Dionne Warwick is one of the most multi-talented people of her time. Though she may be 75 years old, she is still going strong and is very involved with many causes. Despite the fact that much of her life has been lived in the spotlight, there are still some things that many people do not know about her. With that in mind, here we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Dionne Warwick. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: Her Name Was Misspelled on Her First Single. Warwick was born Marie Dionne Warrick, and on her first single, her name was misspelled. Warwick’s first single was “Don’t Make Me Over,” and her named was misspelled as “Warwick,” rather than “Warrick.” It was then that she switched over to using that name permanently.
Number Fourteen: She Hosted a TV Show. From 1980 to 1981, and again from 1985 to 1986, Warwick was the host of the television show called Solid Gold.
Number Thirteen: Both of Her Number One Hits Were Collaborations. Though Warwick is best known for being a solo artist, her only two number one hits were collaborations. Those hits are “Then Came You,” which she worked on with the Spinners, and “That’s What Friends Are For,” which she worked on with Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, and Elton John.
Number Twelve: She Got Her Start as a Background Singer. Warwick began her music career as a background singer for the Drifters. She also sang several demos of songs by Hal David and Burt Bacharach.
Number Eleven: She Was Signed on the Spot. The owner of Scepter Records only had to listen to Warwick’s demo of “Take It Easy on Yourself” before he made up his mind. She was signed immediately after that.
Number Ten: She Wanted to Be a Teacher. Rather than perform music, Warwick initially dreamed of teaching music. She has her doctorate in music education from Hartt College of Music, which is located in Connecticut.
Number Nine: She Is Related to Whitney Houston. Warwick’s aunt is Cissy Houston, who is the cousin of the late Whitney Houston.