Sheila E. will be taking the stage to perform during Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute Prince on April 21, which is the four-year anniversary of Prince’s tragic death. The special will air on CBS at 9:00 p.m.,and feature performances of Prince’s biggest hits from stars who loved and admired him. Of course, that will include Sheila, who not only worked with the singer, but was engaged to him in the late 80s. Ahead of her performance on the tribute special, here’s more to know about Sheila:
1. She met Prince at a concert in 1978. Sheila was performing with her father and met the legendary singer after the show. Prince told her that he and his bassist were fighting over who would marry her first. They collaborated during his recording sessions for Purple Rain and her vocals are featured on some of his hits. After Prince’s death, Sheila took part in a number of tributes for the singer, including one at the 2020 Grammy Awards, and another at the 2016 BET Awards.
2. Their engagement didn’t work out. It wasn’t until Sheila released her memoir, The Beat Of My Own Drum, that the story of the pair’s engagement went public. She wrote in the book that Prince popped the question for her while he was on stage in 1987 — he mouthed the words, “Marry Me?” while singing “Purple Rain!” Unfortunately, their equally busy schedules took a toll on the relationship, and they eventually split..
3. Sheila was a successful singer on her own. Even without her connection to Prince, Sheila had a successful music career. Her songs “The Glamorous Life” and “A Love Bizarre” both reached No. 1 on the U.S. dance charts, and she’s released seven solo albums. Sheila was even nominated for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammys!
4. She’s collaborated with dozens of famous stars. Besides Prince, Sheila has worked with many well-known artists, including Lionel Richie, Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, Gloria Estefan, Cydni Lauper and many more. She is a percussionist, as well as a singer, so she’s lent vocals and drumming to other artists’ songs while also working on her own stuff.
5. She’s been on a reality show! Sheila starred on the third season of CMT’s Gone Country in 2009, and competed to become a country singer and have a single produced by John Rich. She actually won the show and got to make a music video for her song “Glorious Train.” Talk about well-rounded!
