Q: How did “Feels So Good” come about?
A: “My son, Damon Elliott, produced the CD for me. He kind of contacted most of younger folks on the recording and I reached out to some of my peers. Each one of them chose the song of mine they wanted to sing, and we just had a ball in the studio. It gave the youngsters a chance to let me know, ‘Hey, we’ve been listening to you, too.’ That was such a wonderful project to do.”
Q: You’re getting ready to start on a follow-up to “Feels So Good.” What part of the process are you currently in now?
A: “We’re listening to music that’s being sent to me. I’m going through everything now, and we’ll be in the studio sometime in the first of the year. This one won’t be a duet project; it will be what people are used to getting from me.”
Q: Will you be working with your son again, and what does he bring to the sessions?
A: “Yes, I will. It’s wonderful to be in the booth singing with him in the control room. The only difference in working with him as opposed to any other producer is he calls me mommy instead of Dionne but he has proven to be quite a producer. He wouldn’t be in that control room if he wasn’t qualified.”
Q: After all these years, what do you do to take care of your voice?
A: “The only thing anybody can do to take care of their voice is rest, which I don’t get that much of. It’s the case of knowing your limitations and knowing what you have to do.”
Q: You have a new album to record and a growing number of dates on your schedule. What else would you like to do in 2017?
A: “I’d love to be able to go to sleep sometime. That’s something those of us in the industry don’t get that much of so if I ever get an opportunity to sleep, I do it.”
WANT TO GO?
Who: Dionne Warwick
Where: Schuster Center, Second and Main streets, Dayton
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26
Cost: $43-$83
More info: 937-228-3630 or www.ticketcenterstage.com
Artist info: www.facebook.com/officialdionne
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