Sheila E.

Widely known as Sheila E., Sheila Escovedo is a drummer from Oakland, California who, in addition to being a percussion icon in her own right, has worked with legends like Prince, George Duke and Ringo Starr. After making her recording debut with jazz bassist Alphonso Johnson on "Yesterday's Dream" in 1976, she met Prince at one of her concerts in 1978. The two artists would eventually join forces during the Purple Rain recording sessions. Sheila E. released her debut solo album, The Glamorous Life, in 1984, featuring several songs penned by Prince and earned an international audience as the opener for the Purple Rain tour. She went on to release several more records as Prince's protege and even served as a writer and musician on many of Prince's records. Despite splitting from the Prince organization in 1989 and earning little attention for her albums that followed, Sheila E. is recognized as one of rock and roll's greatest drummers of all time.