The very-talented singer/vocalist Warren WIEBE has passed away October 25, 1998. It was a suicide... There was a memorial service October 31, 1998 in Malibu with his friends including live performances.
To honore his memory, we have decided to feature here the official biography that Warren sent us and we have added some albums in his credits list as well as quotes and some articles.
Warren WIEBE will be missed. RIP.
Thanks to the Warren WIEBE family for the appreciation of this page.
QUOTES "He sang like an angel and was the best part of so many of our memories. We will miss him dearly." - David and Linda FOSTER (November 1998) "This tune also marks the introduction of a new artist that David Foster brought to the Jook Joint. Warren Wiebe is a remarkably talented artist who thinks, feels and sings much more than he says. Singing all he does and he has used it to overcome all the obstacles he has faced in his life. He was born with a singular God-given gift, the gift of song. So here's a shout out to "The Rain Man", Warren Wiebe, my "Brother Man"." - Quincy JONES about Warren WIEBE on the song "Is It Love That We're Missin'". Duet with Gloria Estefan. (on the liner notes of Quincy JONES album Q's Jook Joint released in 1995) "It's so tragic. He was one of the sweetest, kindest guys ever..." - Bill CANTOS (October 1998) "Though very sad!!!! We will see Warren again in the next Sphere of Life!!!" - Cruz and Michael SEMBELLO (October 1998) "I'm very sorry, but it is true. Warren died last sunday. We'll have a service for him in Malibu, tomorrow saturday. We'll have some music with performances by Kenny G, All 4 One and David Foster. It has been a sad week..." - Felipe ELGUETA - famous sound engineer based in Los Angeles, CA (October 30, 1998)
BIOGRAPHY Warren WIEBE was born and raised in San Diego and made his first recording at the age of 14. Gifted with a three-octave vocal range and relative pitch, Warren had performed for bands specializing in standards, Jazz, Blues, Funk, Soul, Hip-Hop, Pop, Rock, and the Motown sound.
Bobby GENTRY gave Warren his first big break in 1980 by hiring him to sing in her band in Las Vegas. By the late 1980's, Warren was well established will all of the major studios in San Diego singing local radio and television jingles, demos and on album projects for various musicians. He won vocal contests and continued to sing live in nighclubs at corporate and private functions.
On Valentine's Day in 1987, Warren had the good fortune to be heard by David FOSTER (12-time Grammy Award winning producer/songwriter/arranger) and Burt BACHARACH while performing at The Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles. Within a few months of this event, Warren was performing with an 80-piece orchestra as the lead vocalist in David FOSTER's band and performing throughout Canada.
Since that time, Warren had relocated to the Los Angeles area where his career has skyrocketed. He continued to work with David FOSTER in the studio and for live performances. Since 1989, he had been featured as the anthem singer for the Los Angeles Kings at the Great Western Forum. He had performed on a regular basis at the Santa Monica Beach Loews Hotel. In 1994, he was signed to The Atlantic Group as a recording artist and has begun work on his first solo album. He toured Japan where he was a featured vocalist for David FOSTER's band and performed with COLOR ME BADD, Peabo BRYSON, Celine DION, Wendy MOTEN, Leland SKLAR, Michael THOMPSON, Jerry HEY, Larry WILLIAMS and the SEAWIND Horns and the Japanese Philharmonic Orchestra. These Tokyo and Osaka concerts were televised live for broadcast throughout Japan.
Warren began 1995 by headlining at JAMS nightclub in Indonesia for 4 weeks. He sold out nearly all of his shows because he had the number one hit song in the country, Roxanne. He demo'd the title song to the movie Stuart Smalley Saves His Family. He was working with the FOSTER-produced band MILLENIUM for Atlantic Records.
