American singer (born 1978)
Jake Shears
|
---|
Shears performing in March 2011
|
|
Birth name
| Jason F. Sellards
|
---|
Born
| (
1978-10-03
)
October 3, 1978
(age 45)
Mesa, Arizona
, U.S.
|
---|
Genres
| |
---|
Occupation(s)
| - Singer
- musician
- songwriter
|
---|
Instrument(s)
| - Vocals
- keyboards
- guitar
- flute
|
---|
Years active
| 1999?2013, 2017?present
|
---|
Member of
| Scissor Sisters
|
---|
Musical artist
Jason Sellards
(born October 3, 1978), known professionally by the stage name
Jake Shears
, is an American musician. He is best known as the co-lead vocalist of New York City
pop-rock
band
Scissor Sisters
, who achieved considerable chart success in the 2000s before their indefinite hiatus in 2012. Since 2017, Shears has pursued a solo career; he released his debut solo studio album,
Jake Shears
, in August 2018 and his second album
Last Man Dancing
on June 2, 2023. In addition to his solo career, Shears has collaborated with several artists and made his
Broadway
debut in
Kinky Boots
in 2018.
Early life
[
edit
]
Shears was born in
Mesa, Arizona
,
[1]
the son of an entrepreneur father and a
Baptist
mother (Freida Sellards). He grew up on
San Juan Island
, Washington, where he attended school at
Friday Harbor High School
and was bullied.
[2]
His "first real concert was
Siouxsie and the Banshees
".
[3]
At the age of 18, he moved into a dorm at the
Northwest School
in
Seattle, Washington
, to finish high school. Shears later attended
Occidental College
in
Los Angeles, California
. At the age of 19, he travelled to
Lexington, Kentucky
, to visit a classmate, who introduced him to
Scott Hoffman
.
[
citation needed
]
Shears and Hoffman hit it off immediately and moved to New York a year later.
Career
[
edit
]
Early work
[
edit
]
Shears attended New York's
Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
,
[
citation needed
]
where he studied fiction writing and was a classmate of
Travis Jeppesen
.
[
citation needed
]
He also wrote pieces for the gay magazine
HX
.
[
citation needed
]
In 2000, he worked as a music reviewer for
Paper
magazine
.
[4]
Scissor Sisters
[
edit
]
Shears and Hoffman formed
Scissor Sisters
in 2001 as a performance art stunt, playing outrageous shows in clubs like Luxx, the heart of the electroclash scene in
Williamsburg
,
Brooklyn
, 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
and male
erotic dancer
at male
strip clubs
.
[5]
)
Shears' musical influences include
The Bee Gees
,
Leo Sayer
,
ABBA
,
Blondie
,
David Bowie
,
Duran Duran
,
Roxy Music
,
The New York Dolls
,
Queen
,
Cher
,
Cyndi Lauper
,
Madonna
,
Paul McCartney
,
Pet Shop Boys
,
The Beatles
, and
Dolly Parton
.
[6]
The Scissor Sisters video for
Filthy/Gorgeous
was directed by
John Cameron Mitchell
after Shears met him at a gathering of the
Radical Faeries
.
[7]
Shears attended
Sir Elton John
's "stag" party before John's
civil partnership
ceremony with
David Furnish
in 2005. John and Shears discussed each other in
The Observer
in 2006.
[8]
Other work
[
edit
]
Shears performed with
Erasure
'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
", "You Gonna Want Me", and "What You Need" from Tiga's album
Ciao!
. He also worked on Finnish house musician
Luomo
's "If I Can't". Together with Babydaddy, he co-wrote with
Kylie Minogue
on her
hit single
"
I Believe in You
" for her greatest hits compilation
Ultimate Kylie
. Shears and Minogue also co-wrote "Too Much" with
Calvin Harris
for Minogue's number one album
Aphrodite
. In 2011, Shears collaborated with John Garden to write the music for a musical version of the book
Tales of the City
.
[9]
The show is directed by
Jason Moore
. Shears was featured on the track "Metemya" of
Amadou and Mariam
's 2012 album
Folila
.
