Bio
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host who ranks among the 40 biggest hit makers of the entire rock era (1955–1999), based on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Charts.
Warwick ranks second only to Aretha Franklin as the most-charted female vocalist with 56 singles making the Billboard Hot 100 between 1962 and 1998.
Warwick's career has spanned several decades, establishing her as an international music legend. She has earned more than 60 charted hits and sold over 100-million records.
She began singing professionally in 1961 after being discovered by a young songwriting team, Burt Bacharach and Hal David. She had her first hit in 1962 with Don't Make Me Over.
By 1970, she had racked up more than 18 consecutive Top 100 singles, including her classic Bacharach/David recordings, Walk on By, Anyone Who Had a Heart, Message to Michael, Promises, Promises, A House Is Not a Home, Alfie, and the theme from The Valley of the Dolls.
Warwick received her first Grammy Award in 1968 for her classic Do You Know the Way to San Jose? and a second Grammy Award in 1970 for the best-selling album, I'll Never Fall in Love Again. In 1974, she hit the top of the charts with Then Came You, a million-selling duet with The Spinners.
In 1976, Arista Records label-mate Barry Manilow produced her first Platinum-selling album, Dionne, which included the back-to-back hits I'll Never Love This Way Again, and Déjà vu. Both recordings earned Grammy Awards, making Warwick the first female artist to win the Best Female Pop and Best Female R&B Performance awards.
Warwick's 1982 album, Heartbreaker, co-produced by Barry Gibb and the Bee Gees, became an international chart-topper.
In 1985, she reunited with producer Burt Bacharach and longtime friends Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder and Elton John to record the landmark song That's What Friends Are For, which became a number one hit record around the world and the first recording dedicated to raising awareness and major funds for the AIDS cause, which Warwick continually supports.
Throughout the '80s and '90s, Warwick collaborated with many of her musical peers, including Johnny Mathis, Smokey Robinson, Luther Vandross, Jeffrey Osborne, Kashif and Stevie Wonder.
She later recorded an album of duets, My Friends and Me, and a Gospel album, Why We Sing. She also recorded an album of the music of legendary composer Sammy Cahn and added author to her list of credits with a children's book, Say a Little Prayer.
Warwick has supported and campaigned for a number of causes and charities near to her heart, including AIDS, The Starlight Foundation, children's hospitals, world hunger, disaster relief and music education, for which she has raised millions of dollars.
A New Jersey school was named in her honour, The Dionne Warwick Institute, in recognition of her support and accomplishments.
She was one of the contestants on The Celebrity Apprentice, in 2011.