Warren has participated in numerous charity events benefiting a wide variety of organizations including the Los Angeles Rescue Mission, Big Sisters Guild of Los Angeles, Variety Club, cerebral palsy, the David FOSTER Foundation, the USO, AIDS, pediatric AIDS, juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis, schools in Santa Barbara and Malibu and the University of Montana. He had sung at fundraisers for David FOSTER's Celebrity Softball Society tournaments and for the David FOSTER Foundation Society for the past several years. Warren was the featured vocalist on the Voices That Care demo which was produced to support US troops in the Persian Gulf, and Warren was interviewed for the documentary video. The video and the single were both awarded Platinum records by the RIAA as over one million copies were sold. Additionally, Warren sang the demo for Carole BAYER SAGER and David FOSTER's song to benefit the pediatric AIDS foundation.
During the last three years, Warren had performed on demos for and with Barbra STREISAND, Tony BENNETT, Lena HORNE, Ray CHARLES, Celine DION, COLOR ME BADD, Bob DYLAN, John WILLIAMS, James INGRAM, Anita BAKER, ALL 4 ONE, Peabo BRYSON, Bobby CALDWELL, Nathalie MERCHANTS, Vanessa WILLIAMS, Chrissy HYNDE, HALL & OATES, TAKE 6, Taylor DAYNE, Jordan HILL, Gloria ESTEFAN, ALABAMA, Stephen BISHOP, GO WEST, Aaron NEVILLE and Natalie COLE, among others.
Warren had worked in the studio with many of Los Angeles' most talented producers and songwriters including Quincy JONES, Kal DAVID, Marc SHAIMAN, Barry MANN & Cynthia WEILL, Paul ANKA, Richard PERRY, Diane WARREN, Carole BAYER SAGER, Humbertico GATICA, Jay GRAYDON, Marilyn & Alan BERGMAN, Lamont DOZIER, Dean PITCHFORD, Stanley CLARKE, Debra BLANDO, Steve DORFF, Mike GEALER, and others.
A partial list of singers Warren had performed live with include Michael BOLTON, Kenny LOGGINS, Kenny G., Natalie COLE, Boz SCAGGS, Bryan ADAMS, James INGRAM, Kenny ROGERS, Celine DION, Jason SCHEFF, Mike GEALER, Mel TORME, COLOR ME BADD, Jordan HILL, THE CORRS, Bill CHAMPLIN, Brenda RUSSELL, Richard MARX, Sheena EASTON, Peter CETERA, Melissa MANCHESTER, Rosemary BUTLER, Mike RENO, Nigel OLSSON, Marilyn MARTIN, Peter NOONE, Stephen BISHOP, Jackson BROWNE, Fee WAYBILL, Timothy B. SCHMIT, Bruce JOHNSON, Al GREEN's band and all of the performers from Voices That Care.
Warren had performed at the weddings of David FOSTER, Celine DION, Luc ROBATAILLE (LOS ANGELES KINGS), Alan THICKE and at private functions for Dan FOUTS (SAN DIEGO CHARGERS), Wayne and Janet GRETZKY, Bruce McNALL, John McENROE, Ed SNIDER (owner of THE PHILADELPHIA FLYERS hockey team), Ned SHANKMAN, former President and Mrs. BUSH, former Presidents REAGAN, CARTER, FORD and NIXON, former Canadian Prime Minister Brian MULRONEY, Esam and Layla KASHOGGI and Robert KARDASHIAN.
