Beat Of My Own Drum

From the Grammy Award–nominated singer, drummer, and percussionist who has shared the stage with countless musicians and is renowned for her contributions throughout the music industry, a moving memoir about the healing power of music inspired by five decades of life and love on the stage.

Sheila E., born Sheila Escovedo in 1957, picked up the drumsticks and started making music at the precocious age of three, inspired by her legendary father, percussionist Pete Escovedo. Two years later, she 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.

The Beat of My Own Drum is both a walk through four decades of Latin and 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 endured sexual abuse as a child, Sheila credits her parents, music, and God with giving her the will to carry on and to build a lasting legacy.

Rich in musical detail, pop and Latin music history from the ’70s and ’80s, and Sheila’s personal story, this memoir is a unique glimpse into a drummer’s singular life—a treat for both new and longtime fans of Sheila E. And above all, it is a testament to how the positive power of music serves as the heartbeat of her life.

Emmy and Grammy Award–nominee Sheila E. is one of the most talented percussionist/drummers in the world. She became a top session and touring musician before the age of twenty, performing and/or recording with George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Billy Cobham, Con Funk Shun, and countless others. She later performed with Marvin Gaye on his final world tour, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Prince, Gloria Estefan, Babyface, Patti LaBelle, and Stevie Nicks, among others. In the 1980s, Sheila became a pop sensation with her hits “The Glamorous Life” and “A Love Bizarre.” Sheila founded the Elevate Hope Foundation and cofounded Elevate Oakland, both of which focus on the needs of victims of child abuse by promoting music as an alternative form of therapy and serving public schools with music and the arts.

Wendy Holden is the author of more than thirty books, nine of which were international bestsellers. She also worked as a journalist for eighteen years.