luvgirl said:

Hi all! Reading is my second favorite past time after Prince. I was inspired to read The Beat Of My Own Drum by Sheila E. after the heartfelt tribute she gave to Prince on the Bet awards. I'm on goodreads but felt it would be best to discuss this book here among us Prince fans. Has anyone else read this book recently? Want to have a discussion about it? The romance novel lover in me couldn't help but appreciate this comment on the first meeting. "He was that guy, the one in the poster on my bedroom wall. And he was staring right at me. Our eyes locked, and . . . Wow! I’m not somebody to often skip a beat, but in that moment, my heart sure did. Only the previous night, before falling asleep, I’d stared at his poster, gazing intently at his striking hazel-green eyes. And now those same eyes, decorated with more eyeliner than mine, were staring right through me. I’d always thought beauty was an attribute reserved for women, but he was proving me wrong. I’d never seen a man so beautiful." [Edited 7/5/16 15:50pm]

Have you finished reading it in entirety?

Ottensen said:

The part where she describes her sexual trauma as a 5 year old made me feel like someone kicked me in my stomach and clenched my heart with a monkey wrench after reading. There are some truly evil people in this world that would harm a baby like that, and the whole idea that this happens to little kids bothered me terribly long after I finished that chapter. Its clear that being a musician has been the saving grace throughout this woman's life, even though doing it the wrong way (in every aspect ) nearly killed her. I appreciate her musical pedigree and how much respect she has for her family- I always liked that smooth sound Azteca had... and of course it was cool to find that she and Prince actually went all the way back to the late 70s when they were both first getting put on in Cali. The little anecdotes about that era actually made me nostalgic for that time period, afros and all. They were gorgeous young creatures, the both of them...

Prince sending her those bouquets of flowers and cute notes EVERY DAY while she was on tour with Lionel Richie. Prince wanted her for the tour and was very strategic about how he did this. The fact that Sheila mentioned Prince was messing with other girls like three times in the book while they were together... wasn't he with Susannah the whole time he was with her? Guess that's why he wanted it to be a "secret" what was it middle school?!
Somehow, I didnt feel bad for her on that, Prince was like an afrodisiac.
All in all, this book made me see that Prince was one of those guys that just wanted you to like him but once he knew he got your trust felt trapped. He literally kept Sheila and Susannah on a yo-yo. Glad they both got over it though..

ashleypaisley said:

Prince sending her those bouquets of flowers and cute notes EVERY DAY while she was on tour with Lionel Richie. Prince wanted her for the tour and was very strategic about how he did this. The fact that Sheila mentioned Prince was messing with other girls like three times in the book while they were together... wasn't he with Susannah the whole time he was with her? Guess that's why he wanted it to be a "secret" what was it middle school?!
Somehow, I didnt feel bad for her on that, Prince was like an afrodisiac.
All in all, this book made me see that Prince was one of those guys that just wanted you to like him but once he knew he got your trust felt trapped. He literally kept Sheila and Susannah on a yo-yo. Glad they both got over it though..

It was more than 3 Prince =

Goddess4Real said:

ashleypaisley said:

Prince sending her those bouquets of flowers and cute notes EVERY DAY while she was on tour with Lionel Richie. Prince wanted her for the tour and was very strategic about how he did this. The fact that Sheila mentioned Prince was messing with other girls like three times in the book while they were together... wasn't he with Susannah the whole time he was with her? Guess that's why he wanted it to be a "secret" what was it middle school?!
Somehow, I didnt feel bad for her on that, Prince was like an afrodisiac.
All in all, this book made me see that Prince was one of those guys that just wanted you to like him but once he knew he got your trust felt trapped. He literally kept Sheila and Susannah on a yo-yo. Glad they both got over it though..

It was more than 3 Prince =

It was like every five minutes!! Like damn, Sheila GETT OFF IT THEN! That D was tooo bomb!!

ashleypaisley said:

Flowers and hand written notes..that was Prince's thing. When Vanity left him he was trying to get her back with flowers and notes..Nikki Sixx said when they were together Prince did that same thing..sent her flowers, a room filled, and a handwritten note wanting her back with him and to dump Nikki..i don't blame her though Prince was a pimp

GeniusLuv said:

luvgirl said:

ashleypaisley said:

Prince sending her those bouquets of flowers and cute notes EVERY DAY while she was on tour with Lionel Richie. Prince wanted her for the tour and was very strategic about how he did this. The fact that Sheila mentioned Prince was messing with other girls like three times in the book while they were together... wasn't he with Susannah the whole time he was with her? Guess that's why he wanted it to be a "secret" what was it middle school?!
Somehow, I didnt feel bad for her on that, Prince was like an afrodisiac.
All in all, this book made me see that Prince was one of those guys that just wanted you to like him but once he knew he got your trust felt trapped. He literally kept Sheila and Susannah on a yo-yo. Glad they both got over it though..

