UB Soul Friday: Celebrating Legendary Sheila E.

This weeks “UB Soul Friday” spotlights the Queen of Percussion, the one and only Sheila E.

Staying on the Minneapolis sound, as we featured Morris Day last week. Sheila E., was instrumental in what became the Minneapolis sound.

This year she will celebrate the 40th Anniversary of her sophomore album release “Romance 1600,” originally released August 26th, 1985.

“UB Soul Friday,” spotlighting artists, albums, singles and videos that left a mark in R&B and Soul music!

Sheila Cecelia Escovedo, better known by her stage name Sheila E., was born into a musical family in Oakland, California.

She was the first child born to her French Creole mother, Juanita, and her father, Pete Escovedo, a well-known Mexican American jazz percussionist.

She has two brothers Juan and Peter Michael, and a sister, Zina.

At the tender age of 5, at the former Sands Ballroom in Oakland, with 3000 audience members in sheer anticipation, little Sheila was invited on stage by her father to play a solo. She was so young, she didn’t even know the meaning of the word.

Her father instructed her to just play. After an overwhelming response and feeling of heaven on earth, Sheila expressed to her dad that she knew exactly what she wanted to do. She was going to be a percussionist!

She grew up in a close-knit artistic family where it wasn’t uncommon for the top musicians of the day to jam in their small apartment until the early morning hours.

In addition to percussionist dad Pete, Sheila counts former Santana member/Azteca founder Coke Escovedo, solo recording artist Alejandro Escovedo, The Dragons front man Mario Escovedo and from The Zeroes Javier Escovedo as uncles.

Latin star Tito Puente was her godfather.

In addition to being weaned on Latin jazz and Motown, Sheila E. was exposed to a diverse array of Bay Area acts and artists.

Those influences ranged from the rock of Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead to the R&B/pop of the Pointer Sisters and the funk of Tower of Power and Sly & the Family Stone. “I used to sit on the corner outside of the local community center with Twinkies and 7-Up listening to Tower of Power, Sly and Larry Graham rehearse,” once recalled Sheila E. “The sounds of the Bay Area molded me.”

So it’s no surprise that after such a music-immersive childhood, the gifted drummer/percussionist began amassing an impressive string of credits playing not only with her dad but also with pioneering talents.

Sheila E. played several instruments as a child. She eventually picked up the drums and has continued with percussion throughout her career.

“They had the Escovedo Brothers when I was little and even before I was born, and they used to rehearse at our house because they couldn’t afford a rehearsal hall. They played all the time, and whenever they took a break I’d hop up on to the drums, and from there I just picked it up,” Sheila E. stated to an industry trade.

Sheila E.’s career began when, at 15-years old, she filled in on the congas for her father’s Latin-rock-funk band Azteca during their opening slot for the Temptations in San Francisco. Following that performance, she continued to tour with Azteca.

From age 17, she recorded and toured extensively with such renowned artists such as George Duke, Billy Cobham, Herbie Hancock, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Patti LaBelle, Natalie Cole, Stevie Nicks, Don Was and countless others.

After playing for them, Sheila E. met Prince backstage at a show.

The two embarked on a musical partnership.

In 1984, Sheila E. and Prince collaborated on the single, synth funk track “Erotic City.”

While Sheila explained that the two had been friends for quite awhile, the musical relationship between them had become more visible and concrete. “After the tour with Lionel, Prince was doing the Purple Rain film and soundtrack, and he asked me if I would do some work with him on the song “Erotic City” which is the b-side of the “Let’s Go Crazy” single. I also played drums on the Apollonia 6 album. And he introduced me to his management company and the Starr Company, and we ended up doing my album together.”

Sheila E.‘s debut album “The Glamorous Life,” had the techniques and sound of Prince. Sheila explained, “The sound is similar to Prince’s because, like him, I play everything. When you hire musicians to come in and play certain parts, they play with their feeling. That’s why you might call someone like Paul Jackson Jr. to come in and play guitar-you want his sound. But all of it is me, and all of it is Prince when he does his stuff.”

That same year, Sheila E. released her critically acclaimed first solo album, “The Glamorous Life,” which she and Prince compiled over the course of a week of jam sessions.

“The Glamorous Life,” (single and video) written, performed and directed be Sheila E. was released in the spring of 1984 and almost immediately went on to earn popular and critical acclaim.

A multiple Grammy and American Music Award nominee, as well as winning MTV’s Best Video Award.

After three months of sold out performances in Europe and the United States.

Sheila began touring as the opening act for Prince‘s 1984-85 sold out “Purple Rain” tour, as well as putting together the concept and music for her follow-up album.

Meanwhile, “The Glamorous Life” also included the top 40 follow-up single “The Belle of St. Mark.”

Celebrating it’s 40th Anniversary this year, “Romance 1600” her sophomore album was originally released on August 26th, 1985.

A masterful, musical fantasy, replete with Regency-era costumes and another hit single, “Love Bizarre.”

