Dionne Warwick to be added to the Walk of Stars Palm Springs

Brian Blueskye, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·2 min read
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Recording artist Dionne Warwick will be the 447th entry to The Walk of Stars Palm Springs.

Warwick, who has sold 75 million singles and 25 million albums worldwide, will be present for the ceremony at 11 a.m. Dec. 8 when her star is installed at 100 S. Palm Canyon Road in Palm Springs near the Welwood Murray Memorial Library.

As a vocalist who combined gospel with rhythm and blues and soul, Warwick released her first single "Don't Make Me Over" in 1962, written by songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David. The song was an instant hit and also appeared on her 1963 debut album, "Presenting Dionne Warwick."

Dionne Warwick will be added to the Walk of Stars Palm Springs at 11 a.m., Dec. 8 at 100 South Palm Canyon Road in Palm Springs near the Welwood Murray Memorial Library.
Dionne Warwick will be added to the Walk of Stars Palm Springs at 11 a.m., Dec. 8 at 100 South Palm Canyon Road in Palm Springs near the Welwood Murray Memorial Library.

She won her first Grammy award in 1968 for her hit single "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?"

Warwick went on to have several hit singles and albums and is well known for her 1985 duet with Stevie Wonder, "That's What Friends Were For," which was released as a charity single for the American Foundation for AIDS Research.

The Walk of Stars Palm Springs honors local humanitarians, internationally acclaimed entertainers, architects, artists, designers and more. In order to be included, a person has to be nominated and sponsored for a $15,000 installation fee.

Oscar's Palm Springs owner Dan Gore organized two fundraisers for Warwick's star. He said her status with drag queens and her accomplishments as a Black recording artist are the reason she should be honored in Palm Springs.

"In my experience with shows I've done in Palm Springs and throughout the country, we've always had a Dionne Warwick impersonator," Gore said. "She's up there with these powerful, energetic and remarkable women. Let alone being a Black artist as well, it wasn't easy 30 or 40 years ago, and going back 50 to 60 years, it was impossible. I'm sure she has plenty of stories to tell."

Dionne Warwick will be added to the Walk of Stars Palm Springs at 11 a.m., Dec. 8 at 100 South Palm Canyon Road in Palm Springs near the Welwood Murray Memorial Library.
Dionne Warwick will be added to the Walk of Stars Palm Springs at 11 a.m., Dec. 8 at 100 South Palm Canyon Road in Palm Springs near the Welwood Murray Memorial Library.

Warwick is also scheduled to perform at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on Dec. 17.

Other recent additions to The Walk of Stars Palm Springs include actor Frank Ferrante, community leader and humanitarian Terri Ketover, costume designer Michael Bush and late Desert Regional Medical Center Trauma Surgeon Dr. Frank Ercoli.

Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye. Support local news, subscribe to The Desert Sun.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Dionne Warwick to be added to the Walk of Stars Palm Springs