Shakespear's Sister

Formed by Siobhan Marie Deidre Fahey-Stewart (b. 10 September 1958, Dublin, Eire) who was better known simply as Siobhan Fahey, and Marcella Detroit (b. Marcella Levy, 21 June 1959, Detroit, Michigan, USA) with producer and writer Richard Feldman keeping a low profile as third member. Siobhan, who had left Ireland for the UK to become a press officer at Decca, was a member of the top '80s girl group Bananarama. She left in early 1988, though Detroit, too, had previously released solo material and worked as songwriter to Al Jarreau and Chaka Khan (having co-penned Lay Down Sally with Eric Clapton whilst touring as his backing singer). Taking their name from a Smiths’ song and keeping the spelling mistake made by a designer, one of their first gigs took place in Leningrad, USSR, in January 1989. Their debut, Break My Heart (You Really), was not a hit. However, You're History reached the UK Top 10, while the debut album made number 9. 1991 finally saw the unveiling of a follow-up with HORMONALLY YOURS, much of it recorded while both participants were pregnant: ‘It's self-deprecating but yet its very female without being militant or apologetic. Its just…what we are.’ The group recorded in Los Angeles where Siobhan lives with husband Dave Stewart. In February 1992 Shakespear's Sister achieved a spectacular UK number 1 coup with Stay (remaining there for eight weeks, ostensibly through a powerful, melodramatic hookline and video) and followed it with I Don't Care (UK number 7), Goodbye Cruel World (number 32) and Hello, Turn Your Radio On (number 14). Seemingly destined for great things, the group was nevertheless disbanded by Fahey, without warning to Detroit, live on stage at an awards ceremony in 1993. Detroit (reportedly ‘not bitter’) was the first to launch a solo career.