Walk On By songstress Dionne Warwick shares her longevity secrets

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Born on December 12, 1940, in New Jersey, US, Dionne became a household name with hits such as Walk On By and I Say A Little Prayer, selling over 100 million records. Now 82, Dionne feels “blessed” to be able to “get up every morning, and stand up and move”. In a candid interview, the twice-married superstar revealed her longevity tips, beginning with she’s a fan of home-cooked meals.

“I like to cook,” she told Parade in 2022. “And I’m proud of everything I cook.”

Dionne said: “I don’t have things I call ‘healthy habits’. I go to the doctor when she calls.

“I eat what I want to eat. I haven’t changed my diet, and while I don’t ‘exercise’, I suppose I get a workout on stage every night.

“Most of all, I keep a positive attitude and don’t allow stress into my life – it works for me.”

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Dionne highlighted her positive attitude: “I still love getting out on the road and doing shows.

“I love what I do, and having audiences show up is amazing. Music is a gift, and I’m always striving to use it the way I’m supposed to be using it.”

Dionne also makes time for the important people in her life – it’s a priority for her.

“I try to speak to my friends every day. It’s great to stay in touch and have a support system,” she explained, adding that the key is to “stay connected”.

As for “the best medicine in the world”, Dionne beamed: “Laughter!”

It would seem that Dionne is onto a thing or two, and not only because she’s 82 and thriving.

Research, published in October 2022, shows that optimism is linked to longevity.

In the journal of the American Geriatrics Society, the researchers examined the lifestyle habits of 159,255 people.

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They concluded: “Higher optimism was associated with longer lifespan and a greater likelihood of achieving exceptional longevity overall.

“The contribution of lifestyle to these associations was modest. Optimism may promote health and longevity in diverse racial and ethnic groups.”

One limitation of the research, however, is that the participants were gathered from the Women’s Health Initiative database.

This means this specific type of research, as it stands, is only applicable to women.

However, another research study, conducted by a team at The Rockefeller University, found optimism was linked with longevity for men.

“Previous studies reported that more optimistic individuals are less likely to suffer from chronic diseases and die prematurely,” the authors noted.

“Our results further suggest that optimism is specifically related to 11 to 15 percent longer life span, on average.”

Watch Dionne Warwick, Don’t Make Me Over, on Saturday, March 4 at 8.40pm on BBC Two.

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