[10]
Shears also wrote the foreword to the award-winning '80s
7-inch
vinyl cover art book
Put the Needle on the Record
. In 2013, he appeared on the
Queens of the Stone Age
album
...Like Clockwork
, providing backing vocals on the song "Keep Your Eyes Peeled". He duetted with
Cher
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".
[11]
In January 2018, Shears made his
Broadway
debut starring as Charlie in
Kinky Boots
.
He reprised the role at the
Hollywood Bowl
in July 2022.
[12]
In February 2018, Shears published his autobiography,
Boys Keep Swinging
.
[3]
Shears released his debut solo studio album,
Jake Shears
, on August 10, 2018, and received positive reviews. It peaked at N° 20 in the UK Charts.
In March 2019, Shears toured with
Kylie Minogue
as part of her
Golden Tour
.
[13]
In October 2019, Shears appeared as a collaborator on
The Desert Sessions
Vols. 11 & 12
, most prominently as lead singer on Something You Can't See and backing vocals for Crucifire.
In January 2020, he appeared as the "Unicorn" on
ITV
's
The Masked Singer
, finishing in 6th place.
[
citation needed
]
Shears released the single "Meltdown" in February 2020.
[14]
On February 1, 2023, Shears released the single "Too Much Music".
[15]
[16]
[17]
On June 2, 2023, Shears released his second studio album,
Last Man Dancing
, which contains collaborations with Kylie Minogue, Amber Martin and cameos from
Jane Fonda
and
Iggy Pop
.
[18]
[
non-primary source needed
]
[19]
NME
rated the album 4/5 stars.
[20]
In September 2023, he starred as the Emcee in his
West End
debut in the
revival
of
Cabaret
. His final performance was on March 9, 2024.
[21]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Shears
came out
as gay to his parents at the age of 15 at the urging of
Dan Savage
, who later called his advice "the worst I've ever given" due to the negative reaction of Shears' parents.
[22]
[23]
In 2010, Shears participated in Savage's
It Gets Better Project
.
[24]
In 2012, Shears was interviewed about his experience. He spoke about his good friend
Anderson Cooper
and said he felt gay celebrities "at least have the responsibility to come out".
[25]
Shears was in a relationship with
Chris Moukarbel
from 2004 to 2015.
[26]
[27]
At
Brighton Pride
2022, Shears announced live that he had received a five-year visa to live in the United Kingdom.
Awards and nominations
[
edit
]
Discography
[
edit
]
Albums
[
edit
]
Extended plays
[
edit
]
Singles
[
edit
]
As featured artist
[
edit
]
Tours
[
edit
]
Supporting act
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Strong, Martin Charles (2006).
The Essential Rock Discography
. Canongate. p. 945.
ISBN
978-1-84195-860-6
.
Archived
from the original on February 15, 2017
. Retrieved
October 15,
2016
.
- ^
"It Gets Better ? Jake Shears"
.
Archived
from the original on November 3, 2010
. Retrieved
April 24,
2012
– via YouTube.
- ^
a
b
Shears, Jake (February 20, 2018).
Boys Keep Swinging: A Memoir
. Atria Books.
ISBN
978-1-5011-4012-9
.
- ^
"Entries tagged with 'Jake Shears'
"
. Archived from
the original
on September 1, 2012
. Retrieved
November 28,
2012
.
- ^
Michael A. Knipp (October 13, 2006).
"Scissor Sister's return"
. Southern Voice Atlanta. Archived from
the original
on January 11, 2009
. Retrieved
May 17,
2008
.
- ^
Darren Murph (April 19, 2008).
"Logo to simulcast Scissor Sisters: Live at the O2 Arena on MHD"
. EndGadgetHD.
Archived
from the original on April 21, 2008
. Retrieved
May 17,
2008
.
- ^
Romano, Tricia (October 19, 2004).
"Sex Slaves"
.
The Village Voice
.
Archived
from the original on January 11, 2011
. Retrieved
March 26,
2010
.
