Sheila E Popular Books

Sheila E Biography & Facts

Sheila Escovedo (born December 12, 1957), known under the stage name Sheila E., is an American singer and drummer. Her grandfather Pedro Escovedo was Chicano. She began her career in the mid-1970s as a percussionist for the George Duke Band. After separating from the group in 1983, Sheila began collaborating with Prince and launched a solo career, starting with the release of her debut album in 1984, which included her biggest hit "The Glamorous Life". She also saw a hit with the 1985 single "A Love Bizarre". She is sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Percussion". Early life and family Born in Oakland, California, Sheila E. is the daughter of Juanita Gardere, a dairy factory worker, and percussionist Pete Escovedo, with whom she frequently performs. Her mother is of Creole-French/African descent, and her father is of Mexican-American origin. She was raised Catholic. Pete Escovedo and Coke Escovedo were born in Los Angeles, and they were the son of Pedro Escovedo who had immigrated from Mexico at age 12. Sheila E's uncles include Javier Escovedo, founder of seminal San Diego punk act The Zeros; Mario Escovedo, who fronted long-running indie rockers The Dragons; and Coke Escovedo, who was in Santana and formed the band Azteca. Nicole Richie is Sheila E.'s biological niece, the daughter of Sheila's musician brother, Peter Michael Escovedo. Tito Puente was her godfather. She has publicly stated that, at the age of five, she was raped by her teenaged babysitter, and this event had a profound influence on her childhood development. Career 1976–1983: Beginnings Sheila made her recording debut with jazz bassist Alphonso Johnson on Yesterday's Dream in 1976. By her early 20s, she had already played with George Duke, Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye, Herbie Hancock, and Diana Ross. In 1977, she and her father released the album Solo Two. That same year, she joined The George Duke Band. She appeared on several of Duke's albums, including Don't Let Go (1978), Follow the Rainbow (1979), Master of the Game (1979), and A Brazilian Love Affair (1980). Along with appearing on Duke's Don't Let Go in 1978, Escovedo and her father released Happy Together that year on Fantasy Records, sharing billing as Pete and Sheila Escovedo. In 1980, she appeared on the pivotal Herbie Hancock album Monster. In 1983, she joined Marvin Gaye's final tour Midnight Love Tour as one of his percussionists. 1984–1989: The Glamorous Life and A Love Bizarre Prince met Sheila E. at a concert in 1977, when she was performing with her father. After the show he met her and told her that he and his bassist Andre Cymone "were just fighting about which one of us would be the first to be your husband." He also vowed that one day she would join his band. The two would eventually join forces during the Purple Rain recording sessions. She provided vocals to the Prince song "Erotic City" in 1984. Though part of the Prince camp to some degree, she proved to be an artist in her own right as well. In June 1984, her debut album The Glamorous Life was released on Warner Bros. Records. The album's title song peaked at number 7 on the US Hot 100, and also topped the dance charts for two weeks in August 1984. The video for the song would bring three MTV Award nominations for Best Female Video, Best New Artist, and Best Choreography. She also received two Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Performance Female. The second single, "The Belle of St. Mark", became a moderate hit, peaking at number 34 on the Hot 100. It became NME's "Single of the Week". Sheila E. also toured as the opening act for Prince's Purple Rain Tour and the two began a romantic relationship, while Prince was still involved with Susannah Melvoin, twin sister of The Revolution band member, Wendy Melvoin. They would later become briefly engaged in the late 1980s, during Prince's Lovesexy Tour. In 1985, her second album, titled Romance 1600, was released. Its lead single "Sister Fate" failed to crack the US Hot 100; it peaked at number 36 on the R&B charts. The album's second single, "A Love Bizarre", saw more success, peaking at number 11 on the US Hot 100, becoming her second and last time reaching the US Hot 100 top twenty. The non-album track "Holly Rock" made its way to live shows and into the film Krush Groove. In July 1987, her third album, the self-titled Sheila E., was released. The first single, the ballad "Hold Me", peaked at number 3 on the R&B chart. The second single "Koo Koo" peaked inside the top 40 of the R&B chart. Sheila E. later served as Prince's percussionist and musical director during his tours from 1987 to 1989. Sheila E. has appeared in four films, Krush Groove with Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J, and Blair Underwood in 1985; Prince's concert film, Sign "O" the Times in 1987; The Adventures of Ford Fairlane in 1990; and Chasing Papi in 2003. 1989–1994: Sex Cymbal and work with Gloria Estefan After leaving the Prince organization in 1989, Sheila E. collaborated with writers like Demetrius Ross and David Gamson, recorded and released an album, Sex Cymbal in 1991. The album spawned the singles "Sex Cymbal", "Dropping Like Flies" and "Cry Baby", although all failed to chart on the Hot 100. She began her tour in Japan which only lasted for a brief time. Shortly after returning to America, she developed severe health issues after her lung collapsed. She described herself as "semi-paralyzed from playing drums in heels for so long". In 1994, Sheila E. contributed as a guest artist, playing congas and timbales, for the album Mi Tierra by Gloria Estefan. 1996–2005: Music directing In 1996, she played in Japanese pop singer Namie Amuro's live band. The show at Chiba Marine Stadium was later made available on DVD. In 1998, she played percussion on the Phil Collins cover of "True Colors". She was also the leader of the house band on the short-lived late night talk show, The Magic Hour, hosted by Earvin "Magic" Johnson in the late 1990s. Sheila E. has performed three stints as one of the member "All-Starrs" of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, in 2001, 2003, and 2006. Her drum "duets" with Starr are a moment of comic relief in the show, where they play the same parts but he quickly falls behind, shrugs and smiles as she takes off on an extended percussion solo. Says Sheila E.: "Ringo truly is one of the greatest rock n' roll drummers in the history of music. He enjoys the joke!" In 2002, Sheila E. appeared on the Beyoncé song "Work It Out". In 2004, Sheila E. toured New Zealand as drummer and percussionist for the Abe Laboriel Band. The same year, she also was featured on Tonex's Out the Box on the song "Todos Juntos". She also played drums on Cyndi Lauper's hit album of standard covers, At Last. She played percussion on the song "Stay". Sheila E. joined Lauper on a live version of that song on VH1 Divas. Sheila also performed at Prince's One Nite Alone... Live! concert, Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas in 2003,.... Discover the Sheila E popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Sheila E books.