Evolution of Sheila E.
Follow her glamorous rise from music prodigy to pop star.
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The Evolution of Sheila E. - Of all the '80s Prince protégés, Sheila E. towers as the giant talent. The daughter of famed percussionist Pete Escovedo and goddaughter of Tito Puente, the former music prodigy has played percussion for iconic pop artists from Ringo Starr to Lionel Richie. And with the release of her first hit LP The Glamorous Life, she's blazed a 30-year pop career as a singer/musician. Here's a look at her musical journey (Photo: Kevin Winter/BET/Getty Images for BET)
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The Rhythms of Dreaming - One of Sheila's earliest gigs was playing for famed jazz bassist Alphonso Johnson. In 1976, the veteran percussionist/drummer made her recording debut on Johnson's "Yesterday's Dream." (Photos from Left: Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images for Global Green, Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
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Among the Stars - By the time Sheila was in her early 20s, her skills as a musician put her in the company of iconic music figures. She began playing with stars like Marvin Gaye, George Duke, Lionel Richie and Diana Ross. (Photos from Left: David Redfern/Redferns/Getty Images, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Michael Tran/Getty Images)
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Life Is Glamorous - In 1984, Sheila E. releases her breakout debut LP The Glamorous Life, which goes gold and yields the Prince-written, Grammy-nominated title track. (Photo: Warner Bros)
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The Beat of Romance - Sheila E. solidifies her place as a pop superstar when she releases her 1985 LP Romance 1600. The LP hits gold status with the help of the lead single "Love Bizarre," written by Sheila and Prince. (Photo: Paisley Park/Warner Bros)
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Krushin' the Groove - Taking her stardom to the silver screen, Sheila E. makes her film debut in the 1985 classic Krush Groove, which stars Run-DMC, Blair Underwood and then newcomer LL Cool J. Along with performing her hit "Love Bizarre" in the film, she contributes the cut "Holly Rock" to the soundtrack. (Photo: Warner Bros)
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Self Love - Sheila releases her self-titled third LP in 1987, scoring hits with the singles "Hold Me" and "Koo Koo." The LP is also credited with being one of the first LPs to feature performances by members of Tony Toni Toné. (Photo: Paisley Park/Warner Bros)
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Sign of the Times - The now iconic percussionist makes her second movie appearance, playing the drums in Prince's hit 1987 concert film Sign O' the Times. (Photo: Cineplex Odeon Films, Paisley Park Films)
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Sexy Cymbals - Marking her departure from the Prince camp, Sheila releases her fourth studio album, Sex Cymbal, in 1991. While the disc doesn't storm the charts, it does offer minor hits like the title cut and "Droppin Like Flies." (Photo: Warner Bros)
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The Right Passage - After almost a decade hiatus from recording, Sheila keeps the music train running when she unleashes her fifth solo disc Writes of Passage in 2000. (Photo: Concord Records)
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Stairway to Heaven - In 2001, the pop vet followed up Writes of Passage with the LP Heaven. (Photo: Concord Vista Records)
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Chasing Papi - In the hit 2003 film Chasing Papi, Sheila makes an appearance as a Latin festival band member. (Photo: Twentieth Century Fox)
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Little Bit Country - Sheila E. tries her hand at reality TV when she becomes a contestant on the third season of the music talent search series Gone Country. Not only does she win the contest, but she releases her first country song (and video) "Glorious Train" via the show. (Photo: Country Music Television)