- ^
"When Elton met Jake"
.
The Guardian
. November 12, 2006.
Archived
from the original on September 26, 2014
. Retrieved
September 28,
2014
.
- ^
Hetrick, Adam.
"Musicalizing Tales of the City"
.
Playbill
. Archived from
the original
on June 6, 2011
. Retrieved
June 1,
2011
.
- ^
Tsioulcas, Anastasia (April 1, 2012).
"First Listen: Amadou And Mariam, 'Folila'
"
. NPR.
Archived
from the original on April 12, 2012
. Retrieved
April 12,
2012
.
- ^
Crowley, Patrick (October 31, 2017).
"Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears Releases 'Creep City,' Teases Upcoming Solo Record & Cryptic 'Labor Of Love'
"
.
Billboard
.
Archived
from the original on November 1, 2017
. Retrieved
November 3,
2017
.
- ^
"Kinky Boots Welcomes Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears to the Company"
.
TheaterMania
. January 8, 2018.
Archived
from the original on November 19, 2020
. Retrieved
March 9,
2020
.
- ^
"Iconic Australian pop princess Kylie Minogue is touring Australia"
.
9Now
. March 5, 2019. Archived from
the original
on April 18, 2019
. Retrieved
March 9,
2020
.
- ^
Ferber, Lawrence (February 14, 2020).
"Jake Shears' New Single Is a "Sinister" Tribute to Gay Disco Royalty"
.
LOGO News
. Archived from
the original
on February 25, 2020
. Retrieved
March 9,
2020
.
- ^
"Jake Shears ? Too Much Music"
.
Spotify
. February 1, 2023
. Retrieved
June 3,
2023
.
- ^
James, Alastair (February 1, 2023).
"Jake Shears unveils new single 'Too Much Music' and upcoming album"
.
Attitude
. Retrieved
June 3,
2023
.
- ^
Newstead, Al (February 6, 2023).
"Jake Shears returns with disco-pop blockbuster 'Too Much Music'
"
. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
. Retrieved
June 3,
2023
.
- ^
"IT'S FINALLY HERE TODAY!! The album is officially out today, and I'm thrilled to imagine you all with it, clutching the vinyl with your paws. I hope you love the record as much as I do"
. June 2, 2023
. Retrieved
June 3,
2023
– via Twitter.
- ^
"Jake Shears announces second solo album
Last Man Dancing
, releases lead track 'Too Much Music'
"
.
Retro Pop Magazine
. February 1, 2023
. Retrieved
June 3,
2023
.
- ^
Ryan, Gary (June 2, 2023).
"Jake Shears ?
Last Man Dancing
review: Scissor Sister hosts the ultimate house party"
.
NME
. Retrieved
June 3,
2023
.
- ^
Jake Shears and Rebecca Lucy Taylor AKA Self Esteem Join London Cast of Cabaret Starting September 25
- ^
"The Worst Advice Dan Savage has Ever Given"
. Archived from
the original
on March 3, 2011
. Retrieved
November 3,
2010
.
- ^
OnTopMag.com.
"Jake Shears glad he came out as a teen"
.
Archived
from the original on January 30, 2015
. Retrieved
January 29,
2015
.
- ^
"Jake Shears Reveals Teenage Harassment"
.
The Advocate
. October 8, 2003.
Archived
from the original on September 14, 2012
. Retrieved
May 30,
2011
.
- ^
"Jake Shears talks candidly about his coming out"
.
R U Coming Out
.
Archived
from the original on November 19, 2020
. Retrieved
September 28,
2014
.
- ^
Annabel Rivkin (May 11, 2012).
"The Scissor Sisters are back and sharper than ever"
.
Evening Standard
.
Archived
from the original on August 22, 2013
. Retrieved
June 28,
2013
.
- ^
Schulman, Michael (February 17, 2018).
"Jake Shears, of Scissor Sisters, Stages His Own Comeback"
.
The New York Times
.
ISSN
0362-4331
.
Archived
from the original on February 17, 2018
. Retrieved
February 17,
2018
.
