Sheila E. shocked fans when she shared that Paisley Park denied her access to Prince‘s studio during her visit to Minneapolis.
On June 7, the legendary drummer was in Minneapolis on what would’ve been the late music icon Prince‘s 66th birthday. She was in town for her show with Morris Day & The Time the following day in Walker, a city just over three hours away from Minneapolis. So, she stopped by Paisley Park, the former home and music studio of her mentor and ex-fiancé, which was turned into a museum, to honor him.
To Sheila E.’s surprise, the staff denied her access to the recording studio. Frustrated by their actions, she posted a video on Instagram to share the news with her followers that included the caption, “Wow!! Watch the video (shame on u paisley park. Horrible. @officialpaisleypark #prince Happy birthday Prince.”
“I went in to celebrate him, and I wanted to go into the studio and do a live video, take a picture, and they said, ‘No.’ That part. My heart’s broke. I can’t even walk into Paisley. It’s kind of messed up,” she said standing in the parking lot of Paisley Park.
The four-time Grammy nominee continued, “I mean, I walked in, that’s not the point. I can’t go to the studio where I recorded all those records and songs and everything I did with him and they’re saying no to me? Not a nice way to celebrate his birthday, but I’m just being honest and truthful. It ain’t going to take away the joy that he and I had together.”
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Fans, along with celebrities, left comments expressing both their shock and support after hearing the news.
“PISSED THA HECK OFF. It’s SHEILA Dammit! If Anybody should get a pass it’s HER‼️ somebody in the office is on a power trip clearly. We’re so sorry, girl.😢🥁 🎸💔💜💜💜, ” comedian Luenell wrote.
“Your presence would only make it better💜💜💜 we love you! Happy birthday, Prince💜,” Queen Latifah commented.
“Sheila – this is insane. My experiences with PP have been terrible. I’m a nobody – well – I’m a die hard fan – but that doesn’t mean anything to the people at PP. But YOU are legend. And you should be able to film and frolic and celebrate him today. 💔💜💜,” a fan said in agreeance.
Paisley Park’s Instagram account caught wind of the video and responded by leaving a comment under the post to give context to why they didn’t let her in the studio.
“Hello Sheila – We love and respect you, and we did offer for you to come in and film in the soundstage or other areas, but we couldn’t allow filming in the studios without prior knowledge and planning, especially with tours going on at the time. We hope to have you back to Paisley Park in the future – just give us a heads-up! Happy Prince Day 💜,” the museum said.
On June 10, Sheila E.’s publicist released a statement following the incident that disclosed the Oakland native requests that an old drum kit of hers be removed from the estate per the Associated Press. The only reason the set was included in the display was because Prince asked the percussionist to “borrow” it according to the Walk of Fame starholder. While inside the museum, she said she heard one of the tour guides say, “My idol, Sheila E. even has her drums setup in the studio!”
In addition, Sheila E’s statement noted that not only was she the first artist to record at Prince’s studio, but she visited the property before the home was even built when it was just “the foundation was mere dirt and rope,” according to the AP.
What do you think about Sheila E. being denied access to Paisley Park’s studio?
