in You'' (Dolly Parton album), 2017
...
" for her greatest hits compilation ''
Ultimate Kylie''. Shears and Minogue also co-wrote "Too Much" with
Calvin Harris
Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter who has released six studio albums.
His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'', was released in June ...
for Minogue's number one album ''
Aphrodite
Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols incl ...
''. In 2011, Shears collaborated with John Garden to write the music for a musical version of the book ''
Tales of the City''. The show is directed by
Jason Moore. Shears was featured on the track "Metemya" of
Amadou and Mariam
Amadou & Mariam are a musical duo from Mali, composed of the Bamako-born couple Amadou Bagayoko (guitar and vocals) (born 24 October 1954) and Mariam Doumbia (vocals) (born 15 April 1958).
Their album '' Welcome To Mali'' (2008) was nominate ...
's 2012 album ''
Folila''. Shears also wrote the foreword to the award-winning '80s
7-inch
In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separat ...
vinyl cover art book ''
Put the Needle on the Record''. In 2013, he appeared on the
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated QOTSA) is an American rock band formed in 1996 in Palm Desert, California. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who has been the only constant member throughout multiple lin ...
album ''
...Like Clockwork'', providing backing vocals on the song "Keep Your Eyes Peeled". He duetted with
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
on the track "
Take it Like a Man" for her 2013 album ''
Closer to the Truth''.
In October 2017, Shears released his first song as a solo artist, "Creep City".
In January 2018, Shears made his
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
debut starring in ''
Kinky Boots.'' The next month Shears published his autobiography, ''Boys Keep Swinging''.
Shears released his
eponymous debut solo album on August 10, 2018.
In March 2019 Shears toured with
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
as part of her
Golden Tour.
In January 2020 he appeared as the "Unicorn" on
ITV's ''
The Masked Singer'', finishing in 6th place. Shears released the single "Meltdown" in February 2020.
Personal life
Shears
came out
Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
as gay to his parents at the age of 15 at the urging of
Dan Savage
Daniel Keenan Savage (born October 7, 1964) is an American author, media pundit, journalist, and LGBT community activist. He writes ''Savage Love'', an internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column. In 2010, Savage and his husba ...
, who later called his advice "the worst I've ever given" due to the negative reaction of Shears' parents. In 2010, Shears participated in Savage's
It Gets Better Project
It Gets Better is an Internet-based 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth around the globe. It was founded in the United States by gay activist, author, m ...
. In 2012, Shears was interviewed about his experience. He spoke about his good friend
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Hays Cooper (born June 3, 1967) is an American broadcast journalist and political commentator from the Vanderbilt family. He is the primary anchor of the CNN news broadcast show '' Anderson Cooper 360°''. In addition to his duties a ...
and said he felt gay celebrities "at least have the responsibility to come out". Shears was in a relationship with
Chris Moukarbel
Chris Moukarbel is an American director and producer. He is best known for his 2017 film '' Gaga: Five Foot Two'', a critically acclaimed documentary about American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga.
His first feature documentary ''Me at the Zoo'' prem ...
from 2004 to 2015. At Brighton Pride 2022, Shears announced live that he had received a 5 year visa to live in the UK.
Awards and nominations
{, class="wikitable"
, + Awards and nominations for Jake Shears
! Year !! Awards !! Work !! Category !! Result !! Ref.
, -
, 2007
,
Virgin Media
Virgin Media is a British telecommunications company which provides telephone, television and internet services in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are at Green Park in Reading, England. It is owned by Virgin Media O2, a 50:50 joint ventu ...
Music Awards
, Himself
, Most Fanciable Male
,
,
, -
, 2018
,
Best Art Vinyl
, ''
Jake Shears''
, Best Art Vinyl
,
,
, -
, 2019
,
Classic Pop Readers' Awards
, ''Boys Keep Swinging''
, Book of the Year
,
,
, -
, 2022
,
Berlin Music Video Awards
The Berlin Music Video Awards (BMVA) is a festival and networking event for filmmakers, directors, artists, musicians, and music video fans held annually in Berlin, Germany. The four-day event consists of music video marathons, live performances, ...
, "All I Want"
, Best Director
,
,
Discography
Albums
{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
, + List of albums, with selected details and chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;", Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;", Details
! scope="col" colspan="2", Peak chart positions
, -
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:90%",
UK
! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:90%",
UK
Ind.
, -
! scope="row", ''
Jake Shears''
,
* Released: 10 August 2018
* Label: Freida Jean Records
* Formats:
CD,
digital download,
streaming
Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content i ...
, 20 , , 4
Extended plays
{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
, + List of extended plays, with selected details
! scope="col" style="width:10em;", Title
! scope="col" style="width:16em;", Details
, -
! scope="row", ''B-Sides''
,
* Released: 18 October 2019
* Label: Freida Jean Records
* Formats: digital download, streaming
Singles
{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
, + List of singles
! scope="col" style="width:1em;", Year
! scope="col" style="width:30em;", Title
! scope="col", Album
, -
, 2013
! scope="row", "Disappearer"
(AVEC featuring Jake Shears)
,
, -
, 2015
! scope="row", "
The Other Boys"
(NERVO
Nervo (stylised as NERVO) are an Australian DJ duo comprising twin sisters Olivia and Miriam Nervo (born 18 February 1982). After signing with Sony/ATV Music Publishing at 18 years of age, the sisters pursued careers as songwriting partners and ...
featuring Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
, Jake Shears and Nile Rogers
Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, record producer and composer. The co-founder of Chic, Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million ...
)
, ''
Collateral
Collateral may refer to:
Business and finance
* Collateral (finance), a borrower's pledge of specific property to a lender, to secure repayment of a loan
* Marketing collateral, in marketing and sales
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Collate ...
''
, -
, rowspan="3" , 2018
! scope="row", "Creep City"
, rowspan="3" , ''Jake Shears''
, -
! scope="row", "Sad Song Backwards"
, -
! scope="row", "Big Bushy Mustache"
, -
, 2020
! scope="row", "Meltdown"
,
, -
, rowspan="2" , 2021
! scope="row", "Do the Television"
,
, -
! scope="row", "Neon Lights"
(with Annie)
, ''
Neon Lights''
Tours
Supporting act
*
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
–
Golden Tour (2019)
See also
*
LGBT culture in New York City
New York City is home to one of the largest LGBTQ populations in the world and the most prominent. Brian Silverman, the author of ''Frommer's New York City from $90 a Day,'' wrote the city has "one of the world's largest, loudest, and most power ...
*
List of LGBT people from New York City
New York City is home to one of the largest LGBT populations in the world and the most prominent. Brian Silverman, the author of ''Frommer's New York City from $90 a Day,'' writes that the city has "one of the world's largest, loudest, and most ...
References
External links
Official Scissor Sisters website*
Shear Madness – ''Out Magazine'' interview with Shears
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shears, Jake
1978 births
Living people
21st-century American singers
American male singers
American rock singers
American tenors
Countertenors
American gay musicians
Ivor Novello Award winners
LGBT dancers
LGBT people from Arizona
LGBT singers from the United States
LGBT songwriters
Occidental College alumni
Radical Faeries members
Scissor Sisters members
Singers from Arizona
20th-century LGBT people
21st-century LGBT people