Dionne Warwick was ‘overwhelmed’ by Elvis Presley’s good looks: ‘I never seen a man that pretty in my life’
Dionne Warwick was a bit starstruck by Elvis Presley’s attractiveness.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, the 83-year-old recalled the moment she first met Presley in Las Vegas circa 1969.
“Oh my goodness. First of all, looking at that man was overwhelming,” Warwick began. “I never seen a man that pretty in my life.”
Warwick could not remember exactly what hotel Elvis was opening for (it was the International Hotel), but she does remember how he treated her.
“He was so wonderful and so kind to me. He said, ‘You know what I’m going to do? I did something for you.’ I said, ‘What are you going to do?’ He said, ‘I am going to put a photograph of you and another photograph of me in every album in every record store in Las Vegas.’”
Warwick explained that Presley announced that he had done that during his show that night, which prompted his fans to go out and buy Warwick’s albums.
“I sold so many albums,” Warwick remembered. “I have [to] tell you – in Las Vegas than I ever thought about selling anywhere.”
Warwick was recently honored with a Kennedy Center award. “It’s wonderful that they’re finally recognizing my body of work and everything that I’ve been able to do,” Warwick told Fox News Digital. “It is an overwhelming feeling. It was an incredible weekend.”
Since 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors has awarded those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. Each year, the award is given to five honorees at a gala in Washington, D.C., in December.
“Words can’t express how proud both me and my brother are of mom,” Damon Warwick, Dionne’s son, told Fox News Digital. “We’ve watched her our entire lives do incredible things, not only for her career, but for many others.”
He added, “It’s about time, so it’s great. It’s well overdue.”
The mother-son duo currently have a song together, “I Kneel.”
The legendary musician said it was a “pleasure” to sing a song written by her son. “How much more can you have than working with someone that you love?” she asked.
Damon felt the same way. He said it was “overwhelmingly exciting” to work with his mom.
In the Warwick household – which consists of Damon and David Elliot – faith is at the forefront.
“It’s my whole being,” Dionne said of her faith. “It’s what I live by, it’s what I thrive on. I believe the Heavenly Father is unsurmountable.”
Like his mom, Damon also has a strong root in his faith. “Our entire household puts God first in everything we do. We pray on it, and we leave a lot on God’s plate,” he said.
“A lot of people come to us and say, ‘I’m praying for you,’ and I don’t know, you know, I’m not in their business. If they are, they’re not. But when we say it, we truly mean it and that’s, that’s just what it is. You know, we pray for each other and God first, always,” Damon added.
Warwick was recently a contestant on “The Masked Singer” in England. She did not last very long on the show, which came as no surprise to her.
“Somebody’s got to know my voice by now,” she explained.
Dionne performed as “Weather” on the program and was sent home after the first episode.
Warwick celebrated her 83rd birthday in December, and she has no plans on slowing down when it comes to her career.
“No, I got plenty of time to slow down,” she told Fox News Digital. Damon said there’s “no such thing” as getting his mother to relax a little bit and slow down.
“She always said that when it feels like work, then I’ll stop when I’m ready and until then, I’m gonna keep having fun and trucking around this world and doing what I love to do. So, that’s what we do. We try to keep up with her,” Damon added.
Warwick’s secret to staying youthful and active in her 80s “is spelled in capital letters. G-O-D.” She also credits staying youthful to her sense of self-love.
“I like me,” she said. “That’s the first thing, and I try to take care of myself the best that I possibly can. I can’t do anything that I feel is gonna harm me. So, if that’s a secret then – that’s it.”