The book stated that she started touring with Richi in 83. It also stated that
"He had a female vocal trio called Vanity 6, another female threesome called Apollonia 6, and a separate band called the Time." So the heavy wooing started right around the time Vanity was on her way out and Susannah was coming on the scene, as Susannah met him in 83. It's crazy how he never gave up, lay-waiting Sheila with flowers and notes every place she went. He was like, you might not want me now, but "I'm gonna make you love me"! ( Morris Day. Purple Rain) lol. Kind of reminded me of a cute move he did on Tamron Hall. http://www.people.com/art...ght-prince
Maybe she was being lay-waited too lol!
[Edited 7/13/16 20:26pm]

ashleypaisley said:

luvgirl said:

The book stated that she started touring with Richi in 83. It also stated that
"He had a female vocal trio called Vanity 6, another female threesome called Apollonia 6, and a separate band called the Time." So the heavy wooing started right around the time Vanity was on her way out and Susannah was coming on the scene, as Susannah met him in 83. It's crazy how he never gave up, lay-waiting Sheila with flowers and notes every place she went. He was like, you might not want me now, but "I'm gonna make you love me"! ( Morris Day. Purple Rain) lol. Kind of reminded me of a cute move he did on Tamron Hall. http://www.people.com/art...ght-prince
Maybe she was being lay-waited too lol!
[Edited 7/13/16 20:26pm]

Super confused by this, I always read that he found Appolonia AFTER Vanity quit the movie..

GeniusLuv said:

luvgirl said:

LittlePinkEdsel said:

luvgirl said:

I haven't read the book by Nikki sixx, but I plan to eventually. I heard though, that Nikki Sixx caught her sending those flowers to herself, so I think that makes it hard for anyone to really buy the creditable of that story. Do you remember if he mentioned that he caught her sending the flowers to herself in the book? [Edited 7/14/16 6:44am]

That is correct. Back in the mid-80's, Nikki caught Vanity sending flowers to herself "from Prince" to make him jealous. Whenever they hit a snag in their relationship, she'd do something like that to reel him back in and make it seem like she had other options. In reality, Prince had already moved on with Susannah and Sheila.

That's incorrect. Nikki calls Prince in his book "Dozen Roses Boy" because Prince sent Vanity 24 Dozen roses (ie. nearly 300 roses in January 1987) while she was dating Nikki. The book is Nikki's autobiography, was published in 2007 and Vanity is also an acknowledged source. It documents amongst other things ongoing love triangle between Nikki, Vanity and Prince from Dec 86-Dec 87.

.

[Edited 7/14/16 11:07am]

SunnyGirl8 said:

That's incorrect. Nikki calls Prince in his book "Dozen Roses Boy" because Prince sent Vanity 24 Dozen roses (ie. nearly 300 roses in January 1987) while she was dating Nikki. The book is Nikki's autobiography, was published in 2007 and Vanity is also an acknowledged source. It documents amongst other things ongoing love triangle between Nikki, Vanity and Prince from Dec 86-Dec 87.

.

[Edited 7/14/16 11:07am]

Exerpt from Nikki's section of Mötley Crüe's "The Dirt"...

"One afternoon when I was at her house, a dozen roses from Prince arrived with a note saying "Drop him. Take me back." At the time, I fell for it, but now I think she was just manipulating me. Prince probably never sent her any flowers."

I believe Nikki's personal assistant at the time also said that the roses were a ploy from Vanity to make him jealous.

[Edited 7/14/16 11:19am]

LittlePinkEdsel said:

SunnyGirl8 said:

That's incorrect. Nikki calls Prince in his book "Dozen Roses Boy" because Prince sent Vanity 24 Dozen roses (ie. nearly 300 roses in January 1987) while she was dating Nikki. The book is Nikki's autobiography, was published in 2007 and Vanity is also an acknowledged source. It documents amongst other things ongoing love triangle between Nikki, Vanity and Prince from Dec 86-Dec 87.

.

[Edited 7/14/16 11:07am]

Exerpt from Nikki's section of Mötley Crüe's "The Dirt"...

"One afternoon when I was at her house, a dozen roses from Prince arrived with a note saying "Drop him. Take me back." At the time, I fell for it, but now I think she was just manipulating me. Prince probably never sent her any flowers."

I believe Nikki's personal assistant at the time also said that the roses were a ploy from Vanity to make him jealous.

[Edited 7/14/16 11:19am]

Motley Crue's The Dirt was written in 2002. Nikki's book The Heroin Diaries was written in 2007 where he refers to Prince as Dozen Roses Boy.

SunnyGirl8 said:

leftcoast said:

The Heroin Diaries is a great book. Nikki relates how on his first meeting with Vanity, she answers the door stark naked with her eyes rolling around in her head, because she is high. He has a feeling they are going to hit it off. [Edited 7/14/16 19:42pm]

I read The Dirt and The Herion Diraries which I was surprised she participated in........despite him dragging her all these years. Anyway he didn't acknowledge her passing, but did for Prince.

Prince is literally a common thread through the last half of the book, however, in my opinion the best chapter of the book is the Santana chapter. Kinda f'ed up but great storytelling...

vuvuzela said:

luvgirl said:

vuvuzela said:

Prince is literally a common thread through the last half of the book, however, in my opinion the best chapter of the book is the Santana chapter. Kinda f'ed up but great storytelling...

Yes, she seemed like she really cared for Santana and regretted having a part in ruining a marriage

ashleypaisley said:

luvgirl said:

Yes, she seemed like she really cared for Santana and regretted having a part in ruining a marriage

Tis why I don't get why she chose to be in a 4 year off and on "secret" relationship with Prince. She could have had anybody she wanted. Sadly, she just wanted him..