Amy Winehouse

Background

Amy Winehouse was a star who experienced a turbulent journey to popularity yet maintained her legacy even after she passed away. Born on September 14, 1983, in Enfield, London, Amy Jade Winehouse, the British singer, and songwriter, was of Jewish ancestry. Her sun sign was Virgo. Her mother, Janis Winehouse, is a pharmacist, while her father, Mitchell ‘Mitch’ Winehouse, is a cab driver and window-pane installer. Her elder brother, Alex Winehouse, is a former online music journalist. She came from a family with a background in music with several relations who were professional jazz musicians. With a keen interest in music from childhood, Winehouse was enrolled at the Susi Earnshaw Theater School to improve her voice and learn tap dancing. After four years at the school, she received admission to the Sylvia Young Theater School. When Winehouse was 15, she changed schools again, attending the BRIT School and writing and performing with a jazz band. During this time, she also started working with World Entertainment News Network as an entertainment journalist.

Winehouse’s first professional singing role was as the featured female vocalist in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra in 2000. It was after this that her friend and fellow soul singer Tyler James sent her demo tape to music producers and agents that got her noticed. In 2002, she was signed by Simon Fuller’s company 19 Management and later signed a record deal with Island Records. The following year, her debut album “Frank” was released in the U.K., and her sultry voice catapulted the album, and the singer, to instant fame. The jazz-influenced album became platinum-certified in the U.K., and Winehouse was nominated for several awards, winning an Ivor Novello Award for ‘Best Contemporary Song’ for the single ‘Stronger Than Me’ in 2004.

The best-selling album of the year, “Back to Black” in 2007, also featured the hit single ‘Rehab,’ which was also named the best song of the year by “TIME” Magazine. The same year, her debut album, “Frank,” was released in the U.S. to much acclaim. Winehouse continued to perform on tours around the U.S. and Europe in 2006 and 2007, during which time the first reports about her substance addiction started to circulate.

In 2007, she married Blake Fielder-Civil. The following year, in 2008, “Back to Black” and Winehouse were nominated across seven categories at the Grammy Awards, with Winehouse sweeping the awards with five wins, including ‘Best New Artist.’ The feat also earned her a “Guinness Book of World Records” entry for the ‘Most Grammys won by a British Female Act.’ A few months later, she became the first artist to be nominated for two nominations at the Ivor Novello Awards for the category ‘Best Song Musically and Lyrically,’ winning the award for her single ‘Love is a Losing Game.’ Over the next two years, Winehouse continued to make public appearances at concerts and went through a much-publicized divorce.

She also debuted her goddaughter through the record label Lioness Records, which she did in 2009. She and Mark Ronson worked together on the Quincy Jones tribute album “Q Soul Bossa Nostra” in 2010 while announcing that a new record was in the works. In 2011, she embarked on a European tour, but her first concert in Belgrade was termed ‘a disaster by the media and fans.’ Eventually, the show was canceled, and Winehouse returned to London. On July 20, 2011, Winehouse made a surprise appearance to support her goddaughter Dionne Bromfield at the Roundhouse in Camden. She was discovered dead in her London home three days later.

Winehouse was renowned not just for her unique voice but also for her style sense and philanthropy. Her distinct makeup and hair earned her rave reviews, and she even collaborated with the Fred Perry label for a collection. She donated much of her earnings to charities, especially those working with children. The shocking and untimely death of Winehouse sent shockwaves through the industry and fans. Her family and record label continued to honor her legacy, and her last single, with Tony Bennett, was released in 2011 on her birthday. A charitable foundation, the Amy Winehouse Foundation, was set up by her family to help the youth. Over her lifetime and even later, she has continued to be an inspiration for fellow musicians and artists worldwide.