Dionne Warwick at The Apollo Theater, 1958 (video)

Dionne Warwick (born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940). In 1958, Dionne Warwick, Myrna Utley, Carol Slade, and Warwick’s sister Delia, who by this time had begun to be known professionally as Dee Dee Warwick, formed their own group, which they called “The Gospelaires.”Their first performance together was at the Apollo Theater, where they won the weekly amateur contest. Various other singers joined The Gospelaires from time to time, including Judy Clay, Cissy Houston, and Doris Troy, whose chart selection “Just One Look,” when she recorded it in 1963, featured backing vocals from the Gospelaires.

After various personnel changes (Dionne and Doris left the group after achieving solo success), The Gospelaires eventually became the recording group, the Sweet Inspirations, which had some chart success, but were much sought-after as studio background singers. The Gospelaires and later the Sweet Inspirations performed on many records cut in New York City for artists such as Garnet Mimms, The Drifters, Jerry Butler, Solomon Burke and later Dionne’s recordings, Aretha Franklin, Burt Bacharach, Barry Manilow, Elvis Presley, Gloria Estefan, Olivia Newton-John, Wynonna Judd and Reba McEntire.

Listen to Walk On Bye, on December 1963:

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