The Queen of Percussion, Sheila E. is having a great summer. Besides being back to touring, it was announced last month that the Latin Recording Academy will honor Sheila E. and her father Pete Escovedo with a Lifetime Achievement Award on November 17th in Las Vegas. Today, Modern Drummer, the worldwide leading drum publication for 45 years, has released the winner of its yearly Readers Poll Hall of Fame. That winner, voted by the readers, is Legendary Queen of Percussion, Sheila E. As this year's winner, Sheila E. becomes the first woman ever to be inducted into the MD HOF, a historical and special win. Says Sheila E. about the historic win, "I cannot express the depth of my gratitude at being voted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame by the reader's. Not only is it an honor on its own, but to be the first female drummer to be nominated, let alone win, is an achievement I don't take lightly. My career has been shaped by firsts, and I know for a fact that while I may be the first woman to receive this honor, I certainly won't be the last." Says Modern Drummer's Billy Amendola, "Sheila E. is the first woman to be inducted into the MD HOF, and we're honored she was voted in by our audience. It makes this year's issue extra Special and Monumental."
The first reader's poll appeared in Modern Drummer in 1979 and over 40 years later it's still a staple of the magazine. New genres of music have appeared and woven their way into the poll, while others have expanded and contracted. But one fact remains the same: MD readers have passionate opinions about their favorite drummers. This exciting Modern Drummer news comes just after Sheila and her Father, legendary Pete Escovedo, were announced as the recipients of Lifetime Achievement Awards by the Latin Recording Academy. The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to performers who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to Latin music and its communities. They will be celebrated with this honor in November. www.moderndrummer.com.