Marcella Detroit facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marcella Detroit
Detroit performing with Eric Clapton on tour in San Bernardino, California, on August 15, 1975
Background information
Birth name	Marcella Levy
Also known as	Marcy Levy
Born	(1952-06-21) June 21, 1952 (age 73) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres	Pop rock R&B Soul
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter musician
Instruments	Vocals guitar harmonica tambourine
Years active	1972–present
Labels	Polydor Epic Warner Bros. London AAA

Marcella Levy (born June 21, 1952) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She is known by her stage names, Marcy Levy and later Marcella Detroit. She helped write the famous 1977 Eric Clapton song "Lay Down Sally".

Marcella released her first solo album, Marcella, in 1982. In 1988, she joined the music group Shakespears Sister with Siobhan Fahey. Their albums, Sacred Heart (1989) and Hormonally Yours (1992), were very popular in the UK. Marcella sang the main vocals on their biggest hit, "Stay". This song was number one in the UK for eight weeks in 1992.

Marcella left Shakespears Sister in 1993. She then had another hit song in the UK called "I Believe" in 1994. Later, she started the Marcy Levy Band in 2002. In 2010, she appeared on the TV show Popstar to Operastar and finished in third place.

Music Journey

Early Years: 1970 to 1987

Marcella Levy grew up in Detroit, Michigan. She started playing in bands there in the early 1970s. Her first big opportunity was touring with musician Bob Seger. She sang backup vocals on his 1973 album, Back in '72.

After that, Marcella joined Leon Russell on tour. She then moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to continue her music career. There, Eric Clapton hired her band for his tours. She sang backup vocals on Clapton's 1975 album, There's One in Every Crowd. For the next four years, she toured and recorded with him.

While working with Eric Clapton, Marcella sang on many of his well-known songs. These included "Lay Down Sally" (which she helped write), "Promises", and "Wonderful Tonight". She also sang lead vocals on "Roll It" from Clapton's 1978 album Backless. She even sang a duet with him on "The Core," a song she also co-wrote.

Marcella started working on her own solo album in the late 1970s. However, this album was never released. She stopped working with Clapton to focus on her solo career. But she did rejoin him for the famous Live Aid concert. During this time, she also wrote and sang for many other artists. These included Aretha Franklin, Burt Bacharach, and Belinda Carlisle.

In 1978, Marcella sang a duet with Alice Cooper on his album From the Inside. The song was called "Millie and Billie." She also sang backup on Johnny Lee's 1980 hit "Lookin' for Love".

In 1980, Marcella sang a duet with Robin Gibb called "Help Me!". This song was part of the soundtrack for the movie Times Square. It reached number 50 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Marcella released her first solo album, Marcella, in 1982. It was released by Epic Records. However, the album did not become popular. Because of this, Epic Records dropped her from their label. She later wrote and sang backup vocals for "Tangled in Love" on Eric Clapton's 1985 album Behind the Sun. She toured with Clapton again for a year before leaving to focus on her solo music.

In 1985, Marcella Levy released an album called Ballerina with Diane Reeves. She sang three songs on it. In 1986, she sang a duet called "Come and Follow Me" for the movie Short Circuit 1. In 1988, she was featured on the soundtrack for the movie Mac and Me.

Joining Shakespears Sister: 1988 to 1993

Marcella met Siobhan Fahey, who was a member of the band Bananarama. Siobhan was thinking about leaving Bananarama to start her own project called Shakespears Sister. Marcella was asked to help write songs.

During this time, Siobhan suggested Marcella change her name. Marcella chose "Marcella Detroit" to start fresh. At first, Marcella was just helping out. But then, Siobhan's husband, Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, suggested they form a band together.

Marcella officially joined Shakespears Sister after their first single, "Break My Heart (You Really) / Heroine", was released. Their second single, "You're History", became a top 10 hit in the UK. Their first album, Sacred Heart, also reached the top 10.

In late 1991, Shakespears Sister released "Goodbye Cruel World". This song was from their second album, Hormonally Yours. It was not a big hit. However, their next single, "Stay", became their first and only number one song. It stayed at the top of the UK charts for eight weeks. Hormonally Yours was released the next month and was very successful. Other songs from the album, like "I Don't Care" and "Hello (Turn Your Radio On)", also did well.

However, problems started between Marcella and Siobhan. A concert was canceled, and they decided to take a break from Shakespears Sister. Marcella wanted to work on her solo album, and Siobhan wanted time with her family. The last single from Hormonally Yours, "My 16th Apology", did not do well because they couldn't promote it.

Marcella found out that Siobhan had ended their partnership at an awards ceremony in 1993. Marcella and Siobhan did not speak for 25 years. They finally met and talked again in 2018.

