Sheila E. -

Sheila E. is an American percussionist who started in Pete & Sheila Escovedo, a father/daughter Latin-funk duo. An associate of Prince, she charted with her 1984 solo debut The Glamorous Life and the Krush Groove number “A Love Bizarre,” included on her 1985 Paisley Park release In Romance 1600.

Background

Sheila E. was born Sheila Cecelia Escovedo on December 12, 1957, in Oakland, California. She was the eldest child of percussionist Pete Escovedo and Juanita Gardere; younger brothers Juan and Peter Michael later became percussionists. Her uncle Coke Escovedo played percussion with Santana and co-founded Azteca with Pete Escovedo.

She copied her father on congas and timbales as a child and gave her first public performance at age five at the Sands Ballroom in Oakland. Escovedo studied violin for about five years from age nine at Franklin Elementary School and Montera Middle School. She later attended Oakland High School and learned percussion by watching Pete Escovedo practice and rehearse at home.

At fifteen, she replaced an unavailable Azteca percussionist for a 1973 San Francisco concert with the Temptations. Pete added her to the subsequent international touring lineup of Azteca. She left Oakland High for the newfound musical commitments. In 1976, she earned percussive credits on albums by Alphonso Johnson (Yesterday’s Dreams) and Merl Saunders & Aunt Monk (You Can Leave Your Hat On).

As a duo, Pete and Sheila Escovedo impressed Billy Cobham at the Reunion in San Francisco. Cobham produced their 1977/78 albums Solo Two and Happy Together for Fantasy Records. In 1978, Sheila joined the backing band of George Duke for the albums Don’t Let Go, Follow the Rainbow, Master of the Game, and A Brazilian Love Affair. She played on successive albums by Con Funk Shun (Secrets, Loveshine, Candy) and Herbie Hancock (Mr. Hands).

Escovedo met Prince in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1970s while she worked with Duke. In 1983, she backed Marvin Gaye on what became his final tour. She sang backing vocals for Prince on “Erotic City,” the b-side to his 1984 Purple Rain single “Let’s Go Crazy.” Escovedo adopted the Sheila E. name and signed with Warner for her solo debut.

Discography:

Solo Two (1977 • Pete & Sheila Escovedo)
Happy Together (1978 • Pete and Sheila Escovedo)
The Glamorous Life (1984)
In Romance 1600 (1985)
Sheila E. (1987)
Sex Cymbal (1991)

Sources

Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame profile: detailed account of the 1973 Azteca substitution, subsequent tour, early violin study, Cobham/Duke connection, and late-1970s Prince meeting. (PAS)
KTVU Oakland interview: identifies Franklin Elementary, Montera Middle, Oakland High School, violin study, and Sheila E. account of leaving high school for Azteca. (KTVU)
National Museum of African American History and Culture: supports family background, childhood instruments, and the age-15 Azteca entry point. (National Museum of African American History)
Pete Escovedo interview, Latin Jazz Conversations: Pete recalls Billy Cobham hearing the Escovedos at the Reunion, hiring them for sessions, producing the Fantasy records, and introducing the circle that led Sheila to George Duke. (All About Jazz)
1975–76 recording credits: Merl Saunders and Aunt Monk credit Sheila Escovedo with congas on two tracks recorded at Fantasy Studios; Alphonso Johnson credits her extensively across Yesterday’s Dreams. (Egroj World)
George Duke archive and recording documentation: Duke recalls adding Escovedo to his touring group; album credits establish her percussion and vocal role in the Duke band. (George Duke)
Los Angeles Times, Prince official discography, Grammy interview, and Prince recording chronology: together establish her pre-solo touring status, Prince connection, “Erotic City” session, solo-album proposal, Sunset Sound work, and Warner Bros. transition. (Los Angeles Times)