- Jake Shears
Infobox musical artist
Name = Jake Shears
Img_capt = Jake Shears performing in 2005
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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Jason Sellards
Alias =
Born = birth date and age|1978|10|3Arizona
Died =
Origin =
Instrument = Vocals
Genre =Glam rock , alternative, pop
Occupation =Singer-songwriter
Years_active = 1999-present
Label =
Associated_acts =Scissor Sisters
URL =
Current_members =
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Notable_instruments =Jake Shears (born Jason Sellards,
3 October 1978 ,Arizona ) is the male leadvocalist for the American music groupScissor Sisters .Biography
Early life
Shears was born in Arizona but grew up in the
suburbs of Seattle. He went to high school in Seattle, Washington at The Northwest School. Shears attendedOccidental College inLos Angeles . When Shears was 19, he traveled toLexington, Kentucky to visit a classmate, who introduced him to Scott Hoffman (Babydaddy). Shears and Hoffman hit it off immediately and, a year later, both moved toNew York .In New York, Shears attended
Eugene Lang College , where he studied fiction writing and was classmates withTravis Jeppesen , and wrote pieces for thegay magazine "HX". For a while, Shears, who is openly gay,citation |title=Travelin' like a rock star |periodical=The Advocate |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2005_April_26/ai_n14735900 |date=2005-04-26 |first=Matthew |last=Breen |accessdate=2007-09-08 ] was a fixture on the New York gay andelectroclash scene.In 2000, Shears also worked as a music reviewer for "Paper" magazine.
cissor Sisters
Shears and Hoffman formed the Scissor Sisters in 2001 as a kind of performance art lark, playing outrageous shows in clubs like
Luxx , the heart of the electroclash scene inWilliamsburg, Brooklyn , where Shears lived. After a couple years struggling in New York (working with record label A Touch of Class, who produced "Comfortably Numb" and "Filthy/Gorgeous"), the Sisters finally found success in the UK andIreland - 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. (It is noted that 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 maleerotic dancer at gay-orientedstrip clubs . [cite web|url= http://www.sovo.com/2006/10-13/arts/feature/scissor.cfm|title= Scissor Sister's return|accessdate= 2008-05-17|author= Michael A. Knipp|date= 2006-10-13|publisher= Southern Voice Atlanta] ) His musical influences includeABBA ,David Bowie ,Duran Duran ,Roxy Music ,The New York Dolls , Queen, Madonna, andDolly Parton . He, along with his band, has become especially popular in theLGBT community. [cite web|url= http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/04/19/logo-to-simulcast-scissor-sisters-live-at-the-o2-arena-on-mhd/
title= Logo to simulcast Scissor Sisters: Live at the O2 Arena on MHD|accessdate= 2008-05-17|author= Darren Murph|date= 2008-04-19|publisher= EndGadgetHD|quote= With several openly gay band members and a loyal and enthusiastic LGBT following...]Shears attended Sir Elton John's "stag" party before John's civil partnership ceremony with
David Furnish in 2005.Other credits
Shears performs with
Erasure 's Andy Bell on "Thought It Was You", on Bell's 2005album "Electric Blue ". He has also collaborated with Tiga withHot in Herre andYou Gonna Want Me , and wrote the hit single "I Believe In You" forKylie Minogue with Babydaddy.Notes
External links
* [http://www.scissorsisters.com Official Scissor Sisters website]
* [http://www.scissorsistersandfriends.com/ ScissorSistersAndFriends]
*imdb|0783283|Jake Shears
* [http://www.out.com/detail.asp?id=10078 Shear Madness - "Out Magazine" interview with Shears]
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