Sheila E.

• Genre: Pop
• Hometown: San Francisco

About

Discovered by Prince in the early '80s, drummer Sheila E. became an urban diva under the Dance Pop demigod's supervision. Schooled in her youth by her father, percussionist Pete "Coke" Escovedo, Sheila E. spent time in the Latin jazz-fusion band Azteca. Sheila joined up with Prince in 1984 as a vocalist on "Erotic City," and released her debut solo album Sheila E. in the Glamorous Life that same year. Acclaimed for strong dance-friendly rhythms and pop-pleasing vocal hooks, Sheila E.'s Prince-inspired magnetic sound won her much commercial approval.

- Melissa Piazza