CREDITS
Affiliations
- - A.F.T.R.A. - American Federation Television Radio Association
- - S.A.G. - Screen Actors Guild
Jingles
- - Altadena Dairy (Jingle)
- - Steven Vaus Productions, San Diego - Multiple radio & television spots
- - Patterson, Waltz & Fox Music Productions, San Diego - Ford Dealers
- - Saatchi and Pacific Productions - Toyota national television and radio spot
- - Fox Television : "Melrose Place" promotion, "Unforgettable" (1991 Emmy Awards Theme), "I Will Remember You" (1992 Emmy Awards Theme)
- - David Foster - "Candid Camera" Theme
Radio Appearances
- - Interview re Los Angeles Kings on K-XTRA - 1993
- - Interview via telephone to Oslo, Norway re David Foster Fan Club - 1993
- - Live performance from CNN in Los Angeles to Japan - 1993 (with Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins and Brenda Russell)
- - Live performance at Christmastime on KABC Talk Radio - 1993
Television Appearances
- - Easter Sunday Performance on "Hour of Power" - 1995
- - Performance on the "Shirley" talk show - 1994
- - L.A. Kings/Mighty Ducks Celebrity Hockey Game - 1993
- - Thanksgiving Day Performance on "Good Day L.A." - 1993
- - United Cerebral Palsy's Star-athon - 1993, 1992
- - Variety Club Telethon - 1989 - 1994
- - Performance on E Entertainment's "Inside Word" program - 1993
- - Welcome Home America, a USO Salute to the Troops - 1991
- - Los Angeles Kings hockey games at the Forum - 1989 - 1995
- - Los Angeles Dodgers game at Anaheim Stadium - 1992
Motion Picture Soundtracks (artists / tune / work / album / label / country of release / year of release)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS from All I Want For Christmas (USA)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS - Human Touch (lead vocals) from Animex Standard 7 - Gundam Song Collection 4 (Columbia/Sony Music Japan - 1996)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS - Auld Lang Syne (duet with Rosemary Butler) from The Cutting Edge (USA)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS - Human Touch (lead vocals) from Gundam X (King Records Japan - 1996)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS - Listen To Me (duet with Celine Dion) from Listen To Me (Columbia/Sony Music Canada)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS from The Magical World Of Chuck Jones (USA)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS - If Not For Love (lead vocals) from One Good Cop (USA)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS - Goodbye (lead vocals) from One Life To Live - The Best Of Love (SBK Records USA - 1995)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS (lead vocals) from The Rat Pack - HBO (USA)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS - Can We Bring The Love In (lead vocals) from Silent Möbius Vol. 2 - Melody (Ayers Japan - 1998)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS - What Makes A Family (lead vocals) from Stuart Saves His Family (Milan/BMG USA - 1995)
Videos
- - Voices That Care
- - EVI Signature Series Show
- - Trailer for Fox Video Rentals
Some Recordings (artist / tune / work / album / label / country of release / year of release)
- Warren WIEBE - Human Touch (lead vocals) from Human Touch (CD single that incl. a karaoke version - Ayers Japan - 1997)
- Warren WIEBE - A Little Thing Called Love (lead vocals) from ? (Memorial SVC)
- AIR SUPPLY - Faith (background vocals) from The Vanishing Race (Giant Records USA - 1993)
- ALL-4-ONE - I Swear (background vocals) from All-4-One (Blitz/Atlantic USA - 1994)
- ALL-4-ONE - I Can Love You Like That (background vocals) from And The Music Speaks (Blitz/Atlantic USA - 1995)
- Paul ANKA (background vocals) from Y Amigos (Globos/Sony Discos Latin America - 1996)
- Paul ANKA - One Kiss (background vocals) from A Body Of Work (Epic/Sony Music USA - 1998)
- Max BENNETT & THE MAXX BAND (lead vocals) from Maxx Band (USA)
- Max BENNETT & THE MAXX BAND - Why Oh Why (lead vocals) from Great Expectations (Chase Music Group/Polydor Japan - 1993)
- Peabo BRYSON - Why Goodbye (background vocals) from Through The Fire (Columbia/Sony Music USA - 1994)
- Bobby CALDWELL - Your Precious Love (background vocals) from Soul Survivor (Sin-Drome USA - 1995)
- Tevin CAMPBELL from his forthcoming album (USA - 1999)
- Taylor DAYNE - Send Me A Lover (background vocals) from Soul Dancing (Arista USA - 1992)
- Taylor DAYNE - Send Me A Lover (background vocals) from Greatest Hits (Elektra/WEA Music USA - 1993)
