Sheila E Net Worth - Pulptastic

Publish date: 2024-06-27

What Is Sheila E’s Net Worth?

Sheila E. is a renowned American musician, percussionist, singer, and author with a net worth of $4 million. She has worked with top-notch stars like Prince, George Duke, and Ringo Starr, and has collaborated with her father, Pete Escovedo, several times. Sheila has released numerous solo albums, including “The Glamorous Life,” “Romance 1600,” and “Iconic: Message 4 America.” Her singles, “The Glamorous Life” and “A Love Bizarre,” both topped the “Billboard” Dance Club Songs chart.

With five Grammy nominations under her belt, Sheila E. is fondly referred to as the “Queen of Percussion.” In 2021, she was honored with a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award alongside her father. In 2009, she won the reality series “Gone Country,” and has made appearances in films such as “The Adventures of Ford Fairlane” and “Chasing Papi,” as well as TV shows like “Cosby” and “V.I.P.”

Sheila E. published her memoir titled “The Beat of My Own Drum” in 2014, which chronicles her life and career.

Early Life and Family

Sheila E. was born in Oakland, California, in 1957, to percussionist Pete Escovedo and dairy factory worker Juanita Gardere. Her heritage is Mexican-American on her father’s side and Creole-French/African on her mother’s side. Sheila E. has three younger siblings, Peter, Zina, and Juan, and her brothers are both percussionists.

Sheila E. grew up in a Catholic household, and she is the niece of musicians Alejandro Escovedo, Javier Escovedo, Mario Escovedo, and Coke Escovedo. Her godfather was Grammy-winning musician, songwriter, and bandleader Tito Puente.

Sheila E.’s younger brother Peter is the biological father of actress/reality television personality Nicole Richie, but he and her mother, Karen Moss, couldn’t afford to take care of her, so she was raised by musician Lionel Richie and his first wife, Brenda, from the age of 3.

Personal Struggles

Sheila E. has said that she was raped by her teenage babysitter at the age of 5 and that she was still struggling with the experience until the mid-1990s, when her best friend, Lynn Mabry, suggested that she write about it and share it with a Bible study group. Sheila E. told “USA Today” in 2019, “I wrote for an hour and a half, and when I started to read it, I realized how awful it was. I cried for two or three days. That was the beginning of healing. You can’t hold onto these things. It’s not your fault. Don’t feel guilty or ashamed. That stops you from leading your fullest life and experiencing joy.”

Sheila E.’s Career Highlights

Sheila E. began her music career in the 1970s and quickly gained recognition for her drumming and percussion skills. She performed with legendary artists such as Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, and Marvin Gaye before collaborating with Prince on his “Purple Rain” album. Sheila E. released her debut solo album, “The Glamorous Life,” in 1984, which went Gold and featured the hit title track. Her follow-up album, “Romance 1600,” also went Gold and included the single “A Love Bizarre,” which she wrote and performed with Prince. Sheila E. continued to release albums in the 1990s and 2000s and collaborated with artists such as Beyoncé and Gloria Estefan. She also performed on the soundtracks of several films and was a musical director for the Staples Center concert “Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince” in 2020.

Sheila E.’s Engagements and Humanitarian Efforts

Sheila E. was engaged to Prince after he proposed to her onstage during the 1987 “Sign O’ the Times” tour. The exact length of their engagement is unknown, as they had always loved each other and had been together for so long. Sheila E. also revealed in her memoir that she had been engaged to Carlos Santana at one point, but kept it a secret.

In 2009, Sheila E. was made an honorary member of the Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority by Howard University’s Eta Delta Chapter, due to her humanitarian efforts. Together with her friend Lynn Mabry, she co-founded Elevate Oakland, a non-profit organization that aims to bring culturally vibrant art and music programs to the youth of Oakland.

Sheila E.’s Grammy and Award Nominations

Sheila E. has been nominated for 5 Grammys: Best New Artist (1985), Best R&B Instrumental Performance for “Shortberry Strawcake” (1985), Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female and Best Rhythm & Blues Song for “The Glamorous Life” (1985), and Best Music Video, Long Form for “Prince and the Revolution LIVE!” (1986).

She also earned Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Music Direction for “In Performance at the White House: Fiesta Latina” (2010) and “Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince” (2020). In 1985, Shelia E. received American Music Award nominations for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Female Video Artist and MTV Video Music Award nominations for Best Female Video and Best New Artist in a Video for “Sheila E.: The Glamorous Life.”

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