Warwick’s walk of fame

1961

• Meets composer Burt Bacharach while she is recording background vocals on the Drifters version of Bacharach’s “Mexican Divorce.”

• Subsequently signs with Bacharach and lyricist Hal David’s production company, which had a deal with Scepter Records.

1962

• Her first single for Scepter is Bacharach/David’s “Don’t Make Me Over.” The trio would go on to rack up 30 hit singles, and close to 20 best-selling albums during their first decade together.

1964

• Wins the first of seven NARM awards for No. 1 popular female vocalist.

1967

• “Here Where There Is Love” is her first RIAA certified gold album and features the hit single “Alfie.”

1968

• Becomes the first African-American female performer to appear before the queen of England at a Royal Command Performance.

• Receives her first Grammy for “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?” becoming the only African-American solo female artist since Ella Fitzgerald to win contemporary female vocal performance.

1969

• The single “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” reaches No. 1 on the U.S. adult contemporary chart. The album of the same name would eventually earn her second Grammy for female contemporary vocal performance.

1971

• Warwick’s last LP for Scepter is the soundtrack for “The Love Machine.”

• Signs with Warner Bros. Records to the tune of a $5 million contract, the most lucrative recording pact yet signed by a female vocalist up to that time, according to Variety.

1974

• “Then Came You,” recorded with the Spinners, becomes her first American No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

1977

• Singer’s contract with Warners expires.

1979

• Experiences a career revival at Arista Records, whose founder, Clive Davis, paves the way for the release of her RIAA certified million seller “I’ll Never Love This Way Again,” produced by Barry Manilow.

1980

• Wins Grammys for female pop vocal performance for “I’ll Never Love This Way Again” and female R&B vocal performance for “Deja Vu.”

1982

• Collaborates with the Bee Gees’ Barry Gibb on the album “Heartbreaker.”

1985

• Releases the charity single, “That’s What Friends Are For,” which raises $2.5 million for the American Foundation for AIDS Research.

1986

• Honored as NAACP Image Awards Entertainer of the Year.

1987

• Scores another hit with the Bacharach/Sager song “Love Power,” a duet with Jeffrey Osborne.

1989

• Starts the Warwick Foundation to benefit AIDS patients.

1994

• Her contract with Arista expires.

1998

• Is honored with ASCAP’s Lifetime Achievement Award

2002

• Is named a global ambassador for the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization.

2004

• Releases her first Christmas album, “My Favorite Time of the Year.”

2006

• Signs with Concord Records.

2008

• Records an album of songs from the Sammy Cahn and Jack Wolf songbooks, “Only Trust Your Heart,” released in the US by MPCA Records distributed by SonyRed.

2011

• Desert AIDS Project gives Warwick its Pioneer of Arts and Activism Award