Dionne Warwick facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dionne Warwick
Warwick in 2021
Born	Marie Dionne Warrick (1940-12-12) December 12, 1940 (age 84) East Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Education	University of Hartford
Occupation	Singer actress television host
Years active	1955–present
Spouse(s)	William Elliott ​ ​ (m. 1966; div. 1967)​ ​ ​ (m. 1967; div. 1975)​
Children	2, including Damon
Relatives	Dee Dee Warwick (sister) Cissy Houston (maternal aunt) Whitney Houston (maternal first cousin) Gary Garland (maternal first cousin) Bobbi Kristina Brown (maternal first cousin once removed) Leontyne Price (maternal first cousin once removed)
Musical career
Genres	R&B soul pop gospel
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Scepter Warner Bros. Arista River North Concord Rhino

Dionne Warwick (born Marie Dionne Warrick on December 12, 1940) is a famous American singer, actress, and TV host. She has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards, which are like the Oscars for music. Dionne is recognized in many Halls of Fame, like the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2019, she received a special Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for her amazing career.

Some of her most famous songs, like "Walk On By", "Alfie", and "Don't Make Me Over", are even in the Grammy Hall of Fame. She is one of the most successful female singers ever, with many songs reaching the top charts. She has also been a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, helping with important causes.

Early Life and Starting Music

Dionne Warwick was born Marie Dionne Warrick in East Orange, New Jersey. Her mother managed a gospel music group called the Drinkard Singers. Her father had many jobs, including a chef and a record promoter. Dionne was named after her aunt. She had a sister, Dee Dee, who also became a singer, and a brother, Mancel Jr.

Dionne started singing gospel music as a child at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. After high school in 1959, she studied music at the Hartt College of Music. To earn money, she sang backup vocals for other artists in New York City. During one of these sessions, she met Burt Bacharach, a famous songwriter. He hired her to record demo songs, which are like practice versions of new songs. This led to her getting her own record deal.

Music Career Highlights

Warwick performing in Amsterdam, 1966

Family Music Roots

Many of Dionne's family members were part of the Drinkard Singers, a gospel group. They often performed in New York. When the Drinkard Singers appeared on TV Gospel Time, Dionne made her first TV appearance.

Later, Dionne and other talented singers formed a group called the Gospelaires. They sang backup for many famous artists like the Drifters and Ben E. King. Dionne remembers how they would take the bus from East Orange to New York City after school to sing, and still get home in time for homework!

Becoming a Star

While singing backup for the Drifters, Burt Bacharach noticed Dionne's unique voice. He was writing songs with Hal David. Bacharach said Dionne had a "tremendous strong side and a delicacy when singing softly." He asked her to record demo songs for him.

One of these demos, "It's Love That Really Counts," caught the attention of Florence Greenberg, the head of Scepter Records. She told Bacharach, "Forget the song, get the girl!" So, Dionne signed with Bacharach and David's production company, which then signed with Scepter Records in 1962. This partnership allowed them to create challenging and unique music.

First Big Hits

In November 1962, Dionne released her first solo song, "Don't Make Me Over". She actually came up with the title herself during a moment of frustration with her producers. This song became a top-40 hit. By mistake, her name was spelled "Warwick" on the record label instead of "Warrick," and she decided to keep the new spelling.

After this success, she toured France, where people called her "Paris' Black Pearl." In 1963, "Anyone Who Had a Heart" became her first top-10 pop hit and sold over a million copies. Then came "Walk On By" in 1964, another huge international hit. For many years, most of her songs were written and produced by the amazing team of Bacharach and David.

Dionne was very popular in the U.S. and Canada. Even when British bands like The Beatles were very big, Dionne continued to have hits. She was named the Bestselling Female Vocalist by Cash Box Magazine several times in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Continued Success

From the mid-1960s to the early 1970s, Dionne had many gold-selling albums and hit singles. Songs like "Message to Michael" and "Alfie" became very popular. In 1968, her album Dionne Warwick in Valley of the Dolls was a huge success, staying on the charts for over a year. It included the hit "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?", which sold millions of copies worldwide.

