Dee Dee Warwick Bio

Dee Dee Warwick was a soul singer with an amazing voice. Unfortunately many of us do not remember her because she was often overshadowed by her more famous sister and singer Dionne Warwick. While both siblings chose to make their own singing careers in the same genre fans had only ears for one of them. But that didn’t stop Dee Dee from doing what she loved.

Dee Dee Warwick began her singing career with her older sister Dionne when she was a teenager in the 1950’s. Together they formed the Gospelaires and would sometimes sing with the Drinkard Singers. This was a gospel group that their mother Lee had helped to start. Dee Dee did what many gospel singers are known for and decided to change from gospel to secular soul in the early 1960’s.

It did not take her long to become on of New York’s most popular and in demand session vocalists during her time. They would use her voice on records for the Drifters, Garnett mimms, Aretha Franklin, and Chuck Jackson.

For awhile Dee Dee was content to make a living off of being a backup singer. But in 1963 she decided to take a chance and created her own records. This is when she created the original version of “You’re No Good” - which many famous artists would continue to sing. During the late 1960’s she became more serious about her solo career and began to release many singles for Mercury and other albums.

Her recordings from this time may not have been successful as her sisters’ - but they are still considered to be great New York pop/soul with an R&B influence. During the 1970’s Dee Dee signed with Atco and received a Top Ten R&B single with “She Didn’t Know”.