- Rick DEES (lead vocals) from Upcoming Release (USA)
- Celine DION (background vocals) from Celine Dion (Columbia/Sony Music USA - 1992)
- Celine DION (duet with Celine Dion) from Celine Dion (Columbia/Sony Music)
- Karl EAGAN - Sometimes Lover (lead vocals) from Karl Eagan (USA)
- Mark EVANS - Days Gone By, Keep Me Hangin' On (lead vocals) from Three Day Weekend (Verve Forecast/PGD USA - 1998)
- David FOSTER - River Of Love, Walkaway, This Must Be Love, Is There A Chance, Living For The Moment (lead vocals) and River Of Love, Walkaway, Is There A Chance, Living For The Moment, One Step Closer, Inside You (background vocals) from River Of Love (Atlantic/WEA Music USA - 1990)
- David FOSTER for different songs (background vocals) from The Christmas Album (Atlantic/WEA Music USA - 1995)
- Mike GEALER (lead vocals) from Paradise (USA)
- Mike GEALER - Father To Son (lead vocals) from In The Park (Positive Music USA - 1994)
- Jay GRAYDON - Roxann, You're Not Alone (lead vocals) from Airplay For The Planet (Toshiba-EMI Japan 1993)
- Jay GRAYDON (lead vocals) from Radio For The Airwaves (USA)
- Adrian GURVITZ - Classic - Main Mix, Classic - Dream Mix (background vocals) from Classic - Version Originale 96 (CD single - Hot Tracks France - 1995)
- Joe HISAISHI - Two Of Us, I Stand Alone (lead vocals) from Melody Boulevard (Pioneer Japan - 1995)
- Miki HOWARD - Shining Through, New Fire From An Old Flame (background vocals) from Femme Fatale (Giant USA - 1992)
- Yukiko ITO - Put Your Head On My Shoulder (duet with Yukiko Ito) from Good Times, Bad Times (SEI Records Japan - 1997 - but originally recorded in 1990)
- Quincy JONES - Is It Love That We're Missing (duet with Gloria Estefan) from Q's Jook Joint (Qwest/Warner Bros USA - 1995)
- KOFI - Silent Night, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (lead vocals) from A Reggae Christmas (Atlantic/WEA Music USA)
- Marilyn McCOO - Did We Forget About Love (background vocals) from The Me Nobody Knows (Warner Bros USA - 1991)
- Johnny MATHIS - I'll Walk Away, Welcome Home, Why Goodbye, Like No One In The World, Every Beat Of My Heart, Let Your Heart Remember, Let Me Be The One (background vocals) from All About Love (Columbia/Sony Music USA - 1996)
- Miho MORIKAWA - Here With Me (duet with Miho Morikawa) from Solista (Toshiba/EMI Japan - 1996)
- Miho MORIKAWA - Here With Me (duet with Miho Morikawa) from Here With Me (CD single - Toshiba/EMI Japan - 1996)
- Mark PORTMANN - Here I Go Again (lead vocals) and Here I Go Again, Destinations (background vocals) from No Truer Words (Zebra Records USA - 1997)
- SPIES (lead vocals and voices) from By Way Of The World (Telarc USA - 1988)
- Wendy SWANSON (lead vocals) from Sole Desire (Canada)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS - On My Own (duet with Lalah Hathaway) from Bacharach... Applause - The Look Of Love (King Records Japan - 1997)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS - The Last Holy Night (lead vocals) from Goody's (Japan - 1992)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS (lead vocals) from Re-Import (Japan - 1991)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS - True Love (lead vocals) from Various Love Stories 3 (Remorab Japan - 1994)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS - Voices That Care (lead vocals) from Voices That Care - Demo (CD single - Giant USA - 1991)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS - Voices That Care (vocals) from Voices That Care (CD single - Giant USA - 1991)
- VARIOUS ARTISTS - Before The Fall (lead vocals) from World Jam 1 Box Set - Disc 4: Ocean To Ozone (Worldwide Records USA - 1997)
- Jack WAGNER on different tunes (background vocals) from Alone In A Crowd (BFE Records USA - 1993)
- Art WASEM (lead vocals) from Art: The Green Album (USA - 1998)
- Sadao WATANABE - Old Photograph, Only Love (lead vocals) from Sweet Deal (Warner/Pioneer Japan - 1991)
- Sadao WATANABE - Old Photograph, Only Love (lead vocals) from Just A Touch - Vocal Collection (Elektra/WEA Music USA - 1991)
- Pepper WILLIAMS - This World Of Ours (lead vocals) from Don't Let Me Wait (KeySax Records USA - 1998)
Supplemental Information
1997 - Warren sang for David FOSTER at his home in Malibu for Andre AGASSI and Brooke SHIELDS' engagement party, and he sang at Carnegie Hall in Manhattan, New York with Reba McENTIRE and Celine DION, Luther VANDROSS, and Rosie O'DONNELL for the Gay Men's Health Crisis show.
