Boys Keep Swinging: A Memoir

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Dad served and observed the famous and the rich, most of them friendly, but they must have seemed as if they came from another planet. And as Scissor Sisters’ international star rose and peaked, we play witness in an intimate way to the rigorous schedule of touring and the steep emotional and physical toll it exacted on not only Shears but the band as a whole.

Eventually, Shears moved to New York and studied fiction writing at the New School, picking up gigs as a go-go dancer at clubs and writing for the fashionably hip Paper magazine. Relentless hard work and self-promotion paid off with a record deal and enormous success in England, where the band’s self-titled debut became the best-selling album of 2004. It wasn't until years later, during a trip to visit a childhood friend in New York City, that Jake met a talented musician nicknamed Babydaddy--the stage name of Scott Hoffman.

Eventually, Shears moved to New York and studied fiction writing at the New School, picking up gigs as a go-go dancer at clubs and writing for the fashionably hip Paper magazine. You'd be hard-pressed to find many mainstream memoirs by popular musicians, let alone gay ones, that are as honest as this. He had done well for us, and if there were any stresses of not having enough money, I wasn’t aware of it. This may result in small marks to the dustjacket and title page, please also bear in mind that each signature will be a little different from the one we show here. Any hint of ostentation resided in the antiques my father had bought from an estate sale of some wealthy old-maid aunts of his.

As Shears describes how Scissor Sisters came to be, and the struggles the band faced on its way to success, he also touches on the numerous people—famous and behind the scenes—who inspired and helped him. We had our own private life, an invisible rope that tied us together, and it filled me with a subtle superior coolness.Brutally honest” (Elton John), candid, and courageous, Shears’s writing sings with the same powerful, spirited presence that he brings to his live performances. Candid and courageous, Shears's writing sings with the same powerful, spirited presence that he brings to his live performances. So when the opportunity came up for me to read Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters' memoir, courtesy of Netgalley, I took it, thinking that maybe I'd learn something new. I don't often pick up celebrity memoirs unless I think there's some depth to be found, and there was lots to be found here.