When I hear the name Sheila E., I just get goosebumps. She has empowered women with her amazing skills on the drums. And my 13-year-old self could often be found gyrating to her hit “Glamorous Life” while holding a brush in my hand and tossing my head, adorned with a pillowcase veiled as a wig, back-and-forth. I would sing all the lyrics.
What’s fresh on our minds when referring to the California native born Sheila Escovedo, Prince’s former fiancée and protegée, is her delivery of that unforgettable performance at the 2016 BET Awards. Her tribute to The Artist was matchless. It was a nearly 10-minute medley of songs including “Housequake”, “Erotic City”, ”U Got The Look” and “The Glamorous Life” that really completed grieving fans.
The legendary singer, drummer and percussionist met with a group of fans and media at a private reception in Atlanta on Friday, July 15, 2016 to talk about her life, career, autobiography and Saturday, July 16, 2016 performance at Wolf Creek Amphitheater for the The Wolf Creek Funk Series, which features her, Confunkshun, Lakeside, and The Mary Jane Girls.
At 58, Sheila E. is absolutely gorgeous. Her personality complements her beauty. She’s been performing all her life— playing music with her family and later on tours with Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie and countless collaborations with Prince.
During our Q&A, I asked her about her autobiography, The Beat of My Own Drum, where she divulged information about her relationships with a married Carlos Santana and Prince. I also asked if she can date a regular guy after dating superstars.
Here’s what she said:
“Part of it was my testimony. It wasn’t a hard thing to [write about] at all. The more I shared my testimony at churches and at different facilities and telling my story, the easier it was to talk about it. By the time I got to the memoir, I was like let’s move on to the next book. I talk about Carlos Santana and Prince. They were regular to me. They just happened to be superstars. They were great men. I am still looking … I’m available.”
It’s been nearly 20 years since Sheila E. performed during the 1996 Olympics closing ceremony in Atlanta. It was close to a dream come true for the performer. She shares, “I was very excited for so many reasons. The main reason is before I became a musician and an artist, I was training to be in the Olympics. I was a runner, track and field. I made records that have yet to be broken. I came here to Atlanta and was a part of the Olympics. I didn’t win a gold medal but I played a gold record. Performing at the Olympics in that way [meant a lot]. When we walked on the performance field during practice, I laid down on the track and kissed the ground.”
Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall presented Sheila E. with a proclamation during the engagement. Artist J. High gifted with a drawing of Prince.
For more of Sheila E.’s Atlanta visit, follow the hashtags: #ATLLovesSheilaE #TheBeatofMyOwnDrum #WolfCreekFunkSeries #GoodMusicStillLives
See pictures below.
