Dionne Warwick returns to Washington to headline the Strathmore’s spring gala this weekend. The 71-year-old songstress has played all over D.C. in her decades-long career, including the Howard Theatre and the White House, and there’s a particular performance that stands out.
“I remember dancing with President Ford,” Warwick said, “and he stepped on my foot.” Gerald Ford, famous for falling down staircases, wasn’t known for his grace, but he apparently possessed self-awareness. “He said, ‘I’m not the best at this. I’m very clumsy,’” she said. “He was not as nimble on his feet as most people are.”
Warwick also performed for the Clinton, Reagan, and Nixon White Houses, though she has yet to receive an invitation from the Obamas. Warwick is more concerned, though, about finally collaborating with Earth, Wind & Fire, the group she loves but has never managed to work with. “We’re dear, dear friends and we keep procrastinating about when we’re going to do this thing,” she said.
