Shakespears' other Sister: The Captivating Tale of Marcella Detroit 🍋🍝🥰⎈♥︎💓

Marcella Detroit tells Steve Blame how Shakespears Sister created “Stay”, why its success brought tensions into the partnership, and how she felt when her departure was announced at the Ivor Novello Awards.

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Long before “Stay”, Marcella was known as Marcy Levy: a singer and songwriter who toured with Bob Seger and Leon Russell, joined Eric Clapton’s band and co-wrote “Lay Down Sally”. Here, she recalls opening for David Bowie, learning the realities of life on the road and finding her own voice as a songwriter.

Growing up in Detroit, music became a refuge when a family move left her feeling isolated and rejected. She explains how that experience strengthened her determination—and why she eventually left the security of Clapton’s band to pursue her own ambitions.

Marcella also describes meeting Siobhan Fahey, the contrasting influences that shaped Shakespears Sister, and the unlikely film inspiration behind “Stay”. She reflects candidly on their differences, the painful split, her solo albums Jewel and Feeler, and the reunion that brought them together again.

Recorded in November 2022.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Preview
00:52 Growing up in Detroit
02:46 Discovering her voice and creativity
04:49 A rebellious teenager
07:14 Music becomes a refuge
11:13 Deciding to become a professional musician
12:37 Opening for David Bowie
14:55 Performance, emotion and vulnerability
18:57 Touring with Bob Seger
25:02 Leon Russell and joining Eric Clapton
28:46 Writing “Lay Down Sally”
33:10 Songwriting, dreams and the creative process
37:23 Alice Cooper and LA session work
40:03 The disappointments of her first solo album
41:14 Leaving Clapton and meeting Siobhan Fahey
46:51 Hormonally Yours and the creation of “Stay”
50:42 Success and tensions within Shakespears Sister
55:16 The split and the Ivor Novello announcement
57:48 Going solo: Jewel, Feeler and finding her own identity
1:02:09 Reunion, reconciliation and returning to “Stay”

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