Burt and Cissy

[steveoreno]

I once read an interview by the great Cissy Houston (happy birthday Cissy) stating that she was Burt's first choice, not Dionne. She said she turned down the offer, because she wanted to raise a family. Has anyone else heard of this?

[steveo_1965]

No, I havent heard this, but Cissy sure was great on the 1970 or '71 Burt Bacharach album where the songs Mexican Divorce and One Less Bell appear.
I thot Cissy was part of the Gospelaires, a group that Leiber and Stoller or Burt hired for sessions, and that Burt picked Dionne because of her sound and looks...
I'd be interested if anyone else knows this story.
Steveo

[BachtoBacharach]

Have heard that story from Cissy before but never from Burt, Hal or Dionne. I have a hard time swallowing that Dionne was Burt's 2nd choice when Burt has said that Dionne had that star quality and that "it" that the others didn't. I believe he was right, too.