Two Forgotten Friday Favorites: Sheila E

Friday, May 20, 2011
A few random things I learned about Sheila E (Sheila Escovedo) while researching her bio for today's Two Forgotten Friday Favorites: she's a self-taught drummer who joined her father's band at the age of 15, she's Nicole Richie's biological aunt, and the first thing Prince said to her when he approached her to join his band was "my bassist and I were just fighting about which one of us would be the first to be your husband." Sheila E contributed her vocals to the Purple Rain album and toured with Prince, but after a while the realities of fame brought her back to her Christian roots. If you're a Ringo Starr fan, you may have seen her tour with his All-Starr band as recently as 2006, where their competing drum solos provide some comic relief during the show. For the guys out there, she's also probably one of the sexiest female drummers in history judging by this photo...

However, I think Sheila E is most famous for the 1984 hit "The Glamorous Life" written by Prince. She had other hits with "The Belle of St. Mark" and "A Love Bizarre." I don't remember the last time I heard any of these songs on the radio, so enjoy. As a teen, I always wanted her pink satin jacket from The Glamorous Life video!



5 comments:

  1. I LOVE Sheila E.! Female drummers are so rare. Hell, female musicians that aren't singers are rare. I can't get enough of A Love Bizarre.

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  2. I always loved that song The Glamorous Life.I didn't get the 45 of it until the early 90's at a flea market. Today is the first time that I've ever seen the video for it though - I'm glad that you shared that. I must've been a weird kid/teen - I wasn't into videos at all then.

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  3. I love Sheila E. too. A wonderful '80s musical memory, and an example of the funky quirkiness that made that era so fun. I also got the pleasure of seeing her in Ringo's All Star band many years later.

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  4. I saw Sheila on Way Black When on TV One back during Black History Month and she looked ah-mazing! She performed and she STILL brings down the house. An amazing talent and a great choice!

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  5. Sheila E. is a HECK of a percussionist, and an inspiration to me. I'm eyeballing a set of her signature bongos that I'll someday hopefully be able to purchase. I had a major crush on her back in the day too, and more than a couple of her posters graced my bedroom walls. Nice post. It brings back lotsa memories!

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