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Artist
Sheila E.
12+ albums
pop80sfunkprincedance
about
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 sessi
