As they became more successful, Lee and Marie began performing with the group, and they were augmented by pop/R&B singer Judy Clay, whom Lee had unofficially adopted. Marie instructed the group and they were managed by Lee. The original group (known as the Drinkard Jubilairs) consisted of Cissy, Anne, Larry, and Nicky, but later included Warwick’s grandparents, Nicholas and Delia Drinkard, and their children: William, Lee (Warwick’s mother) and Hansom. Much of Warrick’s family were members of the Drinkard Singers, a renowned family gospel group and RCA recording artists that frequently performed throughout the New York metropolitan area. During one session, Warwick met Burt Bacharach, who hired her to record demos featuring songs written by him and lyricist Hal David.She later landed her own record deal. She also landed some work with her group singing backing vocals for recording sessions in New York City. Her parents were both African American, and she also has Native American, Brazilian and Dutch ancestry.Īfter finishing East Orange High School in 1959, Warwick pursued her passion at the Hartt College of Music in Hartford, Connecticut. Dionne had a sister Delia (“Dee Dee”) who died in 2008 and a brother, Mancel Jr., who was killed in an accident in 1968 at the age of 21. She was named after her aunt on her mothers side. Her mother was manager of the Drinkard Singers, and her father was a Pullman porter, chef, record promoter and CPA. Marie Dionne Warrick, later Warwick, was born on Decemin East Orange, New Jersey, to Mancel Warrick and Lee Drinkard. She is second only to Aretha Franklin as the most-charted female vocalist of all time, with 69 of Warwick’s singles making the Billboard Hot 100 between 19. Having been in a partnership with songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest hit makers of the entire rock era, based on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Charts. Dionne Warwick (/ˈdiːɒn ˈwɔːrwɪk/) (born Marie Dionne Warrick December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress and TV-show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health.