Dionne Warwick returned to the East Orange elementary school that now bears her name this week, and the moment quickly became emotional as students performed some of the songs that made her a music icon.
According to NJ.com, the 85-year-old singer visited the Dionne Warwick Institute of Economics and Entrepreneurship on Tuesday, March 31, for the debut of the school’s newly renovated auditorium.
Sitting in the front row, Warwick watched as the student choir performed “What the World Needs Now Is Love” and “That’s What Friends Are For,” prompting an emotional reaction from the six-time Grammy winner.
“I thank you so very, very much for outdoing me,” Warwick told the students afterward, drawing laughter from the room.
Warwick was at the school to help cut the ribbon on the new auditorium, which replaces a performance space that had been unusable for nearly two decades following a ceiling collapse.
School officials, including East Orange Mayor Ted Green and Principal Passion Moss-Hasan, praised Warwick’s longtime connection to the city and to the school, which was renamed in her honor in 1996.
When Warwick addressed the crowd, she reflected on attending the building, which was then known as Lincoln School.
“As I look around this room, I remember vividly what it used to look like,” Warwick said. “I attended Lincoln School, which was this very same edifice, and I remember also walking across what we called a stage to receive my first diploma.”
She also recalled asking a principal years ago why the school did not have a stronger music program. According to Warwick, she was told simply that “it costs money.” The new auditorium appeared to bring that conversation full circle.
“You’ve done an incredible job. You’ve made my heart sing, you really have, and I cannot thank you enough for that,” Warwick said.
The event arrives during an especially active period in Warwick’s life and career. In recent weeks, the singer has been back in headlines after filing a countersuit against Artists Rights Enforcement Corp., accusing the company of improperly taking millions in royalties from songs including “Walk on By,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” and “That’s What Friends Are For.”
The legal battle followed a lawsuit filed by the company against Warwick in late 2025 over the handling of her music catalog and revenue from a recent sample of “Walk on By.”
At the same time, interest in Warwick’s legacy has continued to grow. She recently announced that her upcoming album, DWuets, will be her final studio project, while a feature film about her life is in development with Teyana Taylor set to portray the singer onscreen.
Even with those major developments surrounding her career, Warwick made clear that her visit was not about revisiting her own accomplishments.
“I could not let this day go by — there’s no way in the world, even in the case of me having to fly in. I was going to be here for this,” she said.
Before leaving the stage, Warwick shifted the spotlight back to the students she has long referred to as “my babies.”
“Thank you for this day. Thank you all for being here to celebrate, because that’s what I am doing,” Warwick said. “I’m celebrating y’all. I really am.”
