Dee Dee Warwick, 1945-2008
Dee Dee Warwick was a soul singer born in Newark, New Jersey as Delia Mae Warrick. Following the lead of her elder sister, Dionne Warwick, she changed her surname from Warrick to Warwick in the early 1960s. She had been in failing health for several months. Dionne was with her when she died on October 18, 2008 in a nursing home in Essex County, New Jersey.
She is best known for her hits during the 1960s, including the #13 R&B (#88 hit on the pop chart) hit “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me,” co-written by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff and later covered as a duet by Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations (who took the song to #2 on the pop and R&B charts.) She is also a two-time Grammy nominee for the #57 hit “Foolish Fool” and the #70 hit “She Didn’t Know (She Kept on Talking.)”
In late 2006, Dee Dee returned to success singing background for Dionne in concert, and also was part of the “Family First” song in the Tyler Perry movie and soundtrack for 2007’s Daddy’s Little Girls. In January 2008, Dee Dee was featured in the title song from Dionne’s gospel album, Why We Sing. In February 2008, she continued her background vocals for Dionne’s one woman show “My Music and Me” in Europe.
She was the niece of gospel singer Cissy Houston, cousin of singer Whitney Houston, and, of course, sister of Dionne Warwick.