By the end of 1971, Dionne had sold an estimated 35 million records internationally. She was the top artist for Scepter Records. In 1969, she even had her own TV special called The Dionne Warwick Chevy Special.

New Beginnings

In 1971, Dionne signed a big contract with Warner Bros. Records. However, her songwriting team, Bacharach and David, decided to stop working together. This left Dionne without her main producers. She worked with other producers during this time.

In 1974, she had another big hit with "Then Came You", a duet with The Spinners. This song became her first No. 1 hit in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Comeback and Charity Work

Dionne's career saw a big comeback when she signed with Arista Records in 1979. Her song "I'll Never Love This Way Again" sold over a million copies. The album Dionne also sold over a million copies. She won two Grammy Awards in 1980, becoming the first female artist to win in both Pop and R&B categories in the same year.

In 1982, she worked with Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees on the album Heartbreaker. The title song became a huge international hit, reaching the Top 10 in many countries.

In 1985, Dionne joined many other famous singers, including Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, to sing "We Are the World". This song raised millions of dollars for charity. Later that year, she recorded "That's What Friends are For" with Gladys Knight, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder. This song was a benefit single for the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR) and raised over three million dollars. It became a No. 1 hit and won a Grammy Award. Dionne felt it was important to help people with AIDS because of the pain she saw it cause.

Later Career and Recognition

In the 1990s, Dionne continued to release music. She also became known for hosting infomercials for the Psychic Friends Network. While it was very successful, she later felt sad that some children recognized her more for that than for her singing career.

In 2002, Dionne was named a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, helping to fight hunger worldwide. She released a Christmas album in 2004 and a duets album in 2006 called My Friends and Me.

In 2011, she released a jazz-style CD called Only Trust Your Heart. In 2012, she celebrated her 50th anniversary in music with a CD called NOW, featuring new recordings of her classic songs.

Dionne has also appeared on TV shows like The Masked Singer, where she performed as "Mouse" in 2020 and "Weather" in the UK version in 2023.

In 2019, she received the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2021, she was honored with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. A documentary about her life, Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over, premiered in 2021. In 2024, Dionne Warwick was selected for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, one of the highest honors in music.

Voice and Singing Style

Dionne Warwick is known for her unique and "husky" singing voice. She has a wide vocal range, meaning she can sing both low and high notes. Music critics often describe her voice as "opaque, elusive, elegant."

She is often called the "muse" (inspiration) for songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David. They wrote many songs specifically for her voice, which made their music even more special. Dionne says she found their songs easy to sing because they were made just for her.

Her music style is often described as pop soul, combining elements of jazz, R&B, and gospel music. She is a true "pure pop singer" who blends different styles.

In recent years, Dionne has become very popular on social media, especially Twitter. She is known for sharing her honest opinions and has even been nicknamed the "Queen of Twitter."

Personal Life

In 1966, Dionne Warwick married actor and drummer William Elliott. They divorced in 1967 but remarried later that year. They had two sons: David Elliott, born in 1969, and Damon Elliott, born in 1973. They divorced again in 1975. Dionne has said that it was sometimes hard being the main provider for her family, as her father was the only man who had financially supported her before.

Her older son, David, is a singer-songwriter and has performed with his mother. He also acted in the film Ali. Her second son, Damon, is a music producer who has worked with many famous artists like Pink and Christina Aguilera. He also produced his mother's 2006 album, My Friends and Me.

Discography

Studio albums

Tours

• Dionne Warwick Tour (1966)
• Dionne: 40 Anniversary Tour (2002)
• Soul Divas Tour (2004)
• An Evening with Dionne (2007)
• She's Back: One Last Time (2022)

Awards and Honors

Dionne Warwick has received many awards and special recognitions. The city of East Orange, New Jersey, even renamed a street "Dionne Warwick Way" in her honor in 2024.

Awards

Honors

Film and TV Appearances

Dionne Warwick has appeared in several films and television shows.

Film

Television

Live Performances on TV

See also

In Spanish: Dionne Warwick para niños