Dionne Warwick

The Profile

American singer and enduring interpreter of the Burt Bacharach–Hal David songbook. Rose to fame in the 1960s with hits like Walk On By, I Say a Little Prayer, and Do You Know the Way to San Jose. Later topped charts with the 1985 charity single That’s What Friends Are For. Cousin of Whitney Houston.

Known for sophisticated pop-soul recordings crafted with Burt Bacharach and Hal David; major hits include Walk On By, I Say a Little Prayer, Do You Know the Way to San Jose; recorded music for Valley of the Dolls; led the 1985 No. 1 single That’s What Friends Are For with Gladys Knight, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder; active since the early 1960s; American; cousin of Whitney Houston.

A deep dive into That’s What Friends Are For: from Bacharach’s 1982 film composition to the 1985 Dionne & Friends hit for AIDS research. The review praises the harmonic finesse, the quartet’s interplay, and Stevie Wonder’s harmonica. It frames the song as an adult classic that transcends genre.