Sheila E

Sheila E is a musician who has worked stars like Prince and Ringo Starr. She is a drummer and percussionist but also plays the violin and guitar. Earlier this year, Fox named her as one of the judges on its new reality show, “The Next Great American Band.”

Sheila Escovedo was born on December 12, 1957 in Oakland, California. She has music in her blood. Her father is percussionist Pete Escovedo, who has played percussion for Santana and has toured with Boz Scaggs, Barry White, and Prince. Her uncle Coke Escovedo also played with Santana in the 70s and also toured with Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock. Her uncle Alejandro Escovedo played with the punk band The Nuns and now has his own orchestra. Sheila’s godfather is the late Tito Puente, known as “The King of Latin Music.”

While still in her twenties, Sheila began playing with such notable musician as Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye, Herbie Hancock, and Diana Ross. Her debut recording was with Alphonso Johhnson, a jazz bassist.

It is rumored that Sheila E met Prince while she was performing with her father and afterwards, he told her one day she would join his band. They did indeed join up while Prince was recording the Purple Rain soundtrack. Prince asked her to open for him during his Purple Rain tour. She also sang vocals with Prince on his 1984 hit, “Erotic City.” Sheila E also served as Prince’s drummer and musical director during his Lovesexy World Tour. She originally parted ways with Prince in 1989, but the two played together again at the 2006 BRIT Awards and the 2007 American Latin Music Awards. They also teamed up together for Prince’s 3121 concert at Macys (to launch his new perfume), at the Target Center, and an aftershow at First Ave.

Sheila’s solo career found her in seventh place on the Hot 100 with her 1984 hit “The Glamorous Life.” She hit #11 with 1985’s “A Love Bizarre.” She released a total of three albums in the 1980s, The Glamorous Life, Romance 1600, and Sheila E. She later released more albums, Sex Cymbal, Writes of Passage, and Heaven, but those failed to reach the success of her earlier albums. She appeared on Work It Out with Beyonce in 2002.

Sheila collaborated with Gloria Estefan for her first Spanish studio album Mi Tierra and for her hit “No Llores” in 2007. She was the leader or the house band for Magic Johnson’s short-lived talk show in 1998, “The Magic Hour.” She performed in Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band in 2001, 2003, and 2006. Sheila did tour in 2007 with her new band C.O.E.D (Chronicles of Every Diva), which included Kat Dyson, Rhonda Smith, and Cassandra O’Neal, with Candy Dulfer appeared occasionally as a special guest.

Sheila also took a stab at acting. She appeared in Krush Groove (with Run-DMC), Sign ‘O’ the Times (a Prince film), and Chasing Papi.

Sheila and Lynn Mabry (from Brides of Funkenstein) formed the Elevate Hope Foundation, which is for abused children.

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