A headlining tour in the spring of ’86 was followed by a three month engagement opening for Lionel Richie‘s sold out SRO World Tour.

Returning home, she began work immediately on her third self-titled album “Sheila E.”

Following with yet another hit single, “Hold Me“, which reached #1 on Billboard. “Hold Me” had a fast growing international reputation.

She performed on Gloria Estefan‘s smash hit album, “Mi Tierra“, and graced the stage of the 35th Annual Academy Awards performing with the infamous Placido Domingo.

In 1987, Sheila E. went back on tour with Prince for “Sign o’ the Times.”

“He dreams, eats and sleeps music. He just loves it. And he thinks this is one of the better bands he has had. He’s real excited about it,” stated Sheila E.

During that time flooding rains drenched Prince‘s Minneapolis studio, but the rain could of been Prince‘s best friend. “Yeah, the rain probably did it,” Sheila E. stated to Billboard, recalling the role of rain in the birth of his then upcoming concert film of the same name.

Shot during Prince‘s European tour. “It was dangerous playing those dates outside in Europe, especially in the rain.

One night, part of one of the signs on the set fell and hit me on the head. It was hard and scary, but we had to keep playing. After that, we thought, ‘Why don’t we do a film of the concert.’ We figured we could reach more people that way. And it’s less dangerous.”

In late November of that year Warner Bros. was on fire, with Club Nouveau, Atlantic Starr, all occupying 22 of the Top 10 Chart positions, on multiple charts. With Paisley Park‘s Prince and Sheila E. occupying 11 of them alone.

In 1991 Sheila E. released forth album “Sex Cymbal,” an album she worked on with brother Peter Michael.

The album featured the hot title track, plus her “Lady Marmalade” cover, as well the majorly slept-on ballad “Cry Baby.”

During the 90’s Sheila E. also went on the Prince “Lovesexy” Tour, and accompanied her father and Tito Puente on a Latin jazz concert tour, which was later released as the album “Latina Familia.”

Sheila E. also began acting in feature films.

She has acted in several films since, such as “Krush Groove,” “The Adventures of Ford Fairlane,” and “Chasing Papi.” As well percussion for films such as “Kung Fu Panda 4” and recently “Bad Boys: Ride or Die.”

After taking some time away from the spotlight, she then decided to tap into her Latin Jazz roots and under the name E-Train, released (Writes of Passage and Heaven).

Sheila continued to record with well-known artists such as legendary Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan, and Japanese artist Namie Amuro.

Over the course of her career, Sheila E. has performed, recorded, and toured with renowned musicians from a multitude of musical genres. She has performed on award shows including the Academy Awards, the Brit Awards, the annual Latin Grammy Awards, and the American Latino Media Arts Awards.

She founded the music production company Heavy Productions and she has also been recognized for her philanthropic work using music therapy to aid children in need.

Sheila E. was the first female Music Director for a late night talk show, “The Magic Hour” with Magic Johnson and received an Emmy nomination as Musical Director for “Fiesta Latina – A Performance at The White House.”

Sheila E. performed “The Glamorous Life” at the 7th Annual VH1 Divas in Las Vegas on April 18, 2004.

The following year, she joined the “Sisters In The Spirit Gospel Tour” featuring Yolanda Adams, Martha Munizzi, Kelly Price, Juanita Bynum and RiZen.

Adding to her arsenal of credits such names as Ringo Starr (as a member of Ringo Starr’s All Star Band in 2001, 2003 and 2006), Beyoncé as well as performing on the 2012 Academy Awards with pop hitmaker Pharrell Williams and composer Hans Zimmer.

Not to mention Shelia E. hit the road with Dave Koz on his 2012 Christmas Tour.

Sheila E. performed at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2013 and returned with a new album “Icon.”

A great body of work that featured Ledisi and MC Lyte.

“The idea to record another solo album was actually spawned while I was writing the autobiography,” recalled Sheila E. “I realized that some of the experiences I was writing about should be songs. That’s when I also began looking back at songs I’d written several years earlier and forgotten about, but whose themes needed to be talked about in the book. Both fed each other.”

That was part of the inspiration for penning the autobiography “The Beat of My Own Drum,” released in 2015.

Sheila E. had publicly acknowledged she was an abuse survivor during that time.

“The book was the beginning of the healing,” stated Sheila E. “I’d talked about the abuse in my ministry and addressed it in some of the song lyrics I’d written. But it was challenging to sit down and really write about it in detail for the book. But through pain comes realization, understanding and the opportunity to help others overcome those challenges.”

“Iconic: Message 4 America,” came in 2017, followed by “Bailar” last year.

In 2023 Sheila E. received a well-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Sheila E‘s Tiny Desk last year garnered rave reviews from online fans, wanting more.

This year she released “Bailar Deluxe,” which features “The Glamorous Life (Latin).”

Sheila E. is commonly referred to as The Queen of Percussion!

Take A Trip Down Memory Lane with Legendary Sheila E.!