Sheila E. has made a name for herself as one of the most talented musical icons over the decades. With a fearless nature and a passion for sharing her gifts with others, Sheila truly follows the beat of her own drum.
She touches the lives of so many, with her dynamic music career at the heart of everything. Sheila’s eagerness to share her music, openness as an author, and charitable spirit make her such a relatable, inspirational figure for people of all ages. She considers music to be the purest form of self-expression and the one true love of her life.
However, let’s explore her dating history – which is star-studded and impressive.
Who is Sheila E Dating Now?
Sheila appears to be single and not romantically involved with anyone at the moment. Sheila E is also not married to anyone.
Previous Relationships
Sheila E.’s dating history is as dynamic as her career, marked by relationships with some of music’s biggest legends.
Prince and Sheila E
One of the most notable relationships that Sheila E. has had was with Prince, whom she reportedly met in the late 1970s. Their connection began professionally, with Sheila E. contributing backing vocals to Prince’s hit “Purple Rain” and later opening for his Purple Rain tour. Despite her initial reluctance to mix work with romance, the drummer found herself deeply drawn to Prince. Sheila E and Prince’s relationship has been a top hit for the media over the years.
Sheila E. admitted that she and Prince “couldn’t resist each other,” adding he’d once proposed to her while they were performing a show together.
She has openly said she was still “angry” at Prince over his 2016 death, and recalled crying during the Grammys tribute performance in January this year.
The couple got together after Prince put considerable effort into pursuing Sheila E. She’d always been interested in him, but was recovering from the pain of a previous relationship when they met, and was careful about hooking up with another musician. Their relationship was complicated by the pop legend’s alleged involvement with other women too. This ultimately led Sheila E. to reconsider their future together.
Although they parted ways romantically, their musical collaboration continued until a few years before Prince’s passing in 2016.
Sheila E. also joined John Legend for a performance of Prince and The Revolution’s 1984 classic “Let’s Go Crazy” celebrating Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. This tribute not only honored Walz’s home state but also showcased Sheila E.’s enduring connection to Prince.
Sheila had an established career as a drummer/percussionist before meeting Prince and joining his bands from 1984-1989, officially playing with him from Purple Rain through to Lovesexy. During her time making music with Prince, she guest-starred on “Love Bizarre” and the then-controversial “Erotic City,” also recording two albums, The Glamorous Life and Romance 1600. The “The Glamourous Life” single released in 1984 became her signature hit, featuring a lengthy drum solo that highlighted her musicianship.
Sheila was a guest on Prince’s several tours and multiple TV show appearances, including the 2005 NAACP Image Awards and the BRIT Awards in 2006. The two also performed together on the Latin Grammys and at the ALMA Awards. When Prince passed in 2016, she was a central part of the BET Awards tribute and last year, was the musical director for Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince, a star-studded special that aired on the fourth anniversary of his death.
Carlos Santana and Sheila E
Another significant relationship in Sheila E.’s life was with Carlos Santana, a romance she kept private for many years. In her memoir The Beat of My Own Drum, the drummer revealed that she and Santana were almost engaged when she was just 18, even though the guitarist was married at the time. Sheila met Santana as a teen when her father, legendary bandleader Pete Escovedo, and her Uncle Coke played percussion in his band. Since she was only 18 at the time and Santana was 10 years older, she hid the relationship from nearly everyone, including her parents.
The Beat of My Own Drum Book
The Beat of My Own Drum is a walk through four decades of pop music—from her tours with Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie, Prince, and Ringo Starr to her own solo career. At the same time, it’s also a heartbreaking, ultimately redemptive look at how the sanctity of music can save a person’s life. Having repeatedly endured sexual abuse as a child, Sheila credits her parents, music, and God with giving her the will to carry on and build a lasting legacy.
She was born Sheila Escovedo in 1957, but the world knows her as Sheila E. She first picked up the drumsticks and started making music at the precocious age of three, taught by her legendary father, percussionist Pete Escovedo. As the goddaughter of Tito Puente, music was the heartbeat of her family, and despite Sheila’s impoverished childhood in Oakland, California, her family stayed strong, inspired by the music they played nightly in their living room.
When she was only five, Sheila delivered her first solo performance to a live audience. By nineteen, she had fallen in love with Carlos Santana. By twenty-one, she met Prince at one of her concerts. Sheila E. and Prince would eventually join forces and collaborate for more than two decades, creating hits that catapulted Sheila to her own pop superstardom.
Her family is full of successful musicians and creatives too: Sheila E’s uncles include Javier Escovedo, founder of seminal San Diego punk act The Zeros; Alejandro Escovedo, founder of seminal San Francisco punk band The Nuns; Mario Escovedo, who fronted long-running indie rockers The Dragons; and Coke Escovedo, who was in Santana and formed the band Azteca. Nicole Richie is Sheila E.’s biological niece, the daughter of Sheila’s musician brother, Peter Michael Escovedo.
Rich in musical detail, pop, and music history, this is a fascinating walk through some of the biggest moments in music from the ’70s and ’80s. But as Sheila’s personal story, this memoir is a unique glimpse into a world-famous drummer’s singular life—a treat for both new and longtime fans of Sheila E. And above all, The Beat of My Own Drum is a testament to how the positive power of music has fueled Sheila’s heart and soul—and how it can transform your life as well.