Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Dionne Warwick
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Dionne Warwick made an impact.
Dionne Warwick is a celebrated American singer, actress, and television host, recognized for her significant contributions to music and entertainment. Throughout her illustrious career, she has garnered numerous accolades, including six Grammy Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Warwick's enduring influence is further solidified by her inductions into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Apollo Theater Walk of Fame, as well as having three of her songs inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
November 1962: "Don't Make Me Over" Release
In November 1962, Scepter Records released Dionne Warwick's first solo single, "Don't Make Me Over", which became a top-40 pop hit.
1962: Tour of France
After "Don't Make Me Over" hit in 1962, Dionne Warwick toured France and was crowned "Paris' Black Pearl".
1962: Bacharach/David Team Production
From 1962 to 1971, much of Dionne Warwick's output was written and produced by the Bacharach/David team.
1962: Charting Singles on Hot 100
In 1962, Dionne Warwick began charting singles on the Hot 100, with 56 singles making the chart between 1962 and 1998.
1962: Signed to Scepter Records
In 1962, Dionne Warwick was signed to Scepter Records through Burt Bacharach and Hal David's production company.
1962: Noticed by Burt Bacharach
In 1962, while performing background on the Drifters' recording of "Mexican Divorce", Dionne Warwick was noticed by Burt Bacharach.
November 1963: "Anyone Who Had a Heart" Release
In November 1963, Dionne Warwick released "Anyone Who Had a Heart", her first top 10 pop hit in the U.S.
1963: Dee Dee Warwick's version of "You're No Good"
In 1963, Dee Dee Warwick records the original version of the song "You're No Good", which later became a hit for Betty Everett.
1963: Gospelaires' Chart Selection
In 1963, Doris "Rikii" Troy's chart selection "Just One Look" featured backing vocals from the Gospelaires, including a pre-solo-success Dionne Warwick.
1963: Debut Album Release
In early 1963, Dionne Warwick's debut album, Presenting Dionne Warwick, was released, featuring demo versions of "It's Love That Really Counts" and "Make It Easy on Yourself".
April 1964: "Walk On By" Release
In April 1964, Dionne Warwick released "Walk On By", which became a major international hit and solidified her career.
May 21, 1965: Time Article on Warwick's Sound
On May 21, 1965, Time magazine's cover article described Dionne Warwick's sound in the context of the rock 'n' roll era.
1965: "Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" and Thunderball
In 1965, Dionne Warwick's song "Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" was intended as the theme for Thunderball, but was replaced due to Albert R. Broccoli's insistence on the film's title being in the song.
May 1966: "Message to Michael" Hit
In May 1966, Dionne Warwick's "Message to Michael" became a top 10 hit.
1966: Swinging Blue Jeans cover "Don't Make Me Over"
In 1966, the Swinging Blue Jeans had a hit with a cover of Dionne Warwick's "Don't Make Me Over".
January 1967: Here Where There Is Love Gold Album
In January 1967, Dionne Warwick's LP Here Where There Is Love was certified Gold.
July 14, 1967: Time Article on Dionne Warwick
On July 14, 1967, an article on Dionne Warwick in Time magazine quoted Burt Bacharach praising her musical talent and emotional range.
1967: "I Say a Little Prayer" Gold Single
In 1967, Dionne Warwick earned her first RIAA certified Gold single for U.S. sales of over one million units for "I Say a Little Prayer".
1968: Success of Valley of the Dolls Theme
In 1968, "(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls" became a double-sided hit after the film's success, making it another million seller for Dionne Warwick.
1968: Release of Dionne Warwick in Valley of the Dolls
In 1968, Dionne Warwick's song "You're My World" appeared on Dionne Warwick in Valley of the Dolls, which was released in 1968 and on the soundtrack to Alfie.
1969: Florence Greenberg signed Dionne Warwick
In 1969, Florence Greenberg, President of Scepter Records signed Dionne Warwick.
