Ep 25: Juan Escovedo [SHEILA E, PRINCE, et al]

In the early 1980s, when percussionist extraordinaire JUAN ESCOVEDO was in his early 20s, he was working for his cousin as a landscaper at different homes around the Bay Area, CA. However, he also just so happened to be in heavy rotation on the then-very-popular MTV, appearing as part of his sister Sheila E’s band in the video for her smash hit “Glamorous Life” along with their siblings Zina and Peter Michael. The song got played so much that people started to recognize Juan while he was mowing lawns, though he felt too awkward to admit that it was him. It got to the point where he called his sis, talking bout: “Sheila, everybody’s noticing me now because of the video. You gotta hire me.”

As it turned out, the request wasn’t unwarranted. In fact, Sheila’s mentor and co-producer PRINCE had already been scratching his chin regarding her live show, trying to figure how he could get her to step out from behind the timbales and take the mic center stage. Having another percussionist who could recreate her patterns onstage would be ideal. So Juan got the gig!

But much to his surprise, it was a heckuva lot more work than cutting the grass. His sister would jam him up constantly throughout their grueling, 16-hour rehearsals. “She was kinda mean to me.” He laughs. “I go: ‘Sheila, why you so mean to me?’ She goes: ‘Cause you’re my brother. You gotta show an example. You gotta be tougher than them. I can’t favor you.’” The pressure was intense, but he wasn’t sure why at first. All he knew was that she needed him to be precise. “I could not mess up,” he says. “I’d seen guys mess up in the band—she’d let ‘em slide, [but] she’d look at me like ‘What are you doin?’ Brother and sister, you could talk to each other like that. But at first it was hard to take.”

Soon enough, Juan learned what all the blood and sweat had been about: an opening slot on the now iconic Purple Rain Tour, coinciding with the release of the blockbuster film of the same name, and in competition with acts like the Time. It was a truly amazing era, with custom made stage outfits and epic shows around the world.

After this incredible start to his career, Juan continued to be in demand. Over the ensuing years, he appeared on popular shows and hit movies, from Dick Clark’s American Bandstand to Krush Groove. Juan also recorded and performed with major artists, including but not limited to Patti LaBelle, Lionel Ritchie, Freddie Hubbard, Barry White and Herbie Hancock. And like a true Escovedo, Juan not only knew how to navigate life as a session performer, but also how to keep getting called back. “You never want to overplay to where they tell you ‘Shut up,’” he explains. “Or ‘Be quiet’ or ‘You’re playing too much.’ I’d rather somebody say ‘Can you give me more?’”

Yet, believe it or not, back when Juan and his siblings were growing up in Oakland on 9th and East 21st, papa Pete Escovedo (Azteca, Santana, et al) didn’t really want his kids to become musicians—at least not at first. “Back then, being a percussion player and stuff, he was struggling,” Juan explains. “Couldn’t pay the bills… He would do two, three jobs a night, and making $20.” So whenever it was time for Dad to leave to play another gig, he would lock whatever percussion instruments he left behind in the closet.

Juan was far from deterred. “I’m like, ‘You can’t lock nothin up from me,“ he laughs. He would pop that lock and the kids would pass out the instruments and play. Their mom admonished them initially, until she heard how good they had gotten at keeping the beat. So when their father eventually busted them, she became their advocate. And it was a good thing that Pops finally came around too—because the little Escovedos had already been gigging (!), getting paid here and there to play at birthday parties and such.

Of course, the Escovedo home was the perfect place for a future musician to grow up. Because of Pete, examples of the best musicians in music history—many of them still struggling themselves—were constantly stopping by to hang out. Just imagine coming home from school and seeing folks like George Duke, percussionist Bill Summers, Carlos Santana, Uncle Coke Escovedo, Bill Cobham, members of Tower of Power, a very young Prince, and the almighty Tito Puente laughing and jamming in your living room!

These days, Juan’s musical journey has reached its apotheosis with the release of his first solo album, The J, a crowning achievement that has been a long time coming. Juan has been messing with the piano for years, even going so far as to show his ideas for chord changes to Prince back when they were on tour together. But early efforts to create a record never felt quite right until recently, when Juan began creating with Michael “Angel” Alverado. The album also features Martin Kember of Color Me Badd, Andy Vargas of Santana, Juan’s longtime pal El DeBarge, and of course the “E” Family.

In October of 2021, beautifully crafted images of Juan and his fam were officially added to the mural of Casa Bandido, a/k/a Richard “Mayor of the Mission” Segovia’s “Latin Rock House,” an official San Francisco landmark located on York and 25th. To commemorate the unveiling, Juan joined Segovia and other local legends onstage for an amazing live jam at nearby La Raza Park.

In this engaging and heart-filled interview, Juan recounts his early love for the trumpet, explains why he used to be called “Goldie,” and describes how they put together those amazing outfits he wore while touring with Prince. Juan also reveals his thoughts on recording with a click track, explains why he has a standing invitation to play with El DeBarge any time he comes to town, and discusses working with kids through Elevate Oakland, a program intended to bring music back to public schools.

Produced & Hosted by Ace Alan
Cohosted by Jay Stone
Executive Produced by Scott Sheppard
Website, Art & Graphics by 3chards
Engineered & Coordinated by Chris McGrew for Wally’s Hyde Out at Hyde Street Studios, San Francisco
Video Direction by RoAn Gibson
Sound Editing, Video Editing & Graphics by Nick “WAES” Carden for Off Hand Records in Oakland.
w/ Thanks to Maryzelle Ungo and Dr. Gethsemane Moss