1994 - Performed in Vancouver, B.C. for the Princess of Yugoslavia.
- Performed with David FOSTER in Aspen, Colorado at the Race to Erase MS benefit for Multiple Sclerosis.
- Performed with David FOSTER and Tamia WASHINGTON at the Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles benefit to honor Wayne GRETZKY in a "Salute to the Athlete of the Decade."
- Performed with David FOSTER at the Variety Club in Vancouver, B.C.
1993 - Performed a David FOSTER Christmas Carol live on the air for KABC talk radio (790 AM) on the Peter TILDON/Diane DIXON show.
- Performed at Granita with David FOSTER to benefit the Malibu Relief fund to aid those who lost their homes in the fire and to honor the firefighters.
- Performed for the Los Angeles Kings, Mighty Ducks and celebrities at a hockey game to benefit victims of the recent fires and the American Red Cross.
- Performed the song Blue Tatoo and was interviewed on the Fox Television program "Good Day L.A."
- Performed at Monroe's (formerly Splash) with David FOSTER to benefit the Malibu Relief Fund to aid those who lost their homes in the fire and to honor the firefighters
- Performed the song Blue Tatoo at In Harmony with the Homeless concert sponsored by ASCAP and NAS at The Troubadour which was written for the benefit to aid the Los Angeles Rescue Mission.
- Performed Carole BAYER SAGER songs with David FOSTER, Tamia WASHINGTON and James INGRAM at the Big Sisters Guild of Los Angeles dinner to honor Carole BAYER SAGER as its Woman of the Year.
- Performed with David FOSTER and Tamia WASHINGTON at a formal dinner at the University of Montana to kick off their fundraising drive.
- Performed at the annual David FOSTER Foundation benefit in Kalowna, British Columbia to raise money for the David FOSTER Society.
- Live radio interview on K-XTRA re Los Angeles Kings.
- MusiCares dinner honoring Natalie COLE as person of the year by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (performed with Chaka KHAN and Natalie COLE).
- Race to Erase Multiple Sclerosis in Aspen (performed with KENNY G., Michael BOLTON, Denis MILLER and Gloria ESTEFAN).
1992 - 1991 - Performed with Natalie COLE at a membership awards luncheon for the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences honoring Natalie and Columbia Records President Joe SMITH.
- Performed with David FOSTER and Celine DION at a special performance for the Prince and Princess of Wales in Ottawa, Canada at the request of Canadian Prime Minister Brian MULRONEY.
- Performed at Celine DION's wedding in Montreal, Canada (at her reception).
ARTICLES DejaNews on late October 1998 "Sad news. This past weekend vocalist Warren WIEBE passed away. He took his own life. Many of you may not recognize his name, but you have heard his work everywhere. His main records were done with David FOSTER, who featured Warren (...).
Warren's was the voice that many artists copied when doing their versions of songs he had demoed - Glory Of Love (Peter CETERA), Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight (Aaron NEVILLE), and many of the Celine DION, Whitney HOUSTON, ALL-4-ONE, Kevin SHARP, and countless other stars' records. He also was heard on the "Candid Camera" theme. I'm sure there are countless other recordings that I'm forgetting, but rest assured that most anything David FOSTER put out, Warren played a part in.
