Shakespears Sister is a best-selling transcontinental pop duo comprised of singers and songwriters Siobhan Fahey and Marcella Detroit. Fahey, from Ireland, formed the group as a solo act after leaving Bananarama. Detroit was a veteran session musician/vocalist from Detroit who had worked with Eric Clapton for five years and co-wrote the hit "Lay Down Sally." Shakespears Sister's second single, "You're History," landed in the U.K. Top Ten as did Sacred Heart, their 1989 debut album. 1992's follow-up Hormonally Yours went double platinum and spawned the worldwide smash "Stay." The duo split in 1993 and Fahey kept recording solo under the duo's name. They reunited in 2018 after not speaking for a quarter-century. A year later they released the single "All the Queen’s Horses," following it first with "When She Finds You," and then the Ride Again EP.

After leaving the hit new wave pop group Bananarama, with whom she experienced several hits, Irish singer and songwriter Siobhan Fahey was looking for a new musical identity. She formed Shakespears Sister in late 1988, taking the name from a Smiths' song. Her intention was to use the name as a solo act. While living and working in Los Angeles with then-husband Dave Stewart, she met Richard Feldman, a neighbor and veteran producer and songwriter. After hearing her demos, Feldman began writing with Fahey and suggested she meet Marcy Levy, a veteran singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Detroit. Levy had worked with many top-shelf artists including Bob Seger, Jimmy Ruffin, Leon Russell, and Chaka Khan. She also served as a backup vocalist for Eric Clapton during the mid- to late '70s, and had recorded an ill-fated solo album titled Marcella for Epic in 1982. Produced by David Foster, Levy was deeply unhappy with the effort and it ultimately flopped.

Initially, Fahey brought Levy on as a hired hand to sing backup, co-write, and play various instruments. The contrast between Fahey's resonant contralto and Levy's soprano startled all three members. Stewart was also impressed by the musical chemistry between Fahey and Detroit in the studio. He suggested the pair unite. Feldman backed the idea, as did Fahey's management and her label, London Records. Both women, however, were initially reluctant; they'd worked hard for their independence and didn't wish to take on the added commitments of a band. By the time they finished recording their debut album, Levy was a 50-percent member and had changed her name to Marcella Detroit. Shakespears Sister was still essentially Fahey's band, but Detroit was OK with that.

Their first single, "Break My Heart (You Really)"/"Heroine," was a dud. Undaunted, they asked London to release "You're History" as a second single; it went Top Ten in the U.K. and led to the gold-certified success of Sacred Heart, their debut album in 1989. The full-length peaked at number nine on the U.K. albums list and charted in five countries. Most of the songs were written with producer Richard Feldman, who gave the band a polished, synth-laden R&B feel, aesthetically akin to the Eurythmics. Though two more singles were released, they didn't come near the chart success of "You're History." The duo appeared on Top of the Pops and many other television programs in the U.K. and Europe, toured internationally, and released popular videos to MTV.

In October 1991, Shakespears Sister released the single "Goodbye Cruel World," that peaked at a disappointing number 59. A second single, "Stay," co-written by the duo and Stewart (under the alias "Jean Guiot") ultimately provoked a sea change. Their first and only chart-topper, it remained at the top of the U.K. Singles chart for eight weeks, and achieved similar success internationally; its video won "Best British Video" at the 1993 BRIT Awards. The track charted in 14 countries and peaked at number four on the U.S. Hot 100. The single showcased Detroit's lead vocals and she was prominently featured in the video. While the label was delighted, the decision to release the single led to tension with Fahey, the regular lead vocalist. She didn't consider it to be representative of Shakespear's Sister, and opposed its release as a single.

The group's second album, Hormonally Yours, was written and recorded while both women were pregnant. It was released a month after "Stay," and sold well enough to be certified double platinum. The duo enjoyed further success with the Top 40 singles "I Don't Care," "Hello (Turn Your Radio On)," and a re-release of "Goodbye Cruel World." In 1992, however, disagreements between Fahey and Detroit became evident with backstage infighting and arguments on tour. A fifth single, "My 16th Apology," was released in early 1993 but only went to number 61.

The ratcheting tension between the women was exacerbated by Fahey's struggle with personal issues; they ultimately had to cancel a concert at the Royal Albert Hall -- their highest profile gig -- when Fahey was temporarily hospitalized for depression. The duo decided to put Shakespears Sister on hiatus, and Detroit began working on her solo album (it had previously been agreed upon). Unbeknownst to Detroit, Fahey decided to end their partnership without discussing it with her. Instead, Detroit was publicly humiliated and dismissed at the 1993 Ivor Novello Awards ceremony honoring Hormonally Yours as "Best Contemporary Collection of Songs." Fahey did not attend and instead was represented by her publicist, who read a note from the stage. Its last line was "all the best for the future, all's well that ends well." Detroit wrote on her website that she went back to her seat stunned and wept for five minutes. The pair didn't speak for 26 years.

