An X user shared a fun fact about Cilla Black that had us all cutting up on Twitter especially after Dionne Warwick reposted it.
The user wrote:
I just found out the “Surprise Surprise” lady (Cilla Black) stole a bunch of songs from
@dionnewarwick back in the day including Anyone who had a heart.
Chile why did Ms. Dionne repost his tweet with the meme attached?
https://t.co/9O2mJQhbT4 pic.twitter.com/jPzTXWo4ke
— Dionne Warwick (@dionnewarwick) December 7, 2023
Did “Surprise Surprise” lady (Cilla Black) steal from Dionne?
Last year The Mirror covered an exclusive about this very topic.
They made the point that Dionne had hits all over the world but she was not really a fan of people covering her music.
They wrote:
Dionne had hits in this country but many of her songs were covered by British artists, much to her irritation.
“I am – always was – a big fan of Dusty Springfield. But I wasn’t happy with some of the others,” she says.
In 1964, Brian Epstein heard Anyone Who Had a Heart in America, brought it back to the UK and gave it to the Beatles ‘ record producer George Martin as a vehicle for Cilla Black.
Dionne says: “I don’t blame Cilla. Over the years, I came to realise she hadn’t been making the decision about what to sing.
“So I’ve almost forgiven her. Not completely, but almost. And she was a nice woman… really cute.”
“My real complaint was the treatment of the song wasn’t similar to mine. It was identical. If I’d sneezed, she would have done too. In other words, they copied.”
In 1972, Bacharach and David split, leaving Dionne high and dry.
Eventually, she sued for breach of contract, winning $5million in an out-of-court settlement.
It took a dozen years for the friendship to heal but they never worked together again. There have been other hit collaborations over the years though: Heartbreaker with Barry Gibb, for instance, and How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye with Luther Vandross.
Music can be a cutthroat business, so does Dionne regard herself as tough?
“I prefer to say I’m consistent,” she says. “I do what I feel is right. I know who I am. I like who I am.”
That hussy could neva….
Let them know Auntie @dionnewarwick pic.twitter.com/Lghh8QCDKe
— Julianna Margulies' Black Instagram Screen (@GullahRehabbed) December 7, 2023
and
if you sneezed on the beat, cila would’ve too! pic.twitter.com/faKGs9qhUV
— the pop attic⁷ (@thepopattic) December 7, 2023
and
Help! ? pic.twitter.com/BC2qyjZRjR
— Foundational GreenCard Baby Descendant (@Jadyboops) December 7, 2023
and
— Alan C. Beard (@alancbeard) December 7, 2023