1971: Bacharach/David Team Production
From 1962 to 1971, much of Dionne Warwick's output was written and produced by the Bacharach/David team.
1972: Last Collaboration Until 1993
In 1972, Dionne Warwick collaborated with Burt Bacharach and Hal David which was her last collaboration with them until 1993.
1984: Footloose Film Release
In 1984, Dean Pitchford, the lyricist for Dionne Warwick's song "Starlight", wrote the songs for the film Footloose.
1987: Hit Song "Love Power"
In 1987, Dionne Warwick had a hit song with "Love Power", a duet with Jeffrey Osborne that reached No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and also charted in R&B and Billboard's Hot 100.
1989: Warwick Foundation Founded
In 1989, the Warwick Foundation was founded to benefit AIDS patients with Dionne Warwick as "America's Ambassador of Health".
1990: Recording of "It's All Over" Single
In 1990, Dionne Warwick recorded "It's All Over" with Dieter Bohlen (Blue System), which peaked at No. 60 on the German pop charts.
1990: Album Dionne Warwick Sings Cole Porter
In 1990, some performances on Warwick's album Dionne Warwick Sings Cole Porter captured her warmth and emphasized her subtle phrasing.
1991: Psychic Friends Network Infomercials
In 1991, Dionne Warwick began hosting infomercials for the Psychic Friends Network, a 900 number psychic service, becoming the spokesperson and earning over three million dollars per year.
1993: Release of "Friends Can Be Lovers" Album
In 1993, Dionne Warwick released the album "Friends Can Be Lovers," which included "Sunny Weather Lover," her first collaboration with Burt Bacharach and Hal David since 1972.
1993: Son co-writes "Love Will Find a Way"
In 1993, Warwick's older son David co-wrote the duet "Love Will Find a Way" with Terry Steele.
1994: The Aquarel Do Brasil Sessions
In 1994, Dionne Warwick recorded The Aquarel Do Brasil Sessions which produced the songs that would eventually be released in 2015 in the "Tropical Love" EP.
1994: End of Arista Records Contract
In 1994, Dionne Warwick's contract with Arista Records ended with the release of the album "Aquarela Do Brasil".
1998: Charting Singles on Hot 100
By 1998, Dionne Warwick had 56 of her singles making the Hot 100 between 1962 and 1998.
1998: End of Psychic Friends Network Association
In 1998, Dionne Warwick ended her association with the Psychic Friends Network after the corporation owning the network filed for bankruptcy, and after Warwick felt she was being typecast.
1998: Release of Dionne Sings Dionne CD
In 1998, Dionne Warwick released her CD Dionne Sings Dionne which was similar to her later work.
1999: Ranking Among Top U.S. Hit Makers
By 1999, Dionne Warwick ranked among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999 based on her chart history on Billboard's Hot 100 pop singles chart.
October 16, 2002: Nomination as Goodwill Ambassador of the FAO
On October 16, 2002, Dionne Warwick was nominated to be Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
2002: Warwick Recalls Career Beginning
In 2002, Dionne Warwick recalled how she began her professional career after volunteering the Gospelaires as background singers at the Apollo.
2002: Son tours and performs with Warwick
Since 2002, Warwick's son David has periodically toured and performed duets with her and debuted as Sam Cooke in film Ali.
2004: Release of Christmas Album
In 2004, Dionne Warwick released her first Christmas album, "My Favorite Time of the Year," featuring jazzy interpretations of holiday classics.
May 24, 2006: American Idol Performance
On May 24, 2006, Dionne Warwick appeared on the fifth-season finale of American Idol, singing a medley with Burt Bacharach.
2006: Damon Elliott produces "My Friends and Me"
In 2006, Damon Elliott arranged and produced his mother's Concord release "My Friends and Me".
2006: Signs with Concord Records
In 2006, Dionne Warwick signed with Concord Records and began working on a duets album with female vocalists, after a 15-year tenure at Arista, which had ended in 1994.
2007: Re-release of Christmas Album
In 2007, Rhino Records re-released Dionne Warwick's Christmas album "My Favorite Time of the Year" with new cover art.
