Pepperdine University Center for the Arts Showcases Talents of DIONNE WARWICK 1/15

Pepperdine University Center for the Arts presents Dionne Warwick, one of the world's most famous pop music vocalists and the winner of five Grammy Awards, in a concert at Pepperdine's Smothers Theatre at 7 p.m. on Sunday, January 15.

Limited tickets, priced at $70, $60, or $40 for the public and $10 for full-time Pepperdine students, are available now by calling (310) 506-4522. Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787. More information: http://www.arts.pepperdine.edu/ or http://www.dionnewarwick.info/.

"Scintillating," "soothing," and "sensual" have been used to describe the instantly recognizable voice of Dionne Warwick, who has become a cornerstone of American pop music and culture.

Warwick's career has spanned more than 48 years, establishing her as an international music legend. She has earned more than 60 charted hits and sold over 100 million records.

She began singing professionally in 1961 after being discovered by a young songwriting team, Burt Bacharach and Hal David. She had her first hit in 1962 with "Don't Make Me Over." By 1970 she had racked up more than 18 consecutive Top 100 singles, including her classic Bacharach/David recordings, "Walk on By," "Anyone Who Had a Heart," "Message to Michael," "Promises, Promises," "A House is Not a Home," "Alfie," and the theme from the motion picture Valley of the Dolls.

Warwick received her first Grammy Award in 1968 for her classic single "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" and a second Grammy in 1970 for the best-selling album I'll Never Fall in Love Again. In 1974 she hit the top of the charts with "Then Came You," a million-selling duet with The Spinners. In 1976 her Arista Records label-mate Barry Manilow produced her first Platinum-selling album, Dionne, which included the back-to-back hits "I'll Never Love This Way Again" and "Déjà vu." Both recordings earned Grammy Awards, making Warwick the first female artist to win the Best Female Pop and Best Female R&B Performance awards.

Warwick's 1982 album Heartbreaker, co-produced by Barry Gibb and the Bee Gees, became an international chart-topper. In 1985 she reunited with producer Burt Bacharach and longtime friends Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, and Elton John to record the landmark song "That's What Friends Are For," which became a number-one hit record around the world and the first recording dedicated to raising awareness and major funds for AIDS research, which Warwick continually supports.

Throughout the '80s and '90s, Warwick collaborated with many of her musical peers, including Johnny Mathis, Smokey Robinson, Luther Vandross, Jeffrey Osborne, Kashif, and Stevie Wonder. Recently she recorded an album of duets, My Friends and Me, and a much-anticipated gospel album, Why We Sing. In 2011 she released a new album featuring the music of legendary composer Sammy Cahn, Only Trust Your Heart.

Most recently Warwick added "author" to her list of credits with a best-selling children's book, Say a Little Prayer, and her autobiography, My Life, As I See It.

Always one to give back, Warwick has supported and campaigned for a number of causes and charities near to her heart, including AIDS research, the Starlight Foundation, children's hospitals, world hunger, disaster relief, and music education, for which she has raised millions of dollars. A New Jersey school was named in her honor, the Dionne Warwick Institute, in recognition of her support and accomplishments.

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