Sheila E. became one of the top female musicians during the 1980s due to her fierce drumming style and her Latin rhythms. A former protégé of Prince, Sheila became a drummer in his band before branching off into solo musical projects. In addition to being considered the best female drummer alive, Sheila E. has also expanded into acting roles, most notably in the urban cult classic film Krush Groove (1985).
She's co-founder (along with Lynn Mabry) of the "Lil' Angel Bunny Foundation", an organization that "provides abused, abandoned and severely emotionally disturbed children compassionate care by implementing an alternative method of recreational and education therapy through music and the arts and funding special services and programs that assist the needs of these children using these fundamental methods".
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Musical Career
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Early Life
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Child prodigy, she starts playing the drums at 5. She attended Oakland High School in Oakland, California.
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Early Musical Career
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She made her recording debut with jazz bassist Alphonso Johnson, "Yesterday's Dream" (1976). By the time she was in her early twenties, she had played with George Duke, Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye, Herbie Hancock, and Diana Ross.
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Work With Prince
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Sheila met Prince at an Al Jarreau concert in 1978. After the show, he met her and told her that he and his bassist André Cymone "were just fighting about which one of us would be the first to be your husband". He also prophetically vowed that one day she would join his band. The two would eventually join forces during the Purple Rain recording sessions.
- Input in Prince's Discography
- She provided vocals on Erotic City b-side to the single Let's Go Crazy. Though taken under Prince's wing, she proved to be a successful artist in her own right. In 1984 she scored hits with The Glamorous Life (1984) (Hot 100 #7, and regarded as something of an 80s classic), and The Belle Of St. Mark (#34). She opened for the Purple Rain Tour. Around the same time, the collaborating duo began a brief romantic relationship, while Prince was still seeing Susannah Melvoin, twin sister Revolution band member Wendy Melvoin.
- Sheila also served as a writer and musician on many of Prince's records, as well as on the albums of his protégés such as Madhouse.
- In 1985 she released Romance 1600, scored another hit with the track " A Love Bizarre " (#11), and the non album track Holly Rock made it's way to live shows and the film Krush Groove . She was also nominated for an American Music Awards and a Grammy for The Glamorous Life.
- Sheila recorded three albums during the '80s, The Glamorous Life , Romance 1600 , and Sheila E. She appeared in four films, Krush Groove with Run-DMC, LL Cool J and Blair Underwood in 1985, Prince's concert film and Sign O' The Times in 1987.
- Input in Prince's Live performances
- During the Sign O' The Times, The Black Album (material from it was intended as birthday party music for Sheila E.), and Lovesexy periods of Prince's career (including the Lovesexy Tour), Sheila E. served as his drummer and musical director in his highly regarded '87-'88 backup band, not long after her departure. During the Sign O' The Times era, she released the single Koo Koo from her 3rd album Sheila E., which had Sign O' The Times Tour member Cat as back up dancer in the accompanying video.
- In February 2006 Sheila performed with Prince (and Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman once again at the BRIT Awards. She also performed with Prince on Live At The Aladdin Las Vegas in 2003, the 36th NAACP Image Awards, and Good Morning Show in June 2006. In 2007, she performed at the ALMA (American Latin Music Awards) Awards in June 2007 with Prince.
- On 7 July, 2007 in Minneapolis, MN she performed with Prince at all three of his shows: first, at the 3121 perfume launch at Macy's, followed by the Target Center concert, and finally, closing it out with Prince, at an aftershow at First Ave.
- Prince guested on 29 March, 2008 on Sheila's performance with her family at Harvelle Redondo Beach, playing keyboard.
- On 26 April, 2008, Sheila along with Morris Day and Jerome Benton joined Prince onstage at the Coachella Music Festival.
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After Working With Prince
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- After leaving the Prince camp in 1989 (she actually had a medical problem-collapsed lung), Sheila recorded a few more albums, Sex Cymbal, Writes of Passage, and Heaven. However, the albums garnered little attention.
- Sheila E. was the leader of the house band on the short-lived 1998 late night talk show, The Magic Hour , starring Magic Johnson.
- She played percussion on the Phil Collins cover of "True Colors " in 1998.
- In 2000 she played with a band in Japan that back up the well know artist Namie,Amuro. In the Namie Amuro Tour "Genius 2000" that is on DVD.
- Sheila E. has performed three stints with Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band, in 2001, 2003, and 2006. Her drum "duets" with Starr are a moment of comic relief in the show, where they play the same parts but he quickly falls behind, shrugs and smiles as she takes off on an extended percussion solo. Says Sheila: "Ringo truly is one of the greatest rock n roll drummers in the history of music. He enjoys the joke!"
- In 2002 Sheila appeared on the Beyoncé Knowles song "Work it Out ".
- Sheila E. has collaborated with Gloria Estefan for whom she played the timbales. Sheila first collaborated with Estefan on Estefan's first Spanish language/Spanish studio album Mi Tierra in 1993, and in 2007 with Estefan's smash hit " No Llores" in which Estefan also collaborates with Carlos Santana and Jose Feliciano.
- Sheila E. appears as an actress in The Adventures of Ford Fairlane and Chasing Papi in 2003.
- In 2004, Sheila toured New Zealand as drummer and percussionist for the Abe Laboriel Band.
- She also is one fourth of the band C.O.E.D (Chronicles of Every Diva), who as of 2008 are touring overseas and released a CD available in limited distribution or through her website.
- In March 2007 she went on a small tour through Europe with her new band project called C.O.E.D. (Chronicles of Every Diva). C.O.E.D consists of Sheila E., Kat Dyson, Rhonda Smith and Cassandra O'Neal.
- For several concerts she was joined by Candy Dulfer as special guest.
- She performed at the 2007 Latin Grammy awards with Juan Luis Guerra.
- In October 2007, Sheila was a judge on the Fox network's The Next Great American Band alongside Australian Idol judge and marketing manager Ian "Dicko" Dickson and Goo Goo Dolls lead singer John Rzeznik.
- On 9 April, 2008, Sheila appeared on the historic Emmy winning program, Idol Gives Back. It is the most important and significant part of the highly rated American Idol series. Sheila E. took part in the show opener Get on Your Feet with Gloria Estefan. Dance troupe, So You Think You Can Dance finalists joined the stage for the memorable moment.
- From 2 to 6 May, 2008, Sheila played four sold-out shows at Blue Note Tokyo in Japan. This is the most frequented jazz music club in Tokyo.
- On 14 June, 2008, Sheila performed at Rhythm on the Vine music and wine festival at the South Coast Winery in Temecula, California for Shriners Hospital for Children. She took the stage with the E Family, Pete Escovedo, Juan Escovedo and Peter Michael Escovedo. Other performers at the event were jazz musician Herbie Hancock, contemporary music artist Jim Brickman and Kirk Whalum.
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Current Work
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Sheila E. won the CMT reality show, Gone Country in 2009. This will give her an opportunity to make country music aided by famed country producer, writer, and singer John Rich. Sheila E.'s first song in the country market is "Glorious Train". A video for the song debuted on CMT on 7 March, 2009 following the airing of the episode of Gone Country in which Sheila E. was announced the winner.
- Sheila E. is the business partner of singer and former The Brides of Funkenstein, Lynn Mabry. They formed a foundation for abused children called the Elevate Hope Foundation.
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