William Elliott was an American actor, jazz musician, and the husband of Dionne Warwick. Bill Elliott was an actor, known for Coffy (1973), Bridget Loves Bernie (1972), and Night of the Lepus (1972). William Elliott’s ex-wife Warwick made the list of the top 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on Billboard’s Hot 100 pop singles chart. She is the second-most charted female vocalist during the rock era.

William Elliott: Bio Summary

Who is Dionne Warwick’s ex-husband, Bill Elliott?

William Elliott was born on June 4, 1934, in Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America. After spending four years in the United States Navy as an electrician, Elliott worked for US Steel and also turned down an opportunity to study at MIT so he can follow his passion of being a drummer. Following his dreams, Dionne Warwick’s ex-husband, Bill Elliott formed his own music group of which she was a background vocalist.

Dionne Warwick and William Elliott married Twice

The former lovers tied the knot twice before finally calling it a quit in December 1975. When the actor visited the home of Warwick’s parents to ask permission to marry their daughter, Dionne’s father invited Elliot to the living room to have a man-to-man talk. The singer’s father knew of her soon-to-be Son-in-Law’s reputation as being a ladies’ man and Dionne’s father happened to be cleaning his gun in preparation for a hunting trip.

Who are Bill Elliott and Dionne Warwick’s sons David and Damon Elliott?

The couple tied the knot in 1966 and divorced a year later in May 1967. They reconciled and were remarried in Milan, Italy, in August 1967. Soon the couple started their family. On January 18, 1969, the couple had their first son, David Elliott. In 1973, their second son Damon Elliott was born.

ALSO, READ; David Leland Elliott: Who Is Dionne Warwick and William Elliott’s Son?

Following in the footsteps of their parents, both sons took on music as a profession. David is a songwriter, while Damon is a producer who goes by the alias Buck 22. Damon has produced songs for Destiny’s Child, Jessica Simpson, Bone Thugs N Harmony, and P!nk.

On May 30, 1975, the couple separated and Warwick was granted a divorce in December 1975 in Los Angeles. During their divorce, the court denied William Elliott’s request for $2,000 a month which is equivalent to $11,437 in 2023 in support pending a community property trial, and for $5,000, when he insisted he was making $500 a month in comparison to Warwick making $100,000 a month (equivalent to $571,863 in 2023).

Dionne stated in Don’t Make Me Over: Dionne Warwick, a 2002 Biography Channel interview, “I was the breadwinner. The male ego is a fragile thing. It’s hard when the woman is the breadwinner. All my life, the only man who ever took care of me financially was my father. I have always taken care of myself.” Warwick explained that her success actually hurt her marriage.

ALSO, READ; Damon Elliott: Everything About Dionne Warwick’s Son

William Elliott had a recurring role in Bridget Loves Bernie 

As an actor, William Elliott is known for Coffy (1973), Bridget Loves Bernie (1972), and Night of the Lepus (1972). He made his television debut in the series Dragnet. He went on to have a recurring role as Otis Foster in the Bernard Slade and as Officer Gus Grant on the Adam-12 TV show in the early 1970s.

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Bill also had an early uncredited role as a revolutionary in the Jules Dassin-directed Uptight which was released in 1968. He subsequently appeared as Leon in The Old Man Who Cried Wolf. Elliott also played the part of Deputy Bob Terry in They Call It Murder. He also appeared in Elvis Presley’s 1969 film Change of Habit.

As a Drummer, William Elliott has worked on lots of projects. Three of his works appeared on the “Cookin’ Sherry” album in 1961 (“Mellow Blues”, “Cookin’ Sherry” and “Contrasts”). He also worked with organist DeeDee Ford along with saxophonist/flautist Joe Thomas.

What happened to Dionne Warwick’s ex-husband William Elliott?

William Elliott died on September 30, 1983, in Los Angeles, California, USA at 49 years old. William lost his battle with cancer, theSun Reported.

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