Sheila Escovedo, better known as Sheila E., didn't really need Prince to discover her. Her dad is Latin-jazz legend and timbalero Pete Escovedo, and she'd toured with Natalie Cole, Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder, among others, before Prince took her under his wing in 1983 and pushed her first solo album, The Glamorous Life. Because she has toured with Prince throughout both their careers, something just clicks when you watch her open for and perform with him at his “Welcome 2 America Live: 21-Nite Stand” at the Inglewood Forum. Here's what she has to say about working with Prince and being a hot timbalera at 53.
• “Every show with Prince is always amazing—you never know what to expect. I don't know how many shows I'm doing; I'm just on call. When he wants me to play, I'll play.”
• “I don't exercise and work out as much as I used to, and I should because I have a lot of injuries, and now that I'm 53 . . . [drumming] takes a lot, and it's so demanding to put out like that every single night. The day after a performance, I'm in a lot of pain. But, of course, I choose to perform in 5-, 6-inch heels and jump around onstage like I'm 20!”
• “I can beat Prince at basketball and ping-pong. And pool, sometimes!”
• “I haven't done any rehearsals with Prince. When I see him, I get a set list, and I talk to him about certain songs—where I should come up or down. The band rehearses every day, but I don't. I just show up, and I just play.” From an April 29 Heard Mentality blog post.
LOCAL 13-YEAR-OLD CAST AS THE REV
Orange County band Un D Vided, founded by 13-year-old drummer Harley deWinter, are getting a boost from Avenged Sevenfold. Harley's father and Un D Vided manager David deWinter says the video for Huntington Beach metal icons' “So Far Away” will be a docudrama, with Harley playing late drummer Jimmy “the Rev” Sullivan as a junior high student. Directed by Wayne Isham, the video “is going to be about Jimmy's life,” says deWinter. Apparently, M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold announced at a recent show the band have seen a rough cut of the video and mentioned it was emotionally difficult to watch. Sullivan passed away in December 2009 due to a combination of factors, including drug intoxication and an enlarged heart.
Un D Vided will play at the Coach House with Major F & Dealio on Saturday. From an April 28 post by Brandon Ferguson.
This column appeared in print as “Quotables From Sheila E.”