Fahey continued recording for a time as Shakespears Sister, releasing the single "I Can Drive" in 1996. Released only in the U.K., it peaked well outside the Top 40 and ultimately led to London refusing to release the completed third album. Fahey went on hiatus until 2002 when she released the single "Bitter Pill" under her own name. She eventually attained the rights to the unreleased album and issued it as #3 through her website in 2004. The following year the compilation Long Live the Queens! collected various Shakespears Sister rarities, remixes, and unissued tracks, as well as a second Fahey single titled "Pulsatron" that charted higher than "Bitter Pill."

In the interim, Detroit returned to a solo career and signed a deal with London Records. Her first album after leaving the duo was 1994's Jewel. Its advance single, "I Believe," peaked at number 11 in the U.K. The album went to 15 and was certified silver. It also produced three additional charting singles, a duet with Elton John on the Motown standard "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," "I'm No Angel," and "Perfect World." The singer left London in 1995 and self-recorded 1996's Feeler. Its single, "I Hate You Now..." was thought to be about Fahey, who in a case of irony, had released "I Can Drive" the same week. Detroit's album only charted in Japan.

In 1996, the live Without Medication Plus MTV Buzz Live was released in Japan. That year Detroit guested on two episodes of Absolutely Fabulous as an angel. Five of her original songs appeared in numerous scenes during those episodes; they were later released on 1999's Abfab Songs. The year, Detroit also released Demoz, a double-disc collection of demos and rarities. Her fourth solo album, Dancing Madly Sideways, appeared in July 2001 under Detroit's own Banned Records, which later became Lofi Records. The album was preceded by a lone single, "Lust for Like," and a three-track sampler EP, Limited Edition. Between 2002 and 2008 she led the Marcy Levy Band, a blues outfit that issued an EP, and a lone album titled The Upside of Being Down. After they split, Detroit focused all of her musical attention on songwriting for other artists, among them Charlotte Church.

Fahey's two singles, Bitter Pill" and "Pulsatron," were originally slated to appear on her post-Shakespears Sister solo album Bad Blood. Its title track, however, appeared as Fahey's third solo single in 2005, and the album release was canceled. Bad Blood was eventually issued in 2009 when Fahey opted to relaunch the Shakespears Sister band name. She retitled the album Songs from the Red Room and released it on her SF Records label. A fourth and final single from the record, "It's a Trip," followed in April 2010 to accompany a deluxe version of the album with an extra disc of recordings. She took the set on a successful tour of the U.K. as Shakespears Sister, culminating in an appearance at the year's Isle of White festival.

In 2012, two compilations were released under the Shakespears Sister moniker: Cosmic Dancer, offering left-overs and acoustic tracks, and Remixes. #3, which was presented for general physical release for the first time (it had only previously been available online). Detroit, meanwhile, was a contestant on the reality television program Popstar to Operastar, ultimately finishing in third place. Simultaneously, she was working on two separate studio albums; Skin I'm In, produced by Larry Klein, and The Vehicle, a self-produced personal project cut to coincide with the release of her autobiography. Both eventually appeared in 2013. In November 2011, Detroit released the Christmas EP Happy Holiday, consisting of classic covers and one original song. She also released the acclaimed Gray Matterz in 2015,

Fahey rejoined Bananarama for a reunion tour in 2017. It was documented on the 2018 album Live at the London Eventim Hammersmith Apollo and on video. She left the group again before they could record In Stereo, their first album in a decade.

Fahey reached out to Detroit in 2018 after decades. They had no intention of making music together again, they simply met for coffee and to clear the air. That conversation went a long way toward healing their relationship. They eventually booked an Airbnb in Joshua Tree and Detroit set up a small digital recording studio. The first song they wrote and recorded was "All the Queen's Horses." The pair felt the years and physical distance disappear when they wrote and sang together. The track was released by London in May 2019, and was accompanied by a video that told their story. In July, the two-disc compilation Singles Party (1988-2019) appeared. That summer, Shakespears Sister toured for the first time in three decades. In September they released "When She Finds You" (with guest Richard Hawley) and followed it with the Ride Again EP in October. The duo hunkered down with the rest of the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Detroit claims the last person she saw before lockdown was Fahey for dinner. During quarantine she wrote songs to cope. She composed some 70 songs and ended up with 20 she was proud to release. Her singles in 2021 included "Vicious Bitch" and "Alien 2 Me" backed by electronic group Seventh Heaven. In November she issued Gold, a 20-track solo album of tracks written and recorded during quarantine.

In September 2022, London released a 30th anniversary edition of Hormonally Yours containing a bonus disc with all the videos from their reunion tour and vintage documentary footage by Detroit's husband Lance Aston, shot during the creation of the original album. In November, the duo released a remastered, extended version of "My 16th Apology." The release included bonus versions with strings and live performances of it, "Catwoman," "Dirty Mind," and a fine cover of Marc Bolan's "Hot Love" that were recorded during their reunion tour. A full-length studio album was planned for 2023. ~ Thom Jurek & Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi