My mother and aunt raised me on their old school music, which consisted solely of greats and legends. Before I had the chance to interview the Grammy Award-winning legend Dionne Warwick, let’s just say I had definitely heard of her before. Ms. Warwick has sold over 100 million albums and has remained one the most beloved artists in the world for her entire career, no small feat considering she started over five decades ago.

In addition to her legendary music status, Ms. Warrick has also spent a fair share of her efforts giving back to the community. She’s currently a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and has worked in the past with organizations like AmFAR, Starkey Hearing Foundation, the Elton John AIDS Foundation and The Hunger Project. She was taught early on the message of striving to make the world a better place. “You know,” she said during our phone call, “My grandfather was a minister, and from the time I can remember, from a youngster to today, the things he told me are still part of my mantra… Things like ‘If you can think it, you can do it.’ He also let me know without any reservations whatsoever (as he did with my sister and brother) that we’re really put here for one purpose, and that is to be of service to each other.”

In October, Ms. Warwick released her latest album, Feels So Good. The 14 track disc features some of her best-known songs, including greatest hits “You’ll Never Get to Heaven If You Break My Heart,” “A House Is Not A Home,” and “Message to Michael.”

In addition to four original songs, including the title-track “Feel So Good,” written by CeeLo Green, the featured classics have been re-imagined as duets and sung with an all-star line-up that includes Ne-Yo, Jamie Foxx, Gladys Knight, Billy Ray Cyrus, Eric Paslay, Cyndi Lauper, Mya, Ruben Studdard, Phil Driscoll and Ziggy Marley. Proceeds from the album will benefit unite4:good.

I had a chance to speak with Dionne Warwick one Sunday morning over the phone after she had just returned to her home in New York. Dionne said of the new album’s charity component, “It’s another part of what we do, you know – giving back [to all of those who have given to me]. And it’s very easy to do. You know, you don’t think twice about it.”

Being completely honest, Ms. Warwick admitted she was surprised artists like Ne-Yo and Jamie Foxx had even heard of her, let alone wanted to work with her. In spite of her tremendous success, she remains humble. Of working with the next generation of singers, she said, “I first of all don’t give advice. Nobody takes it anyway. The industry today has changed so drastically. It’s no longer the industry that I grew up in, so giving advice to the kids that are doing very, very well, seems to be a fruitless thing to do.”

More than just a duets album, Feels So Good features artists from an eclectic mix of genres, and all of her partners brought their A-games. “It was quite interesting to be able to sing with a country artist, and there are two on the album [Eric Paslay and Billy Ray Cyrus],” said Dionne. “CeeLo Green, Gladys [Knight], Cyndi [Lauper] – a vast variety of interesting sounds and genres of music… As much as I loved doing it, I hope that they’ll enjoy it.”

All of the duet partners decided the songs they wanted to sing with her, and Warwick was downright surprised at some of the choices. Ne-Yo and Reuben Studdard, for example, chose songs that were older than they were.

Feels So Good is also a family affair. Warwick’s youngest son, Damon Elliott, conceived and produced the album, and she also sings a song with her other son David, and her granddaughter Cheyenne. But it’s not just relatives ­– it’s also the music that she holds dear.

“I treat my music like my children. You can’t have a favorite song. Songs that were written for me have to have a very special meaning. They’re all my favorites – every single one of them.”

Thriving in the music business for decades takes a certain kind of realness and centeredness to weather the inevitable storms. But Warwick’s philosophy sheds a little light on the attitudes we can all adapt in order to be happier. She says, “I’ve stayed who I am. I don’t think anyone, especially my audiences and those that I’m gathering more of would expect me to do anything aside from what I do. So I haven’t altered anything about Dionne Warwick musically and / or personally.”

To learn more, visit dionnewarwick.us.