Born into a gifted gospel-music family, Marie Dionne Warwick first raised her voice in song at age six. Though reared in the church, she is not a gospel singer. Her unique sound is a sophisticated combination of music forms.

Indelibly tied to the songwriting combination of Burt Bacharach and Hal David -- remember "I Say a Little Prayer" or "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" -- she filled the airwaves in the 1960s and has enjoyed a diverse and sparkling career.

Now she's back with her first-ever collection of holiday songs. It's called My Favorite Time of The Year, and it brings that distinctive Warwick style to time-honored holiday classics, from "Joy to the World" to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."

Warwick talks about her music with NPR's Tavis Smiley, and tells why it took her 40 years to do a Christmas album.

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