Ever since her first hits in the 60’s, songs like “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” and “Walk on By,” composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Warwick, 71, has performed worldwide before numerous heads of state and presidents, including the Queen of England.

One of the 40 biggest hit-makers during the rock era from 1955 to 1999, and winner of the prestigious Best Female Vocal Performance award, Warwick ranks second only to Aretha Franklin as the most charted female vocalist on the Billboard’s Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart and now has nearly sixty charted hits.

The Grammy-winning charity single, “That’s What Friends Are For,” produced along with Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder, raised millions for the fight against AIDS.

Because of her continuous efforts to bring attention to the fight against AIDS, in 1987 President Ronald Reagan appointed her U. S. Ambassador of Health to the United Nations and in 2002 she was named the goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Recently, MPCA, who owns songwriter Sammy Cahn’s songbook, was looking for a singer to record some of Cahn’s songs, which Warwick said were a blend of Frank Sinatra, bossa nova and big band jazz. Warwick said in an interview with Variety Magazine she had no clue it would turn out to be a jazz album.

This weekend Warwick will perform some of these selections at the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center, one of her first Southern California stops on the 50th Anniversary World Tour.

Not only will she be performing a selection of songs from her latest CD, “Only Trust Your Heart,” a tribute to the music of Sammy Cahn, but she will also do several of her popular Grammy award winning singles.

Warwick’s singing career began in the mid-60’s with a string of Gold selling albums and hit singles composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. “Message to Michael” was one of her first top 10 hits.

Since that time, Warwick has received a lifetime achievement award from the R&B Foundation.

A woman who inspires millions through her music and work as a humanitarian, Warwick in a recent interview with USA today, reflected on words instilled in her by her grandfather, “If you think it, you can do it.”

And she is still doing it. With a performance schedule which includes about 200 shows a year, Warwick says she pulls herself in about 97 different directions, but just doesn’t stress about it.

She admits there are still some important personal goals she wants to accomplish and candidly remarks, “As I’ve said over the years, I still want the Tony, Oscar and Emmy!”

Warwick will be performing Friday, Jan. 13 at 8 p.m. at the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center at College of the Canyons, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road in Santa Clarita. Tickets are $85/$70/$55.

A pre-concert cocktail reception and meet-and-greet with Warwick will be held at 5:30 p.m., at Pico Canyon Hall Dance Studio, College of the Canyons, Valencia Campus. Tickets are $75. Reception tickets do not include admission to concert.

All proceeds from event will benefit the PAC K-12 Arts Education Program. For more information call (661) 361-5342.