Solo Career: 1994 to 2008

After leaving Shakespears Sister in 1993, Marcella Detroit started her solo career. Her second album, Jewel, was released in March 1994. The song "I Believe" came out before the album and reached number 11 in the UK. The album itself reached number 15.

Jewel received mixed reviews from music critics. Three more singles were released from the album: "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (a duet with Elton John), "I'm No Angel", and "Perfect World".

Marcella left London Records around 1995. She released her third album, Feeler, in September 1996. This album did not chart well in the UK or other places, except for Japan. Four singles were released from it. In the same year, she appeared in two episodes of the TV show Absolutely Fabulous as an angel. Five of her original songs were featured in the show.

In 1999, Marcella released Demoz, a collection of her demo songs. Her fourth solo album, Dancing Madly Sideways, came out in July 2001. It was released on her own independent record label. None of the songs from this album became international hits. In 2002, she was featured on Aurora's song "If You Could Read My Mind".

After Dancing Madly Sideways, Marcella formed a blues band called the Marcy Levy Band. She described it as "getting back to my roots." Their first release was an EP called Button Fly Blues in 2003. She also wrote songs for artists like Charlotte Church. The Marcy Levy Band released their album The Upside of Being Down in July 2006.

Later Years: 2009 to Present

The Marcy Levy Band broke up in 2009. In January 2010, Marcella took part in the British TV show Popstar to Operastar. She finished in third place in the competition. In November 2011, Marcella released a Christmas EP called Happy Holiday.

In May 2012, Marcella released "Madison's Light," a song dedicated to her niece who passed away. Five months later, she started a charity called "The Madison Morr Foundation" to help children in need. In September 2012, she released a new song, "Love, Faith, and Hope."

In 2013, Marcella released two new solo albums, The Vehicle and For the Holidays. She also started a tour called the Vehicle Jump Start Tour. She signed with Right Recordings, a UK-based record label.

In May 2019, it was announced that Marcella Detroit would reunite with Siobhan Fahey as Shakespears Sister. They went on a UK tour called Shakespears Sister Ride Again. They also released a new song, "All the Queen's Horses," and a collection of their hits called Singles Party.

The duo performed "Stay" on The Graham Norton Show in May 2019. This was their first TV performance together since 1993. They also recorded a new mini-album called Ride Again, which charted in the UK in November 2019.

In 2021, Marcella appeared on a charity cover version of Robbie Williams' "Angels". She also talked about her time working with Eric Clapton and Alice Cooper on a BBC Radio 2 show.

Songwriting Work

Marcella Detroit has co-written many songs for other artists. She started doing this when she was part of Eric Clapton's band in the 1970s. She famously helped write "Lay Down Sally" for him, which was a big hit in the USA in 1978. She also contributed to his albums No Reason to Cry (1976), Slowhand (1977), and Backless (1978).

In the 1980s, she worked often with songwriter Richard Feldman. They co-wrote many songs for other artists. They also worked together on songs for Shakespears Sister and most of Marcella's 1982 album, Marcella. Some artists they wrote for include:

• Bobbi Walker, "You're the One" (1980)
• Patty Weaver, "Somebody's Gonna Get Hurt" (1982)
• Three Dog Night, "Somebody's Gonna Get Hurt" (1983)
• Jennifer Rush, "Nobody Move" (1984)
• Eric Clapton, "Tangled in Love" (1985)
• Eric Clapton, "Walk Away" (1986)
• Chaka Khan, "So Close" (1986)
• Amii Stewart, "Sometimes a Stranger" (1988)
• Belinda Carlisle, "Little Black Book" (1991)

In the mid-1980s, Marcella also worked with songwriters Billie Hughes and Roxanne Seeman. They wrote "Walking on the Chinese Wall" for Philip Bailey, which was a hit in the UK and US. They also wrote songs for Randy Crawford and Al Jarreau.

Marcella also co-wrote the 1989 song "Love Made Me" for the metal band Vixen. This song was a top 40 hit in the UK. She has also written songs for artists like Alex Parks, Charlotte Church, and Joe McElderry.

About Marcella

Marcella Detroit is a Jewish American. Her family has roots in Poland and Latvia.

Marcella is married to Lance Aston. They have a son named Maxwell, who was born in 1991.

Albums

• Marcella (1982)
• Jewel (1994)
• Feeler (1996)
• Dancing Madly Sideways (2001)
• The Vehicle (2013)
• For the Holidays (2013)
• Gray Matterz (2015)
• Made in Detroit (2021)
• Gold (2021)

Marcy Levy Band Albums

Studio albums

Extended plays

Movies and TV Shows

See also

In Spanish: Marcella Detroit para niños