Dionne Warwick has a granddaughter who sings just as magically as her. Here's a closer look at the legendary singer's supportive relationship with her singing heir.
At first glance, people wouldn't easily notice that Cheyenne Elliott is related to Dionne Warwick except when she opens her mouth and sings. She may show no signs, physically, of being Dionne's granddaughter, but her singing voice gives it away.
Having had her voice nurtured by Dionne herself since she was two, it’s no surprise she’s making waves today. Elliott has been accompanying her grandmother on stage since she was young, a witness to the legend she has become.
Dionne Warwick and granddaughter Cheyenne Elliot attend 10th Annual Project Sunshine Benefit | Getty Images
In 2007, she performed with her legendary grandmother in Rio De Janeiro, singing the hit song "That's What Friends Are For." Since she was young, she knew that being a musician was something she always wanted to do:
"I was on the road at 12 years old. That’s how I would spend all my summer vacations off from school — I’d go tour the entire world with her. It’s really been in my blood and my life forever."
In 2015, Elliott once climbed up the Billboard's dance music chart with the single "With You." Acknowledging that she was from a legacy-filled family, being on the Billboard charts was something that shocked her.
She added that having Dionne as a grandmother and Whitney Houston as a cousin is a great honor, but it was also what inspired her to put out music that reflects her family positively.
HOLDING HER OWN
As an adult, Cheyenne, whose father is Dionne's son David Elliot, continues to make her grandmother proud. Before her hit song topped the charts, she first released a single called “Let There Be Love” the year prior, where she was joined by Dionne in the vocals. She also released a previous track, “Love Will Find a Way.”
More than belting out tunes, the singer revealed that her grandmother and father always told her to "just sing the song." Instead of adding extra things that cheapen the performance, singing the song and focusing on diction and enunciation is what matters the most.
In 2018, Elliott made it to the final four of “The Four: Battle for Stardom.” She had her grandmother’s full support when she appeared in the audience area during one of the show’s episodes. She surprised the judges, including Diddy, who jumped from his seat when he realized the “Walk On By” singer was around.
After her performance, Diddy wasn't too impressed as he could tell her favorite part of the song from the way she sang it. He advised her that as a performer, the whole song should be her favorite part.
This feedback got a nod of approval from Dionne, and ultimately, Elliott was able to go through a challenge on the show where she took on female MC Lex Lu. She did well covering Sam Smith's "Too Good at Goodbyes," which won her a spot in "The Four."
She didn’t bag the title, but she made a mark due to her talent. She ended up touring the world with her famous grandmother in 2018.
PERFORMING WITH THE LEGEND
During the tour, she proved her talent by singing around the globe with no less than her grandmother backing her up. She shared footage from a performance at the Royal Alberta Hall in the United Kingdom, where she was exiting the stage with Dionne hand in hand.
The talented grandmother and granddaughter duo also toured Dublin, Belgium, and Brazil, as seen on the 26-year-old's Instagram page. In more recent times, she's been living in New York and has been keeping herself busy as a model.
Elliott's presence in Dionne's life provided the singer with a much-needed distraction from the talk surrounding Whitney Houston’s past that came to light in recent years. Stemming from a new documentary about her niece’s life, it was alleged that Dionne’s sister, Dee Dee Warwick molested the late singer when she was a child.
Dionne broke her silence to Larry King and deemed the story a lie while describing it as “evil.” She condemned those who perpetuated the story and vowed never to forgive them.
Now 80 years old, Dionne certainly passed on the torch to her granddaughter, allowing her to continue their family's musical legacy for this generation. After years of training her to be the best she can be, it seems she's ready to hold down the fort for their family.
ncG1vNJzZmimlazAb63MqKSapZFjsLC5jmppbGlhZnqltc6npZ5lp5a%2FuLXCpKpmn6KWu6WwwK6eoayVp3qisNSlq2avn6Kub7TTpqM%3D