Dionne Warwick is quite simply one of the most iconic soul and R&B singers of all time. She is the highest ranked singer of all time, beaten only by Aretha Franklin. Warwick is best recognized for her collaborations with Burt Bacharach and Barry Manilow. She was hugely successful from the 60s to the 90s and won 5 Grammy Awards. We accompany you throughout his life and career.
Dionne Warwick Biography
Marie Dionne Warwick was born on December 12, 1940, in Orange, New Jersey. Her original surname is actually Warrick, however, Dionne remained attached to Warwick after the name was mistakenly used on her debut record.
Warwick was born into a musical family, as her mother led a renowned gospel choir, the Drinkard Singers, her father being a music promoter. Additionally, Warwick’s father also worked as an accountant, chef, and Pullman Porter. Although Dionne Warwick is primarily African American, she has Native American, Brazilian, and Dutch roots.
Young Dionne was influenced by the behavior of her parentslove for music and began to sing in their choir from childhood. Alongside her now deceased sister, Dee Dee, Dionne formed a band called Gospelaires. The band has sung for many musicians in venues as well as for recordings. Dionne was still with the band after she began attending Hartt College of Music in Hartford, Connecticut. She graduated from East Orange High School in 1959.
Singing with the band across the country led her to meet composer and producer Burt Bacharach in New York. Bacharach would then invite her to work with him on a demo he was producing for Hal David. Dionne’s vocal abilities caught the eye of Scepter Records executives who soon signed her to a recording contract.
Dionne Warwick released her first record with the label in 1962. Thanks to the success of the record, she began to travel for tours. Warwick’s success in the ’60s only grew, and in 1969 she won her first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Female Vocal Performance. Her next Grammy came two years later (1971) in the same category.
Despite parting ways with longtime collaborators Bacharach and David in the early 1970s, Warwick continued to achieve moderate to high success in the 1970s, during which time she won two more Grammy Awards. By the mid-80s, she had buried the hatchet between her and Bacharach and the duo started making music together again. She appeared on Bacharach’s “That’s What Friends Are For” show, which won her another Grammy.
Warwick’s presence began to dwindle from the 90s, but she continued to make music well into the 21st century.
Dionne Warwick has also acted in a large number of films. In the 90s, she became known as a spokesperson for the Psychic Friends Network. She released her last album in 2014, titled Feels So Good. Dionne is said to have sold over 75 million singles and over 25 million albums worldwide. She has released a total of 38 studio albums.
His net worth
Dionne Warwick has undoubtedly made a fortune from her records. However, creating one wealth and managing another is one thing. In 2013, the news broke that the iconic singer was about $10 million in debt.
She reportedly owed the IRS $7 million back between 1991 and 1999, as well as $3 million in business taxes owed to the California government. Warwick blamed the debts for the mismanagement of his affairs. Due to the debts, Warwick had to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The filing also revealed that the singer’s assets were worth $25,000, her monthly income was $20,000 and her monthly expenses were $21,000. dollars.
Warwick had clearly fallen from its glory days. Years have passed and the media are unaware if the iconic singer has been able to settle her debts. After the declaration of bankruptcy, Warwick never had another major musical success.
Thus, it is not known how the singer would have been able to erase his debts. However, in addition to music, Warwick had a few side businesses, including a skincare and fragrance line. As of 2018, it’s unclear exactly how much Dionne Warwick might be worth.
Is she related to Whitney Houston?
Yes! Dionne Warwick is linked to Whitney Houston. She is the cousin of the R&B star, who also enjoyed great success, and who died in 2012. Dionne’s mother, Lee Drinkard, and Whitney’s mother, Cissy Houston, were sisters. Dionne and Whitney sang the duet “Love Will Find a Way,” which was featured on her 1993 album, “Friends Can Be Lovers.” This song was written by Donnie’s son, David Elliot.
Dionne Warwick has denied claims that her sister Dee Dee sexually abused Whitney as a child, an accusation highlighted by a documentary released in July 2018.