Noon Rendezvous - Music

Sheila Cecilia Escovedo Born December 12 1957 Known Professionally By Her Stage Name Sheila E. Is An American Percussionist Singer Author And Actress From Oakland California Who Became Well-Known In The 1980s And Has Continued Recording To The Present Day. She Made Her Recording Debut With Jazz Bassist Alphonso Johnson On His 1976 Album Yesterday's Dreams. She Is Best Known For Her Long Association With Prince But Has Also Collaborated With Many Other Musicians. She Had Played With George Duke Lionel Richie Marvin Gaye Herbie Hancock And Diana Ross By The Time She Was In Her Early Twenties. In Recent Years She Has Collaborated With George Clinton Ringo Starr And Gloria Estefan. Sheila E. Is Of Mexican African American And Creole Descent. She Is The Daughter Of Percussionist Pete Escovedo With Whom She Frequently Performs. Her Uncle Is Alejandro Escovedo Also A Musician. She Is Also Niece To Javier Escovedo Founder Of Seminal San Diego Punk Act The Zeros. Another Uncle Mario Escovedo Fronted Long-Running Indie Rockers The Dragons. Notably Nicole Richie Is Sheila E.'s Biological Niece. Prince Met Sheila E. While She Was Performing At A Concert With Her Father In The Early 1980s. After The Show Prince Met Her And Told Her That He And His Bassist "were Just Fighting About Which One Of Us Would Be The First To Be Your Husband" And Prophetically Vowed That One Day She Would Join His Band. The Two Would Eventually Join Forces During The Recording Sessions For Purple Rain. She Provided Vocals For Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" B-Side Single "Erotic City" Between 1983 And 1984. Though Taken Under Prince's Wing She Proved To Be A Successful Artist In Her Own Right. In 1984 She Scored Several Hits Including "The Glamorous Life" #7 On The Hot 100 #7 And "The Belle Of St. Mark" #34 . She Opened For The Purple Rain Tour And There Was A Segment Where She Would Have A Man Called Up On Stage And Seated In A Chair While She Sang And Teased Him Similarly Mirrored By Janet Jackson For Her Velvet Rope Tour. Around The Same Time The Collaborating Duo Began A Brief Romantic Relationship While Prince Was Still Seeing Susannah Melvoin Twin Sister Of The Revolution Band Member Wendy Melvoin. In 1985 She Released Romance 1600 Which Scored Her Another Hit With "A Love Bizarre" #11 . Sheila E. Was Nominated For American Music Awards And Grammys Including Best New Artist For The Glamorous Life. Sheila E. Recorded Three Total Albums During The '80s The Glamorous Life Romance 1600 And Sheila E. She Appeared In Four Films Krush Groove With Run-DMC LL Cool J And Blair Underwood In 1985 Prince's Concert Film Sign 'O' The Times In 1987 And The Adventures Of Ford Fairlane And Chasing Papi In 2003. Later On She Served As Prince's Drummer And Musical Director In His Highly Regarded Backup Band Dubbed The New Power Generation. During This Same Period Sheila E. Released "Koo Koo" From Her Third Album Sheila With The Accompanying Video Featuring Cat A Sign 'O' The Times Member As A Back Up Dancer. Sheila E. Also Served As A Writer And Musician On Many Of Prince's Records As Well As On The Albums Of His Protégés Such As Madhouse. After Leaving Prince's Musical Organization In 1989 Due To A Collapsed Lung Sheila Recorded A Few More Albums Sex Cymbal Writes Of Passage And Heaven. However The Albums Garnered Little Attention. Later In 2002 Sheila E. Appeared On Beyoncé's Song "Work It Out". Sheila E. Was The Leader Of The House Band On The Short-Lived 1998 Late Night Talk Show The Magic Hour Starring Magic Johnson. She Has Performed Three Stints With 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 March 2007 She Went On A Small Tour Through Europe With Her New Band Project Called C.O.E.D. Chronicles Of Every Diva . C.O.E.D Consists Of Sheila E. Kat Dyson Rhonda Smith And Cassandra O'Neal. For Several Concerts C.O.E.D. Was Joined By Candy Dulfer As A Special Guest. On April 9th 2008 Sheila Appeared On The Historic Emmy Winning Program Idol Gives Back. It Was The Most Important And Significant Part Of The Highly Rated American Idol Television Series. Sheila E. Took Part In The Show Opener "Get On Your Feet" With Gloria Estefan. Dance Troupe So You Think You Can Dance Finalists Joined The Stage For The Memorable Moment. Idol Gives Back Raised Awareness And Funds To Benefit Six Total Charities. International Celebrities And Sport Figures Graced The Stage Along With Sheila E. And Estefan For The Historic Television Program Event. Sheila E. Is Also The Business Partner Of Singer And Former The Brides Of Funkenstein Lynn Mabry. They Jointly Formed A Foundation For Abused Children Called The Elevate Hope Foundation. read less