In 2016, Patrick Lombardi, a writer for 'The Best of New Jersey' online journal, said Ms. Marie Dionne Warrick — more widely known as Dionne Warwick — was born on December 12, 1940, in East Orange.
According to Lombardi, Warwick’s mother, aunts and uncles were members of The Drinkard Singers, a popular family gospel group originating in the 1930s. Warwick began singing gospel at a very young age at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, frequently joining The Drinkard Singers on stage and even on the local television stations.
According to published reports in Wikipedia, Warwick ranks among the 41 biggest hit makers of the entire rock era, based on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Charts. She is second only to Aretha Franklin as the most-charted female vocalist of all time, with 56 of her singles making the Billboard Hot 100 between 1962 and 1998, and 80 singles making all Billboard charts combined according to Wikipedia.
Warwick is praised for countless hours of community service to communities around Essex County and New Jersey.