Dionne Warwick is iconic. Full stop. The couture fashion wearing, chart-topping trailblazer’s achievements opened the gate for the pop/crossover success of subsequent black female artists including her cousin Whitney Houston. But, what might be most impressive these days is that at the tender age of 80 she is the queen mother-auntie of social media… and you should follow her.

Honesty, Humor and History Lessons

In her “Twotes” [her name for tweets] and Instagram posts, Dionne Warwick gives her hilarious opinion of and reaction to the most random content. As if it weren’t rich enough to have Dionne Warwick The Singer [see her Twitter feed] view your creations, she even has a rating system for it. In lieu of gold stars she bestows a number “Dionnes” to signify the level of quality she deems upon them.

With regality, she sets the record straight about any untruths spread about her or her career– including the fact that she is NOT DEAD, but still very much alive! On top of that, when she posts the most divine throwback pictures and videos from her career it serves as a reminder for some and an education for others about just how iconic an artist she is. [Melba Moore does a fabulous job of this on social media as well.] To quote rapper The Notorious B.I.G, “If you don’t know, now you know.”

Warrick has her “ear to the streets”. She’s an advocate of artists — especially new/young ones. Check out her posts about her projects with Teyana Taylor, Solange Knowles and Chance the Rapper. She invites artists to send her their work so that she may post it, and as a six-decade veteran of the music industry she takes a moment to express concern and compassion for the plight of a younger pop star [Free Britney].

 

Bridging the Gap Through Social Media… Because She Can

Those are just a few examples of the treasure trove of content that is in Ms. Warwick’s social media feeds, but what makes her posts and engagement so glorious to us is the fact that she doesn’t do it because she needs to stay relevant somehow. She’s timeless. Dionne Warwick uses social media because she can. The queen just “gets it”. She doesn’t begrudge the present and its new contraptions like some veteran artists seem to. She welcomes them. Ms. Warwick understands that social media is simply a vehicle and tool available to her in this time while she is yet living, thriving and evolving and she can utilize it just like any and everyone else.

By doing so Dionne Warwick drives that vehicle on a highway paved with the essence of who she is– her achievements, her wisdom and her sense of humor in one lane and an openness to and support of who and what is happening now in the other– all while being her legendary self. Because of that, she’s garnered a multi-generational following full of respect and admiration for her.

That’s what we here at Grown Folks Music call BRIDGING THE GAP and why Dionne Warwick, perhaps unintentionally, IS one of the most relevant people you should follow on social media. We may not have asked for it… as her segment suggests… but we love it and we say, “Thank you, Ms. Warwick. Please give us more.”

 

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