- ^
"Best Art Vinyl Awards 2018 | ArtVinyl"
.
Archived
from the original on July 22, 2019
. Retrieved
February 24,
2020
.
- ^
"There's still time to vote in our 2018 Reader Awards!"
. January 2, 2019. Archived from
the original
on January 24, 2019
. Retrieved
January 23,
2019
.
- ^
"2022 Nominees"
.
Berlinmva.com
. Retrieved
June 3,
2023
.
- ^
"Jake Shears | full Official Chart History"
.
Official Charts Company
. Retrieved
October 12,
2022
.
- ^
"Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50: 17 August 2018 ? 23 August 2018"
.
Official Charts Company
. Retrieved
October 12,
2022
.
- ^
"Jake Shears by Jake Shears"
.
iTunes Australia
(
Apple
).
Archived
from the original on June 12, 2018
. Retrieved
June 8,
2018
.
- ^
"B-Sides by Jake Shears"
.
Apple
.
Archived
from the original on November 19, 2020
. Retrieved
October 18,
2019
.
- ^
"Creep City (Single)"
. Apple Music. May 25, 2018.
Archived
from the original on June 12, 2018
. Retrieved
June 8,
2018
.
- ^
"Sad Song Backwards ? single"
.
Apple Music
. July 13, 2018.
Archived
from the original on November 19, 2020
. Retrieved
September 18,
2020
.
- ^
"Big Bushy Mustache ? single"
.
Apple Music
. August 2, 2018.
Archived
from the original on November 19, 2020
. Retrieved
September 18,
2020
.
- ^
"Meltdown (Single)"
. Apple Music. February 14, 2020.
Archived
from the original on November 19, 2020
. Retrieved
September 18,
2020
.
- ^
"Jake Shears Celebrates Pride on New Single 'Do the Television'
"
.
Rolling Stone
. June 11, 2021
. Retrieved
June 11,
2021
.
- ^
"George Michael's hits have been covered by LGBTQ+ artists for special Apple Music playlist"
. GayTimes. June 28, 2022
. Retrieved
February 2,
2024
.
- ^
"Jake Shears returns with disco-pop blockbuster 'Too Much Music'
"
. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. February 6, 2023
. Retrieved
May 4,
2023
.
- ^
"Jake Shears teams up with Amber Martin on Devil Came Down the Dance Floor, second single from upcoming solo album Last Man Dancing"
.
Retropop Magazine
. March 26, 2023
. Retrieved
March 27,
2023
.
- ^
"Jake Shears unveils latest single I Used To Be In Love from Last Man Dancing"
.
Retropop Magazine
. April 21, 2023
. Retrieved
May 4,
2023
.
- ^
"Jake Shears Shares New Track 'Last Man Dancing'
"
.
Broadway World
. May 26, 2023
. Retrieved
May 28,
2023
.
- ^
"Disappearer ? single"
.
Apple Music
. May 11, 2013.
Archived
from the original on November 19, 2020
. Retrieved
September 18,
2020
.
- ^
"The Other Boys (Remixes) ? EP"
. Apple Music. October 23, 2015.
Archived
from the original on June 12, 2018
. Retrieved
October 23,
2015
.
- ^
"Bright Light Bright Light ? Fun City (2020, Pink, Vinyl) - Discogs"
.
Discogs
.
- ^
"All I Want by Boys Noize feat. Jake Shears"
.
Defected
. May 7, 2021
. Retrieved
June 26,
2023
.
- ^
"Neon Lights (feat. Jake Shears) ? Single by Annie"
. Apple Music. June 18, 2021
. Retrieved
June 18,
2021
.
- ^
"Arielle Free Launches 'Free Your Mind' & Catchy Single 'Technicolour Kenny' ft Jake Shears on Vocals"
. Clubbing TV. June 16, 2023
. Retrieved
June 18,
2023
.
External links
[
edit
]
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Studio albums
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Singles
| |
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Other songs
| |
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Video albums
| |
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Related articles
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International
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National
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Artists
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