Morris Day & The Time and Sheila E.

Born of Mexican and Creole descent to a percussion playing father Pete Escovedo, Sheila E. honed her singing and percussive skills from a early age playing in her father’s jazz-fusion band Azteca. The singer later appeared on two of Azteca’s albums, before appearing on jazz bassist Alphonso Johnson’s “Yesterday’s Dream” in 1976. Whilst continuing to perform with her father’s band, Sheila E. came to the attention of Prince who approached the singer at a concert in 1978. Prince subsequently mentored Sheila during his “Purple Rain” recording sessions and beyond, with Sheila later performing alongside the likes of George Duke, Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye, and Diana Ross.

The singer went solo in 1984 with record label assistance from Prince, and released her debut album “Sheila E. In the Glamorous Life” in June 1984. Led by the Prince-penned No. 7 hit single “The Glamorous Life” and later “The Belle of St. Mark”, the album peaked at No. 28 on the Billboard 200 and introduced the singer to a national audience. Sheila’s sophomore album “Romance 1600” arrived in 1985, showing the singer strongly identifying with the style and image of Prince, with the album’s biggest hit the Prince duet “A Love Bizarre”. The album earned a nomination for an American Music Award and two Grammy nominations for Best new Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Following a number of film appearance including in 1985's “Krush Groove” and 1987’s “The Adventures of Ford Fairlane”, the singer became the drummer for Prince’s backup band The New Power Generation.

In 1987 Sheila E. issued her self-titled third album, which peaked at No. 56 on the Billboard 200. Spawning the singles “Love On a Blue Train”, “Hold Me”, and “Koo Koo”, the album was followed by “Sex Cymbal” in 1991. With a notable latin influence, with funk and salsa embellishments, the singer tapped in to the sound of the time. Following the release, Sheila E. took a hiatus from releasing original material and played drums in Namie Amuro’s backup band, on Phil Colins’ cover of “True Colors”, and on Beyoncé’s “Work It Out”. In 2000 the singer returned to release the full-length “Writes of Passage” on Concord Records, followed by “Heaven” in 2001, after which she became the drummer for Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. The full-length “Sheila E ICON” arrived in 2013.