"Dionne"

Though she's been around since the 1960s, I only REALLY started liking Dionne Warwick about a year ago, believe it or not.  See, on one level, as I was growing up I related to the fact that she was an individual who never really seemed at home in the "white" world or the "black" one, yet my preference was always for SINGER-SONGWRITERS, and that was NOT Dionne Warwick. (I did like "Friends" in the mid-80s, though!)  I felt bad hearing about her recent tax problems and I could kick myself for NOT attending Dionne's free concert in my hometown in the late 90s (around the time she released a GOSPEL album, which I bought but didn't like.) So for all of those years I was never really a FAN of Dionne Warwick, is my point.  And I never cared for, or watched, "Solid Gold" though I loved her "Rockford Files" acting appearance with Isaac Hayes, in the 70s.

Then, I was intrigued by Dionne's 2018 album "Odds and Ends," where she actually re-sang some of her old hits in French, Italian and German (as well as English.)  Wow....I had never heard ANYONE who could sing so fluently in three other languages before.  Hearing those beautiful renditions of hers was like DIONNE became the songs' author....not Bacharach-David, and the others!! I was won over.

I am presently reading Warwick's recent autobiography "My Life, As I See It" and am impressed by her elegance and intelligence.  Okay, I'll say it....I've always tended to think that singers who sing OTHER people's songs weren't as bright, or creative, as those who compose their OWN stuff.  Wow, was I wrong....Dionne Warwick is EXTREMELY intelligent.  She may not WRITE her songs, but when she "makes them her own" as she does, it's like she REwrites 'em.  I'm impressed by her musical training, instincts and heritage in a new way.  Her book is very inspirational.

Then, something ELSE happened last year which helped me "get into" Dionne.

Last fall, many of my readers may recall that I got disaffected with actress Cicely Tyson when I learned she lied, BIG TIME about something (see my blogs for Nov. 21st and Nov. 29th of 2018.) In a strange way, my disenchantment with TYSON has led to a further appreciation of DIONNE.  You see, they BOTH have Schools named after them in East Orange, NJ, not far from where I grew up.  Newer readers need to know that my first wife and I visited the Tyson School MANY times and I got to know Ms. Tyson quite well (see my blog of Feb. 9th of THIS year.)  And because they both had magnet schools in the same town, they once seemed like competitors to me, so before I got disenchanted with Ms. Tyson, Dionne Warwick was someone who I really paid no mind to.  Now, however, I feel free to appreciate HER and I'm loving it.  I was shocked to really REALIZE that Dionne starred in the movie "Slaves" 50 years ago...1969...three years before Ms. Tyson starred in "Sounder" which I *thought* was the first movie shedding light on the mistreatment of black people in the past.  I also find Dionne's profession of faith in Christ to be more credible than Cicely's, at this point.

And, I'm wondering why TYSON can't write HER autobiography like DIONNE has??  Is it because there are OTHER lies she's told, other than that whopper about her age, which PRECLUDE her opening up about herself??  I'm starting to wonder, frankly, why she's so secretive.

In conclusion, today, 78 year old Dionne Warwick has a new CD, "She's Back," available on Amazon and I'm pre-ordering one (under 12 bucks for almost 30 songs...Wow!!)   Without a doubt, with her cousin Whitney Houston and friend Aretha Franklin gone, Dionne is working on her legacy, "coming back" before SHE'S gone.  That's fine....I'm looking forward to listening and learning MORE about this inspiring, musically gifted Christian woman who is REALLY from my home state and really 78, to boot!! Better late than never!!