Dionne Warwick is still going strong

(News4usOnline) – There aren’t too many singers who can sit next to Aretha Franklin when it comes to being charted. Dionne Warwick is on that shortlist. Billboard credits Warwick with 56 songs that have charted. 

A dozen of those songs cracked the Top Ten list. After Franklin, no other female singer during the rock era has had as many charted songs as Warwick. That’s pretty good company to keep.  

When you think about Warwick, the word consistency would probably be the best attribute paid to the “Don’t Make Me Over” singer. Performing at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Aug. 9, Warwick brings her unique vocal talent to Southern California. 

It is a treat indeed to have one of the world’s greatest singers up close and personal. Franklin gave the world a more gritty, soul gospel sound. Warwick’s music was quite the opposite, sounding more like a light salad that you’re having for lunch. 

That’s okay. It has worked well for Warwick throughout her career. Songs such as “Walk on By,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” “Then Came You (duet with The Spinners),” and “That’s What Friends Are For” have taken the New Jersey native to heights she might not have imagined. 

Of course, she had help along the way. The songwriting combination of Hal David and Burt Bacharach not only generated hits for Warwick, the work they did for the singer put her in rare air when it comes to hitmaking. Some of the greatest singers can’t match Warwick’s streak of charted songs. 

According to Billboard’s Top 100, Warwick is ahead of talented singers like Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Diana Ross, Anita Baker, Celine Dion, and Barbara Streisand when it comes to being charted. That’s an impressive list.

But for some reason, Warwick seems to be overlooked when it comes to being viewed as one of the greatest female vocalists ever. That’s because Warwick’s understated, relaxed melodic style of singing doesn’t always generate those wow moments when you’re listening to a song. 

Instead, what you get is music that doesn’t overwhelm you with fire and brimstone delivery, but a boatload of finger-popping songs that stick in your memory and are refreshed every time you hear them. 

Warwick’s style of music would best be described as seductively innocent with a tinge of heartwarming appeal. Thanks to gifted songwriters like Bacharach and David (and others), Warwick’s songs have the appeal to make you feel like you’re listening to the sounds of the girl next door. They are sweet, subtle, and they are safe. 

When you’re listening to Warwick sing “Anyone Who Had a Heart” or “Make the Music Play,” you’re not thinking Chaka Khan or someone like Patti LaBelle, soul songbirds who belt out their songs with repetitious roars. 

Warwick has been largely successful thanks to the poppy, classical ballroom vibe that her songs offer. It’s old school, but it works. 

The music has spanned decades with one new generation after another getting the opportunity to hear a touch of class whenever a Warwick song blasts through the radio or is downloaded on a streaming app. 

With everything going on in the world today, a dash of Warwick and her songs is needed right now. Society could use a little bit more playing of “A House Is Not a Home” and “Do You Know the Way to San Jose.” Warwick’s music gives us all a sense of calmness and a few enjoyable moments of rainbows, sunshine and unicorns. 

Featured Image: Dionne Warwick speaks during the 39th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)