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| Dionne Warwick At The Coral Springs Center For The Arts Dionne Warwick has, over an illustrious four-decade career, established herself as an international musical legend. Her reputation as a hit maker has been firmly etched into public consciousness, thanks to nearly sixty charted hits since "Don't Make Me Over" began its climb up the charts in December 1962. As a performer, she has charmed and entertained audiences on every continent, amassing a worldwide audience. Be there as the New Jersey native brings it home with her Coral Springs Center for the Arts performance, Saturday, January 26 at 8P.M. Dionne began singing during her childhood years in East Orange, New Jersey, initially in church. It was during a visit to the famed Apollo Theater that Dionne was asked to sing backup during a session for saxophonist Sam "The Man" Taylor. The rest is history. In 1968 Warwick received her first Grammy Award for the classic "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" and in so doing became the first African-American solo female artist of her generation to win the prestigious award for Best Contemporary Female Vocal Performance. She also preceded the mainstream success of some of her musical peers by becoming the first such artist to rack up a dozen consecutive Top 100 hit singles from 1963 to 1966. In 1970, Dionne received her second Grammy Award for the best-selling album I'll Never Fall In Love Again and she began her second decade of hits by signing with Warner Brothers Records. Dionne Warwick's performance at the Olympia Theater in Paris, during a 1963 concert starring the legendary Marlene Dietrich, rocketed her to international stardom. As she was establishing herself as a major force in American contemporary music, she steadily gained popularity among European audiences. Hits like "Anyone Who Had A Heart" and "Walk On By" brought successively larger visibility and success around the world. In 1968 she became the first African-American female performer to appear before the Queen of England at a Royal Command Performance. Since then, Dionne has performed before numerous kings, queens, presidents, and heads of state—a phenomenal achievement. In recent years, Dionne's pioneering efforts have focused on leading the music industry in the fight against AIDS. Her Grammy-winning, chart topping, single "That's What Friends Are For, " lead the way by raising, literally, millions of dollars for AIDS research. In addition to her humanitarian efforts, Warwick continues to dazzle audiences around the country. write your comments about the article :: © 2008 Jazz News :: home page |