My Take
I've had a soft spot for Sheila E. ever since I first heard "The Glamorous Life" blasting out of a radio in the mid-80s — that groove hits different when you realize the woman singing it is also the one absolutely destroying the drum kit. Growing up in Oakland with funk and R&B in the air, then going on to Berklee, she didn't just learn music; she became a force of nature behind it. Her run with Prince produced some of the most memorable pop moments of the decade, but she was never just a collaborator — she was always her own artist with her own voice. The Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award she received in 2021 felt long overdue, honestly. Decades in, still performing, still commanding every stage she steps onto — "Queen of Percussion" isn't a nickname, it's just an accurate job title.
Overview
Sheila Cecilia Escovedo (born December 12, 1957), known under the stage name Sheila E., is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. Regarded as one of the greatest percussionists of her generation, she is a multi-instrumentalist known for playing drums and percussion. She is sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Percussion".
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Sheila E.
- Name (Japanese)
- シーラ・E
- Reading
- しーら・E
- Born
- December 12, 1957 (age 68)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Rooster
- Origin
- Oakland, California, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer / drummer / percussionist / singer-songwriter / composer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Oakland High School
- University
- Berklee College of Music
Awards & achievements
- 2021 Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- honorary doctor of the Berklee College of Music
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Official sitehttp://www.sheilae.com/
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/sheilaedrummer/
- Xhttps://x.com/SheilaEdrummer
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B7%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A9%E3%83%BBE
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.