February 16, 2008: Love Collection Enters UK Album Chart
On February 16, 2008, Dionne Warwick's compilation CD "The Love Collection" entered the UK album chart at number 27.
February 26, 2008: UK Release of Gospel Album "Why We Sing"
On February 26, 2008, Dionne Warwick's second gospel album, "Why We Sing", was released in the United Kingdom, featuring guest spots by Dee Dee Warwick and BeBe Winans.
April 1, 2008: US Release of Gospel Album "Why We Sing"
On April 1, 2008, Dionne Warwick's second gospel album, "Why We Sing", was released in the United States, featuring guest spots by Dee Dee Warwick and BeBe Winans.
November 24, 2008: Performance on Divas II
On November 24, 2008, Dionne Warwick was a star performer on Divas II, a UK ITV1 special show, alongside other prominent artists.
2008: Recording Album of Sammy Cahn and Jack Wolf Songs
In 2008, Dionne Warwick began recording an album of songs from the Sammy Cahn and Jack Wolf songbooks.
October 20, 2009: Release of "Starlight" for Charity
On October 20, 2009, Dionne Warwick's previously recorded song "Starlight" was released by Starlight Children's Foundation and New Gold Music Ltd., with royalties donated to Starlight Children's Foundation.
March 2011: Appearance on The Celebrity Apprentice 4
In March 2011, Dionne Warwick appeared on The Celebrity Apprentice 4, representing the Hunger Project charity, and was dismissed during the fourth task.
February 2012: Performance on The Jonathan Ross Show and Goldene Kamera Award
In February 2012, Dionne Warwick performed "Walk On By" on The Jonathan Ross Show and received the Goldene Kamera Musical Lifetime Achievement Award in Germany.
May 28, 2012: Headlined World Hunger Day Concert
On May 28, 2012, Dionne Warwick headlined the World Hunger Day concert at London's Royal Albert Hall, singing "One World One Song" for the Hunger Project.
2012: Release of 50th Anniversary CD "NOW"
In 2012, Dionne Warwick released a 50th anniversary CD entitled "NOW", featuring 12 Bacharach/David tracks produced by Phil Ramone.
September 19, 2013: Collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus
On September 19, 2013, Dionne Warwick collaborated with country singer Billy Ray Cyrus for his song "Hope Is Just Ahead".
2014: Release of "Feels So Good" Duets Album
In 2014, Dionne Warwick's duets album "Feels So Good" was released, and several of her remastered Arista albums were re-issued with bonus material.
December 2015: Release of Tropical Love EP
In December 2015, Dionne Warwick's website released the "Tropical Love" EP with five previously unreleased tracks from the Aquarel Do Brasil Sessions in 1994.
2017: Benefit Performance and Cameo Appearance
In 2017, Dionne Warwick performed a benefit in Chicago for the Center on Halsted and made a cameo appearance in the film "Let There Be Light".
2020: Appearance on The Masked Singer and Verzuz Battle
In 2020, Dionne Warwick appeared as "Mouse" on The Masked Singer and participated in Gladys Knight's and Patti Labelle's Verzuz battle.
September 2021: Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over Film Premiere
In September 2021, the documentary film revolving around Dionne Warwick's life and career, "Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over", premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
November 26, 2021: Release of "Nothing's Impossible" Duet
On November 26, 2021, Dionne Warwick released the single "Nothing's Impossible" a duet featuring Chance the Rapper benefiting two charities.
January 1, 2023: Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over Film Television Premiere
On January 1, 2023, Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over, the documentary about Dionne Warwick's life, premiered on national television on CNN.
December 2023: Appearance on The Masked Singer UK
In December 2023, Dionne Warwick participated in the fifth series of The Masked Singer UK as "Weather", but was eliminated in the first episode.
2023: Demo Recording Session
In 1962, Dionne Warwick was paid $12.50 per demo recording session (equivalent to $130 in 2023).
