Dionne Warwick's granddaughter poised for success
LARCHMONT, N.Y. -- It’s a family affair for budding singer and actress Cheyenne Elliott. And what a family she’s got in her corner.
Her grandmother is the legendary Dionne Warwick. Her father David Elliott wrote Here and Now for Luther Vandross, and her cousin was the late Whitney Houston. But even with these famous names attached, the 21-year-old Elliott seems to have both feet planted in reality here.
“Life is very normal; this is our town, I grew up here,” says Elliott.
Elliott was raised by her mother, a nurse, in Larchmont and traveled back and forth to visit her father living in California. Sitting in one of her usual haunts, Chat 19 with her mom, she points out a favorite diner and local gym where she starts her day teaching spin class.
These days, after spin she’s off to the city for an acting class with coach Susan Batson (who trained Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Lopez) or recording a demo in studio. “My job has been to make sure Cheyenne has a foundation; I’m her advocate,” says mom Lisa Gressett.
Elliott’s first release, 2015's With You, created some buzz, reaching the Top 20 of the Billboard Dance Chart after just a few weeks. Now she’s working on music she describes as soul-inspired pop for her upcoming release. She describes her favorite music as R&B and soul with John Legend, Adele and Corinne Bailey Rae as influences.
She got the bug for singing as a 9-year-old when Warwick brought her onstage to sing That’s What Friends Are For in front of a crowd of 10,000 fans during the Coney Island summer concert series in Brooklyn.
Warwick remembers asking her granddaughter if she wanted to sing. “Her father is an extraordinarily talented man so I asked her 'do you think you can do this?' " Warwick says. "And she said 'yes' and she did.”
Whitney Houston hologram to perform in 2016
But it’s not only about talent, adds Warwick, who has schooled Elliott on the business.
“She understands it’s not just given but an earned situation; she does have the talent,” says Warwick. Elliott got her first guitar from her father, who plans to tour with her in the future, while mom is her closest adviser. “My whole team is my family,” says Elliott.
Her mother is white and father African-American; Gressett says she always exposed her to both sides of her family growing up even though the couple never married. “Our goal is our child,” she says.
Elliott graduated from Mamaroneck High School, traveling during holidays and summers with her famous family.
She has fond memories of spending time with pop superstar Houston, who died in 2012.
“When I did get to see her it was amazing; she brought me and her daughter (on tour) and I spent the summer touring with her,” she says. ‘She was just so supportive and encouraged me to continue singing.”
Elliott has also picked up the torch from family when it comes to volunteering, playing her guitar for sick children at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, LGBT pride events and one of her grandmother’s favorite charities - Project Sunshine.
She says she’s already figured out the secret to success in the entertainment business: “You have to have a close knit group of friends; they never let me get too over the top, but they are my biggest supporters.”’
Elliott and Warwick performed a duet of the Star-Spangled Banner at Madison Square Garden at the start of the New York Knicks game Feb. 5 in honor of Black History Month.
“It’s a joy to see her grow up," says Warwick. "She’s ready for the business and anything that I can do to help her reach her goals she knows I'm in her corner.”
Follow Karen Roberts on Twitter: @krhudsonvalley