The Sun City Peachtree Del Webb 2007 Summer Concert Series will continue this weekend when Dionne Warwick performs at the Fayetteville Villages Amphitheater on Saturday, August 11. Warwick has, over an illustrious four-decade career, established herself as an international musical legend. Her reputation as a hit maker has been firmly etched into public consciousness. As a performer, she has charmed and entertained audiences on every continent, amassing a worldwide audience.

Warwick began singing during her childhood years in East Orange, New Jersey, initially in church. She received her first Grammy Award in 1968 for the classic “Do You Know the Way to San Jose,” and in so doing became the first African-American solo female artist of her generation to win the prestigious award for Best Contemporary Female Vocal Performance. This award has only been awarded to one other female African-American legend, Ella Fitzgerald.

She is the first such artist to rack up a dozen consecutive Top 100 hit singles from 1963 to 1966. In 1968, she became the first African-American female performer to appear before the Queen of England at a Royal Command Performance. Since then, Warwick has performed before numerous kings, queens, presidents, and heads of state.

In 1976, “I'll Never Love This Way Again” and “Déjà Vu” both earned Grammy Awards, making Warwick the first female artist to win the Best Female Pop and Best Female R&B Performance Award.

In recent years, her pioneering efforts have focused on leading the music industry in the fight against AIDS. Her Grammy-winning, chart topping, single “That's What Friends Are For,” lead the way by raising, literally, millions of dollars for AIDS research. Throughout the world, Warwick has devoted countless hours to a wide range of humanitarian causes, and her status as a musical icon and humanitarian is legendary.

Hit singles throughout her career include “I Say a Little Prayer,” “A House is Not a Home” and “Alfie.”

Reserved and lawn seat tickets may be purchased online at www.villagesamphitheater.com or by calling Fayetteville Main Street at 770-719-4173. Advanced tickets for Dionne Warwick are $40 for reserved and $35 for lawn. Cash, check, Visa, Mastercard and American Express are acceptable forms of payment. Gates open at 7 p.m., LD and The Blind Dates will perform at 8 p.m. and Warwick will begin at 9 p.m. Food and beverages are allowed in the amphitheater.

The final concert in the summer series at the Villages Amphitheater is Lonestar on Sept. 8. Limited tickets are still available. In addition, a free God & Country Night, a community worship service to celebrate our patriotism with song and music, will be held on Sept. 9.

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