Nr. 1 – Sheila E

The coolest woman in music is Sheila E!! Since she is the coolest of them all, she gets a lot more clips to show off her coolness. Of course I recommend all clips, but I understand if you don’t watch them all. In that case, choose wisely, Sheila E is an interesting artist. You don’t want to miss too much of her.


For many years she played, recorded and performed with Prince as his drummer, percussionist and back-up vocalist.

(Note Rhonda Smith, nr.18, playing the bass in the first clip)





Let’s not dwell in the years she played with Prince when this is an active musician who has played with many other stars. (In her early twenties she had played with Herbie Hancock, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye.) When she was interviewed by Jay Leno in 1987 she was asked what she did when she wasn’t doing this (playing the drums), she answered “Doing this.”



In the mid ‘80s she started a solo career and had big hits with the songs The Glamorous Life and A Love Bizarre.





Here’s another drum solo clip where she plays in heals (the first being the clip from The Tonight Show with Jay Leno). Drum solo in heals!



Since Sheila E grew up in a family of Latino drummers, (She  is the daughter of acclaimed Latino percussionist Pete Escovedo and in fact her brother too is an acclaimed Latino percussionist), a lot of clips you find of her on YouTube are of her playing and singing Latin music.





I have no clips to show of her playing other instruments, though I do know she also plays guitar and violin. But just for fun I'll show you she was a part of the all-star choir singing We Are the World in 1985. She has no solo and she doesn't play the drums, but you can see her standing in the front row, next to the Jacksons, wearing sunglasses.