SHILA E.: THE LADY CAN PLAY!

In 1982, while I was still behind the desk at Modem Drummer, we ran a feature interview on percussionist Sheila Escovedo. Three years later, an artist named Sheila E. had a hit song—“The Glamorous Life”—which featured some burning timbale work, particularly on the longer album cut. On one of my many jaunts to the record store (it’s a sickness with me) I saw Sheila’s album and didn’t even make the connection between Sheila Escovedo and Sheila E.! It didn’t occur to me that the beautiful lady on the album cover might know how to do anything other than look good and sing.

Well, anyone else who thinks Sheila can’t play is crazy. And if anyone ever says she can’t play, he’s a liar!

Sheila is by no stretch of the imagination an overnight success, and by no means a hack musician. As a kid she studied violin for five years. She played her gig on drums wheri she was five. For the next nine years, music took a backseat to sports, but then Sheila started drumming again when she was about 14.