Jake Shears 1,258

With his resonant vocal chops, charismatic stage persona, and penchant for outrageous costumes, Jake Shears first came to prominence as the lead vocalist of New York’s Scissor Sisters. Inspired by the character-driven style of artists like David Bowie and Elton John, Shears emerged alongside Scissor Sisters co-founder/keyboardist Scott Hoffman with albums like Scissor Sisters and Ta-Dah. Embraced by the LGBTQ community and championed in the UK, where they landed on top of the pop charts, Scissor Sisters drew accolades for their dynamic combination of ‘70s-style glitter rock, house music, and electroclash before going on hiatus in 2012. On his own, Shears took on stage work, made his Broadway-debut in Kinky Boots, and authored his memoirs before issuing his own eponymous album in 2018.

– Matt Colar on iTunes