Shakespears Sister

Lore & Background

Shakespears Sister was conceived as a solo project by Siobhan Fahey after she left Bananarama in 1988. The name was inspired by Virginia Woolf's essay 'A Room of One's Own' and the concept of Shakespeare's sister, not directly from The Smiths' song 'Shakespeare's Sister' (which itself references Woolf). Fahey kept the deliberate misspelling based on a sign she saw that had a missing apostrophe, not an accidental punctuation slip on a woodcut sign. She began writing and recording with producer Richard Feldman, and Marcy Levy—a veteran musician who had worked with Eric Clapton—was brought in as a hired hand. Fahey suggested Levy adopt the professional name Marcella Detroit, which she did. David A. Stewart, Fahey's then-husband, suggested the two become a duo, and despite initial reluctance, Detroit became a 50% member near the end of the first album's sessions.

The breakthrough came with the single 'You're History' in 1989, which reached the UK top 10. The debut album Sacred Heart was certified Gold. The duo's biggest success came with the 1991 single 'Stay', which foregrounded Detroit's vocals and won Best British Video at the 1993 BRIT Awards. Tensions between Fahey and Detroit grew, and in 1993, Fahey publicly dismissed Detroit via a speech at the Ivor Novello Awards. The two did not speak for over 25 years until reconnecting in 2018.

After Detroit's departure, Fahey continued as a solo act under the Shakespears Sister name. A third album, #3, was completed but never released after the single 'I Can Drive' met with lukewarm reception. Fahey left London Records and later released material under her own name. The project was revived in 2009, and in 2019 Fahey and Detroit reunited for a tour, releasing the singles 'All the Queen's Horses' and 'When She Finds You', and the EP Ride Again.

Reader's Guide

Shakespears Sister's significance lies in their brief but impactful run as a duo that produced one of the defining UK pop singles of the early 1990s, 'Stay'. The song's eight-week reign at No. 1 and its award-winning video cemented the group's place in pop history. The duo's dynamic—Fahey's contralto against Detroit's soprano—created a distinctive sound that blended alternative pop with rock. Their internal tensions and eventual public split added a layer of drama that has kept interest alive for decades. The 2019 reunion demonstrated the enduring appeal of their music and the resolution of a long-standing rift. The project also illustrates the challenges of artistic collaboration and the difficulty of maintaining a partnership when personal and creative differences arise. The unreleased third album #3 remains a point of curiosity for fans.