Amy Winehouse | Artist

Amy Winehouse was an English singer and songwriter born 1983 at Enfield, London. She was known for her eclectic mix of Soul, R&B and Jazz styles. A member of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra during her youth, Winehouse signed to Simon Fuller's 19 Management in 2002 and soon recorded a number of songs before signing a publishing deal with EMI. Working with producer Salaam Remi, Winehouse's 2003 debut album Frank was a critical success and was nominated for the UK's Mercury Prize. Her follow-up album, Back to Black (2006) went on to become an international success and one of the best selling albums in UK history. At the 2007 Brit Awards, it was nominated for British Album of the Year and Winehouse received the award for British Female Solo Artist. The song "Rehab" won her a second Ivor Novello Award. At the 50th Grammy Awards in 2008, she won five awards, tying the then record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night and becoming the first British woman to win five Grammys. Another highly recommended album is the 2021 archival release I Told You I Was Trouble: Live in London, recorded in 2007. Winehouse was plagued by drug and alcohol addiction thoughout her career. She died of alcohol poisoning on 23 July 2011, at the age of 27. A documentary film, Amy (2015), directed by Asif Kapadia was released on 3 July 2015. The film covers Winehouse's life, her relationships, her struggles with substance abuse both before and after her career blossomed, and which eventually caused her death. Amy Winehouse had deep musical roots in her family, with many her maternal uncles being professional jazz musicians. Her paternal grandmother, Cynthia, had also been a singer and had dated the English jazz saxophonist Ronnie Scott. She and Amy's parents influenced Amy's interest in jazz, and her father, Mitch, often sang Frank Sinatra songs to her. Legend has it that whenever Amy was in trouble at school, she would sing Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon" before going up to the headmistress to be told off.

Artist Website: amywinehouse.com

Featured Albums: Amy Winehouse

Collections: Women of Note