Dionne Warwick wants to move to Bahia when she retires

At 82 and with no plans to stop, the singer who bridged the gap between soul and pop wants to enjoy the sun and Bahian music

The New York Times – Dionne Warwick refuses to stand still. At 82, the five-time Grammy Award-winning artiste is hitting Hawaii and Vancouver on her tour. One last time — she won’t say if she’s actually the latest — tweeting (or “twoting,” as she puts it) to her over half a million followers and making appearances on the show Saturday night live and on movie soundtracks such as Not! Do not look!in Giordano Pele.

When he retires, he said, he will move to Brazil. “I’ll be there Bahiawhere I want to spend the rest of my life, enjoying the sun, the music, the people and myself,” Warwick said.

Meanwhile, Warwick’s next feat is on screen. in the documentary Dionne Warwick: Don’t change me (due to debut on HBO Max in February), she, along with well-known interviewees such as Bill Clinton, Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keystalks about his life and musical career spanning over 60 years.

Directed by Dave Wooley and David Heilbroner, the film depicts Warwick’s childhood moments, including singing at his grandfather’s church in Newark, New Jersey, and chronicling such blockbusters as keep walking and I will never fall in love made with the producer/composer duo Burt Bacharach and Hal David. These songs defied the racial barrier between rhythm and blues and pop: In 1968, Warwick became the first African-American woman to win a Grammy Award in the category of pop music.

As Warwick munched on cheese and crackers in the New York City offices of CNN, she talked about being a spokesperson for the Psychic Friends Network, her commitment to support AIDS research, and how she met Snoop Dogg and Chance the Rapper. . The following are edited excerpts from the conversation.

The documentary is titled Dionne Warwick: Don’t change me. What inspired the name?

Don’t turn me it was my first recording, and the genesis was something I told Burt and Hal. I was promised a certain song, Simplify yourself, and they gave this song to Jerry Butler. I was coming down to do a session with them and when I walked into the studio, I had to let both of them know I wasn’t too happy they gave me my song in the first place. It was something they could never do. Don’t even try to change or transform me. So David put pen to paper.

The documentary is about his upbringing. What was it like growing up in East Orange, NJ?

It was practically the United Nations. We had all races, colors, creeds and religions in our way. We were friends, went to school together, had dinner together. We played together on the field. We were just kids and we were among friends.

How were you able to create music that appealed to all audiences during the 1950s and 60s when rhythm and blues and pop music were racially categorized?

Thankfully I wasn’t classified. It was a joy. I watch – I still do today – and keep preaching the fact that music is music. I don’t see myself as the person who threw the door open. I just paved the way for people to know, “Yes, Gladys Knight deserved a Grammy, yes, The Temptations deserved a Grammy, yes, Diana Ross did.” Of course! We sing songs you’re all listening to, so why you put us in a box? I will not do that.

By donating all profits from chart-topping music, That’s what friends are for, you helped raise millions for AIDS research. What got you involved in the cause and what is it like to leave such a lasting impact?

A: We were losing artists, dancers, we were losing hairdressers, costume designers, videographers, lighting people. I have lost two of my closest friends: my hairdresser and my waiter contracted AIDS. So now this was very close. Let me find out what it is. And I started working with WHO, the World Health Organization, and we went to all the health departments in different countries to understand not only what they were doing, but why they didn’t realize that this was happening in their country as well . I was able to help them get their heads out of the sand and face reality.

You had a strong opinion of Gangsta Rap and soon set up a meeting with Snoop Dogg, Suge Knight and others to encourage them to reconsider their lyrics. How was that conversation?

I made an appointment with them and gave them time to be at my place. I said: I want the doorbell to ring at 7 in the morning, not a minute before and not a minute after. And it worked. We sat and talked for a few hours. I told them, “Do you think I’m part of the problem? I want to be part of the solution. Tell me what it is. I don’t care how you say it. There’s a way to say it.”

Have you been in contact with other rap artists recently?

Chance the Rapper, and it was fun too. Why would you put “rapper” in your name when we all know you rap? Oh. He was more surprised that I knew who he was and as a result, we became friends. He has my phone number, I have his and we talk. We recorded a beautiful song together and no swearing – a very, very positive message. So it’s not that they can’t do it, but how to be guided a little bit. This must be my job.

Amidst the pandemic, you have risen to Twitter royalty. What is it like to be crowned Queen of Twitter?

They gave me the title, I didn’t give it to myself. Everyone decided that I was the queen of Twitter. So yeah okay I’ll be your queen I actually started a new twitter idiom I call it twoting.

Duet? Because?

I didn’t mean “tweet”.

When can we expect the next tweet (or two) from you?

I do it when I feel like it. I also follow a lot of tweets that go around and when I find one that I don’t really like you will hear about me.

What do you think of the Whitney Houston biopic, Whitney Houston: I want to dance with someone?

I’m very protective of her image and don’t usually talk about Whitney. She’s resting now, I’ll leave her like that. She is calm, thank God. Him (Clive Davis, music producer) he assured me it’s about his music, his legacy, who he really was. It doesn’t need to be anything other than that.

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Source: Terra

Earl

Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.