(...) Those of us who knew, worked, and loved him he was simply - great. A voice sent from God that was so sweet you could cry as you listened. He worked many times at my studio - we did the demos for the aforementioned Aaron NEVILLE cut, in addition to Forever Young, recorded by the PRETENDERS and Rebbie JACKSON, and a slew of others.
My only regret is that many of the producers who visit here will not get a chance to work with Warren. He was a true "one of a kind", and I will miss him everyday."
- Ted Perlman
San Diego Union dated October 29, 1998 "Warren WIEBE was a pure singer whose celebrity never seemed to reach the heights of his vocal range.
But some musical figures -- Quincy JONES and David FOSTER, among them -- made sure he received at least some of the exposure his voice deserved.
In 1984, at a birthday party for Burt BACHARACH, he met composer-producer FOSTER, who was enchanted by Mr. WIEBE's singing.
"David's reactions was: 'Boy, are you in the right business,' " recalled Amber WHITLOCK, a longtime friend of Mr. WIEBE.
Mr. WIEBE, a San Diego native, was found dead Sunday in his Glendale apartment. He was 44.
Glendale police said the death was a suicide.
WHITLOCK a professional singer who lives in Vista, said Mr. WIEBE had seemed distant in recent months and was still dealing with grief over the deaths of his mother, Ruby GOODRICH, and a former high school friend.
His mother died in February 1997 and the friend suffered a fatal heart attack in recent months.
Mr. WIEBE, who began singing with a San Diego Top 40 band at age 14, had no formal training as a singer. His inspiration was Stevie WONDER, whose voice he often emulated.
After graduating in 1972 from Crawford High School, Mr. WIEBE toured with Bobbie GENTRY of Ode to Billy Joe fame. He also performed solo at the Turquoise Lounge in La Mesa.
In recent years, he sang on JONES' Q's Jook Joint CD and performed in a mini-concert in England for the late Princess Diana, friends and family members said Mr. WIEBE's association with FOSTER opened many musical doors over the last 14 years. In 1991, he appeared with more than 50 stars of the entertainment and sports world in Foster's video production, Voices That Care, which was dedicated to troops in the Persian Gulf War.
Beginning in 1988, when Wayne GRETZKY signed with the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League, Mr. WIEBE regularly sang America The Beautiful before their home games.
GRETZKY was a friend of FOSTER, who helped arrange Mr. WIEBE's appearances, said a spokesman for the Kings. Mr. WIEBE's rousing renditions were well-received and proved somewhat of a good luck charm for the Kings during the GRETZKY era.
Primarily a studio singer in recent years, Mr. WIEBE would often make demo recordings of composers' songs for record companies.
"He could sing tenor, with a very high range, or baritone," WHITLOCK said. "He had a voice like an angel."
During the last few years, Mr. WIEBE sang inspirational music at Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, where the Rev. Robert H. SCHULLER presides.
Mr. WIEBE also appeared as a backup singer for Celine DION and sang in the HBO movie The Rat Pack, simulating the voice of Dean MARTIN. The movie premiered in August.
Before moving to the Los Angeles area from San Diego a decade ago, Mr. WIEBE performed at Humphrey's on Shelter Island.
"He sang at Carnegie Hall and he sang at Sonny BONO's funeral," said his sister, Jeanne JOHNSON. "In San Diego, he was known as 'Velvet Throat.' "
Mr. WIEBE was a familiar voice on television jingles and often performed at Loews hotel in Los Angeles.
He also sang on the soundtracks of two movies, Listen To Me in 1989 and One Good Cop in 1991.
"Everyone in the music industry knew who he was," WHITLOCK said. "He sang a duet with Barbra STREISAND and she asked to have him on her album.
"But the record company wanted a big name, and they got Johnny MATHIS instead."
Mr. WIEBE is survived by two sisters, Jeanne JOHNSON of La Mesa and Ranee GUILL of Salem, Ore.
Services are scheduled for noon tomorrow at Greenwood Memorial Park & Mortuary, 4300 Imperial Ave., San Diego."
© Warren Wiebe - 1997 and 1998 - for the signed pic and official biography incl. supplemental information
