Dionne Warwick

LOS ANGELES - FEB 12: Dionne Warwick arrives at the 2011 Pre-GR

Warwick in 2011, photo by kathclick/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: Dionne Warrick

Place of Birth: East Orange, Essex, New Jersey, U.S.

Date of Birth: December 12, 1940

Ethnicity: African-American, with small amount of English/Irish/Scottish

Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress, and television show host. Dionne ranks as the 20th most popular hit-maker of the entire rock era (1955–1999), based on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Charts. According to Billboard Magazine, Warwick ranks second only to Aretha Franklin as the most popular female vocalist, with 56 chart singles on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts from 1962 through 1998. She is a U.N. Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a U.S. Ambassador of Health.

Her parents, mother Arthur Lee (Drinkard) and father Mancel Leland Warrick, were both African-American, and she also has a small amount of English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry. She is a first cousin of singer Whitney Houston, and a first cousin, once removed, of Whitney’s daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown. Her mother’s family formed a family gospel group, The Drinkard Jubilairs, later The Drinkard Singers, who recorded the first gospel album on a major label. Her name was changed to Warwick because of a printing error on the cover of her first album.

Dionne’s mother’s sister, singer Cissy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houston, stated in an interview that they have Dutch and Native American ancestors. It is not clear if this Dutch and/or Native American ancestry has been verified/documented.

Dionne has two children with her former husband, actor and musician William Elliott.

A DNA test displayed on the show Finding Your Roots, with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2024) stated that Dionne’s genetic ancestry consists of:

*80% African
——–*24% Nigeria
——–*23% Benin & Togo
——–*14% Cameroon, Congo, & Western Bantu Peoples
——–*9% Mali
——–*6% Ivory Coast & Ghana
——–*4% Senegal
*19% European
——–*9% England & NW Europe
——–*5% Ireland
——–*3% Scotland
——–*2% Germanic Europe
*1% Asian
——–*1% Southern Philippines

Dionne’s paternal grandfather was Elzae/Elzie Warrick/Wauvick (the son of John W. Warrick and Emma Key). Elzae was born in Dothan, Geneva, Alabama. John likely was born in Barbour County, Alabama.

Dionne’s paternal grandmother was Juanita “Neatie” Holland (the daughter of Lawson/Lanson Holland and Clarkey B. Russ). Juanita was born in Cottondale, Jackson, Florida. Clarkey was the daughter of Guy Russ and Mary Ann Russ.

Dionne’s maternal grandfather was Nitcholas/Nicholas “Nitch” Drinkard (the son of John Drinkard, Jr. and Susie/Susan Belle/Bell “Delia” Fuller). Nitcholas was born in Hilton, Early, Georgia. John was the son of John Drinkard, Sr., who was born in Mississippi, and was a landowner near the border of Georgia and Alabama; and of Victoria Hansom.

Dionne’s maternal grandmother was Adelia/Delia Mae McCaskill (the daughter of Stephen McCaskill and Emma L. Houston). Adelia was born in Florida. Stephen was the son of Annie/Ann Hogan, who was black, and likely of John Jett McCaskill, who was white. Emma was the daughter of Oliver Houston and Rachel/Rachael Hill.

Sources: Genealogies of Dionne Warwick – http://www.geni.com
https://famouskin.com

Dionne’s maternal great-grandparents, John Drinkard, Jr. and Susie/Susan Belle/Bell Fuller, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Dionne’s maternal grandmother, Adelia/Delia Mae McCaskill, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Dionne’s maternal great-grandparents, Stephen McCaskill and Emma L. Houston, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Dionne’s maternal great-grandfather, Stephen McCaskill, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

ethnic

Curious about ethnicity

14 Responses

  1. andrew says:

    she has also distant German, Dutch, remote French and Danish ancestry: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/L2W6-23C

    • andrew says:

      also remote Channel Islander (Jersey and some Guernsey).

      • follers says:

        Susan Belle Drinkard was a black woman from Georgia. I doubt her parents were a white couple from Maine and Michigan. Pointless/false/TMI.

        • andrew says:

          Damn Mormons

          • madman says:

            The correct Susan Fuller is also listed there as John Drinkard’s wife. I wonder how they even thought that the white Wisconsin-born Susan could be his wife, and even list her as the default spouse. Just goes to show that you have to be careful with familysearch trees and always check the sources attached to the pages.

          • andrew says:

            Stephen Mccaskill on the 1880 Census record is listed as “other”, not as son of John Jett Mccaskill and of his white wife Sarah Elizabeth Flournoy. He may be the son of John’s first wife (Annie?) or not. Familysearch identifies his parents as Edward McCaskill and Harriet McKenzie

          • bablah says:

            @madman

            If you ever come across a bad tree, correct it. It’s a bit confusing a first, but you’ll get the hang of it. I don’t add anything on other people’s trees, but I will correct it if they have a wrong person in the sources or a wrong person linked.

  2. tinasheeeee says:

    CORRECTION: She is of African American, Native American, Brazilian & Dutch decent. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionne_Warwick

  3. andrew says:

    Dionne Warwick

    correction

  4. bzbunni says:

    I always thought she looked Mongolian

  5. total23 says:

    FINALLY! Thank You Ethnic!

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