It is impossible to overstate the extraordinary success or impact of Dionne Warwick, the music superstar who for 44 years was one the biggest hit-makers in the world, with 56 singles making the Hot 100.

Though there have been many recordings of her TV performances, Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over, which is directed by David Heilbroner and Dave Wooley, is the first comprehensive documentary about the legendary crossover singer and political activist. The long-awaited feature world premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the runner-up of the Audience Award for Best Documentary (The top winner was The Rescue). Early on, Warwick was fêted with the well-deserved Toronto Festival Tribute Award. The film introduces fans to the person behind the music, and the long journey she has made from New Jersey gospel choirs to internationally known singer and beyond.

The directors point out that what surprised them the most was her sense of humor, “that she is also a comedian.” Says Wooley: “There have been a thousand words to try and describe Dionne Warwick. For me, it comes down to one word: genius.” And, indeed, her track record speaks for itself and offers the best evidence. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest hit-makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on Billboard’s Hot 100 pop singles chart. She is one of the most-charted female vocalists of all time, with 56 of her singles making the Hot 100 between 1962 and 1998 (12 of them Top Ten), and 80 singles in total (either solo or collaboratively) making the Hot 100, R&B and other contemporary charts.

The documentary chronicles Warwick’s rise to fame, successes and missteps, and her impact within and outside the recording industry, resulting in an intriguing portrait of a uniquely American icon. It features interviews with mentors like Burt Bacharach and Clive Davis, contemporaries like Gladys Knight, Carlos Santana, and Elton John, and the younger generation she has inspired like Snoop Dogg and Alicia Keys.

She is the kind of legendary singer, whose songs (both lyrics and music) have entered into the lore of popular culture. Many fans know the lyrics of her big hits by heart: “Walk On By,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose,” “I’ll Never Love This Way Again,” and “That’s What Friends Are For,” to name but a few. The documentary explores the various phases of the artist, born Marie Dionne Warrick on December 12, 1940, and raised in East Orange, New Jersey as a Girl Scout. After finishing East Orange High School, in 1959, she pursued her passion at the Hartt College of Music in West Hartford, Connecticut.

She landed some work with her group singing backup vocals for recording sessions in New York City. During one session, Warwick met Burt Bacharach, who hired her to record demos featuring songs written by him and lyricist Hal David. Warwick went on to develop a spectacular career, which relies on her powerful voice, sex appeal, and charismatic personality. For those who aren’t familiar with Warwick, which can only be those from a younger generation, Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over will be a fascinating glimpse into the life of a pioneering superstar. In 1971 she became the top-paid female recording artist of all time, an especially impressive achievement for a Black woman.

As the film chronicles, she was nearly arrested for speaking her mind in the segregated South and didn’t listen to advice on coddling White audiences. Still, she crossed over to enormous success with both Black and White audiences in the U.S. and audiences from a wide variety of cultures around the world. Warwick gets particular plaudits from Elton John for her work as an activist. She was one of the first big stars to spotlight AIDS in the 1980s when still many celebrities and politicians kept quiet, fearful of expressing their voices due to the stigma associated with the disease. She promised the proceeds to one of her all-time greatest hits, “That’s What Friends Are For,” to an AIDS charity. She is a former Goodwill Ambassador for the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. Former President Bill Clinton, in particular, says he has been a huge fan, singling her out for her constant efforts to increase AIDS funding and global awareness at a crucial time when it was much necessary.

At the age of 80, Warwick is not sitting idle or basking in her past glory. She revels in the new technologies and platforms of the past two decades, such as Twitter, which have enabled her to reach younger fans more rapidly and effectively than ever before.