“I Say a Little Prayer,” “Walk on By,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” — these are the kinds of songs that inspire strangers to sing together, with or without alcohol. And these are just three of Dionne Warwick’s many hits. “Don’t Make Me Over,” a new documentary film about the legendary songstress, is in the works. Variety reports that “David Garrett’s Mister Smith Entertainment will launch sales on the film and present select footage to international buyers at next month’s Cannes Market.”
Between 1962 and 1998, 69 of Warwick’s singles made the Billboard Hot 100. She is the second most-charted female vocalist of all time (Aretha Franklin holds the record). While millions are familiar with Warwick’s music, the icon is notoriously private. “Don’t Make Me Over” “brings to life the real Dionne Warwick, an African-American woman who broke racial and gender barriers, a dedicated humanitarian fighting injustice worldwide, and a singer whose music became the soundtrack for generations,” a statement promises.
The doc is co-directed and co-produced by David Heilbroner (“Stonewall Uprising”) and Dave Wooley and includes untold stories from Gladys Knight, Cissy Houston, Smokey Robinson, and more.
“While the world knows her many hits, Dionne has quietly guarded her astonishing, inspiring personal journey,” said Heilbroner. “We are both honored and thrilled to bring this great artist’s life and legacy to the screen.”
The Advocate has described Warwick as “one of the most famous allies LGBT people have ever known.” Warwick participated in a number of of charity events benefiting the fight against AIDS during the 1980s, and in 1985 she enlisted Knight, Elton John, and others to record a cover of “That’s What Friends are For” to raise money for amFAR, an organization dedicated to AIDS research. “The song wound up in Billboard’s number 1 spot, where it sat for weeks, raising more than $3 million,” The Advocate writes.
