Legendary singer Dionne Warwick caused a firestorm of controversy after a recent interview saw her weigh in on today’s talent and who among the class has the potential to be an “icon” like herself.
Nearly a month after wrapping her Vegas residency and now hot on the promo trail of her new album, ‘She’s Back’ (released May 17), the well-respected, but much outspoken diva is back on the bad side of headlines after she implied Beyonce was among those who have “a long way to go” before reaching iconic status. Speaking with our friends at Essence recently, Warwick stated:
“I don’t know if 10 years from now, anybody can actually sing the songs of our babies today. That’s not, as you guys say, ‘throwing shade.’ That’s just looking at it with reality,” she said.
That’s not all she said. More inside:
“When you speak of folks who have been in the industry, recording for as long as I have, and my peers… These babies, who are approaching 20 years, maybe, which is amusing to me because I’m certain they wouldn’t even last that long. But since they have, when they get into the 50- and 60-year range, that’s when you can start saying, ‘Well, maybe there is a classic hidden somewhere amongst them.’ But at this very moment, I don’t see it.”
When quizzed on Beyonce, the 78-year-old lit up:
“I have an admiration for Beyoncé,” Warwick stated. “Watching her grow has been quite refreshing. It’s wonderful to see how she’s been able to create what and who she wanted to be and who she is.”
But as far as that elusive iconic status goes, the ‘Walk on By’ singer suggested the ‘Crazy In Love’ star has a long road ahead;
“Now sustaining and become the icon [like] Gladys Knight, or Patti LaBelle, or Johnny Mathis, or Frank Sinatra, or Sammy Davis Jr.? I doubt that. I really do,” Warwick remarked. “I love her to death and can appreciate her talent. But that iconic status that I just mentioned before? Those names? It’s a long road [ahead].”
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Needless to say, the comments above incited furore among members of the #Beyhive (Beyonce’s beloved fan group). See some of their comments below:
Once the hoopla got to the desk of Dionne, she responded with: