• Before she became famous
• Getting famous
• International success
• Albums
• Music Background
• Awards
• Relationship Rollercoaster
• Weak Point
• Legal Issues
• Health Issues
• 10 things you must know about Amy
• Upcoming Projects
• Videos
• Leave Your Comment for Amy Winehouse!

Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse is British singer-songwriter and is known for her electric mix of various musical genres – soul, jazz, rock-n-roll and some R&B. She is the first British artist to win five Grammy Awards, including three of the”Big Four”: Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Before she became famous

Amy Jade Winehouse was born in the Southgate area of Enfield, London on 14th of September in 1983. She was raised in a Jewish family of four: her father Mitchell, taxi driver, her mother Janis, pharmacist, and her older brother Alex. Little Amy’s singing started off by singing Sinatra songs she heard around the house. Her father Mitch used to sing around the house when babysitting his children. By the time she was old enough to go to school she took a constant of singing to the point that teachers found it difficult keeping her quiet in class.

Well, Amy’s love for singing and suggestion of grandmother Cynthia took her to The Susi Earnshaw Theatre School. At age 10 Winehouse founded a rap band Sweet ‘n’ Sour along with her friend Juliette Ashby. Four years later Amy was accepted to full time training at Sylvia Young Theatre School from where she got expelled for “not applying herself”. Amy pierced her nose.

When Amy’s parents split she was 9. She and her older brother Alex mostly lived with their mother in Southgate – a London suburb best known for housing the Priory, a celebrity-friendly rehab hospital. “She was always very self-willed,” her father Mitch tells Rolling Stone in 2007. “Not badly behaved but… different.”

With other children from the Sylvia Young School, she appeared in an episode of The Fast Show, also known as the Brilliant in 1997. She later attended The London School for Performing Arts & Technology in Selhurst, Croydon.

By 16, Amy Winehouse lands a deal with Simon Fuller’s management company. He is the man behind American Idol. She eventually signs with Island Records.

Getting famous

North London’s vocal prodigy known as Amy Winehouse spent her early years balancing boyfriends and school just like most teenagers. However unlike her peers she was secretly maturing one of the most distinctive sets of vocal chords known to man.

When Amy got expelled from school her schoolmate and a close friend pop singer Tyler James passed on her demo tape to his A&R, who was searching for a jazz vocalist. That opportunity led to her recording contract with Island Records. By the end of 2003, when Amy turned 20, Island had released her debut album, Frank.

Hip-hop producer/keyboardist Salaam Remi has contributed much to young Amy’s amalgam of jazz, pop, soul, and hip-hop. The album received rave reviews and was admired by critics. Frank was nominated for the 2004 Mercury Music Prize as well as two Brit awards, and its lead single, ‘Stronger Than Me,’ won an Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song.

International success

In 2006 Amy released Back to Black with a smashing hit ‘Rehab’ which led her to six Grammy Award nominations and five wins. Miss Winehouse has tied up records for the most wins by a female artist in a single night and made her the first British singer to win five Grammys. Three of which are out of the “Big Four”: Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Amy Winehouse has received media attention apart from her singing. Her distinctive style and most notable beehive hairstyle have spread imitators and have inspired fashion designers, most notably Karl Lagerfeld who’s most known for Chanel.

Albums

FRANK (2003)
Double platinum Frank turned out to be a jazz-inflected album with scratchy beats interlaced with uplifting horns and a swinging Wurlitzer which perfectly balances the darker agonized lyrical content which explores the pain of a previous breakup. It went all the way to platinum in the U.K. While the single, ‘Stronger Than Me,’ wins Winehouse the Ivor Novello songwriting award for Best Contemporary Song, she seems dissatisfied with the album’s slick packaging and arrangements. “I can’t even listen to Frank any more,” she tells The Sun in 2006. “In fact, I’ve never been able to. I like playing the tracks live because that’s different, but listening to them is another story.” She later clarified this, saying: “I listen to it differently now. I am still really proud of it; I still think it’s a great album. But, with hindsight, there are some things I would have done differently… Just because I would do things a bit differently now doesn’t mean I don’t like what’s on that album.”

Frank elicited comparisons ranging from Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan to Macy Gray and Lauryn Hill.

The album entered the upper levels of the UK album chart in 2004 when it was nominated for BRIT Awards in the categories of British Female Solo Artist and British Urban Act. The album also made to the short list for the 2004 Mercury Music Prize. In the same year, she performed at the Glastonbury festival, on the Jazzworld stage, and at the V Festival.

The album debuted at number 61 on the Billboard 200 chart and has now gone double platinum selling an incredible 300,000 copies in 2007 alone.

	Track Title	Composer
1	Stronger Than Me	Remi, Winehouse
2	You Sent Me Flying	Winehouse, Howard
3	Cherry	Remi, Winehouse
4	Fuck Me Pumps	Remi, Winehouse
5	I Heard Love Is Blind	Winehouse
6	Moody’s Mood for Love	Moody, McHugh, Fields
7	(There Is) No Greater Love	Jones, Symes
8	In My Bed	Remi, Winehouse
9	Take the Box	Winehouse
10	October Song	Rowe, Winehouse, Skarbek
11	What Is It About Men	Smith, Watson, Winehouse, Howard
12	Help Yourself	Winehouse, Hogarth
13	Amy Amy Amy	Rowe, Winehouse, Skarbek

BACK TO BLACK (2006)

For the second album Amy worked again with producer Salaam Remi but also brought in, man of the moment, Mark Ronson – DJ and multi-instrumentalist. The album’s success can be split between the two, of course apart from Amy herself. Album has been critically acclaimed across the world as well as bringing home 5 Grammy awards and a Brit award. Amy said, “After Frank I didn’t write for 18 months but when I met Mark [Ronson] I pretty much wrote the album in six months — he was so inspiring.”

In early 2006 tracks such as ‘Wake Up Alone’ and ‘Rehab’ appeared on Mark Ronson’s New York radio show on East Village Radio. The sounds of the album were delving into the sounds of ’50s/’60s-era girl group harmonies, rock & roll, and soul.

Promotion of Back to Black soon began, and in early October 2006, Winehouse’s official website was re-launched with a new layout and clips of previously unreleased songs.

Back To Black is the biggest selling UK album of 2007, has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and turned Amy into one of the hottest stars in the world. Widely regarded as a modern day masterpiece by critics and fans alike, the phenomenal UK chart success has been mirrored in the US where Back To Black entered the Billboard Hot 100 at no. 7 making Amy the highest debuting British female artist in the history of the US albums chart.

Singer’s allure has been her songwriting — almost always deeply personal, but best known for its profanity and brutal candor. ‘Rehab’ has become major hit all over the planet making her signature voice recognizable to all.

	Track Title	Composer
1	Rehab	Winehouse
2	You Know I’m No Good	Winehouse
3	Me & Mr. Jones	Winehouse
4	Just Friends	Winehouse
5	Back to Black	Ronson, Winehouse
6	Love Is a Losing Game	Winehouse
7	Tears Dry on Their Own	Ashford, Simpson, Winehouse
8	Wake Up Alone	O Duffy, Winehouse
9	Some Unholy War	Winehouse
10	He Can Only Hold Her	Poindexter, Poindexter, Winehouse
11	You Know I’m No Good [Remix]	Winehouse

In addition to her own album, Amy Winehouse has collaborated with other artists on singles.

She was a vocalist on the song ‘Valerie’ on Ronson’s solo album Version. The indie rock song was featured on the feature film 27 Dresses. It was previously sung by The Zutons. Released as the album’s second single on 19 June 2006 in the United Kingdom, it peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart. The music video was directed by Scott Lyon. ‘Valerie’ was used by ITV during their coverage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Her work with ex-Sugababe Mutya Buena, ‘B Boy Baby,’ was released on 17 December 2007. It served as the fourth single from Buena’s solo debut album Real Girl.

Music Background

Amy Winehouse’s upbringing was surrounded by music, particularly jazz. A number of the uncles on her mother’s side were professional jazz musicians, and even her paternal grandmother was romantically involved with British jazz legend tenor saxophonist Ronnie Scott at one time.

While at home, little Amy listened to and absorbed her parents’ selection of greats: Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra among others. In her teens, she was drawn to the rebellious spirit of TLC, Salt-N-Peppa, and other R&B and hip-hop.

But it was jazz that molded her into the finished article we marvel at today. Vocally Amy’s sound may be more suited to a 50’s Manhattan basement club with swirling smoke and crushed velvet curtains but with her use of forefront beats and no surrender lyrics she is well and truly planted in the present.
Amy Winehouse is known for sounds of ’50s/’60s-era girl group harmonies, rock & roll, and soul.

Awards

2008

Feb 2008 saw Amy Winehouse honoured with 5 of the US Recording Academy’s most prestigious awards: Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best New Artist, Song of the Year (‘Rehab’) and Record of the Year (‘Rehab’) at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. This incredible haul makes Amy the first ever British female artist to win 5 Grammys in one night and sees her join Lauryn Hill (1998), Alicia Keys (2001), Norah Jones (2002) and Beyonce (2003) in the elite band of female artists who have won 5 awards in one evening.

Amy received prestigious Ivor Novello award for ‘Love Is A Losing Game’ as Best Song Musically and Lyrically.

2007

At the MTV Europe Music Awards Amy received two awards - Album of the Year Back to Black and Artist’s Choice award. ‘Rehab’ was nominated as the most addictive track.

Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song ‘Rehab’.

Best Female Solo Artist at BRIT Awards.

Elle Style Awards Best British Music Act.

South Bank Show Award for Best Pop.

Amy Winehouse performed two songs and accepted the award for Best UK Female at MOBO awards which is acronym of Music Of Black Origin.

At one of Britain’s biggest and best publicized music awards, the Q Award, Amy won Album of the Year prize.

Award for Musical Achievement at the Greatest Britons awards.

2004

‘Stronger Than Me’ song received Ivor Novello for Best Contemporary Song (musically and lyrically).

At Mojo Awards Amy Winehouse won an award with ‘Rehab’ for Song of the Year.

Relationship Rollercoaster

In 2003, Amy meets Blake Fielder-Civil at a local bar. A handsome hanger-on from rural Lincolnshire, Fielder-Civil worked part-time on music video sets. Winehouse fell hard — his name was quickly tattooed on her chest.

The couple married in May 2007, but last November, he was arrested for the assault of an East End bar owner in June 2006. Fielder-Civil is currently serving time for assault and obstructing justice after brawling with a pub manager and then offering him $400,000 to keep quiet. He pleaded guilty and has just been sentenced to 27 months imprisonment. With her husband gone, Amy slid into despondency.

There are rumors Blake has changed his feelings for Amy and has got a lover. Her name is Sophie Schandorff, 21, blonde German model.

Weak Point

Amy has a love-hate relationship with the paparazzi. Press and tabloids seem to focus on singer’s rowdy behavior and heavy consumption of alcohol, but fans and critics alike embraced her rugged charm, brash sense of humor and distinctively soulful and jazzy vocals. Karen Heller with The Philadelphia Inquirer summarized the maelstrom this way:

She’s only 24 with six Grammy nods, crashing headfirst into success and despair, with a codependent husband in jail, exhibitionist parents with questionable judgment, and the paparazzi documenting her emotional and physical distress. Meanwhile, a haute designer (Karl Lagerfeld) appropriates her disheveled style and eating issues to market to the elite while proclaiming her the new Bardot.”

Amy, and her sometimes contentious relationship and marriage with the equally troubled Blake Fielder-Civil have overtaken her rare talent and huge success. She turned into a performer of uneven concert appearances, which have included drunken behavior and assaults. To those who never heard her music she became famous for her battles with various authorities, ranging from the American Embassy in London, which denied her a visa to travel to the U.S. to perform at the Grammy Awards, to her father.

Once Amy started establishing her wild-child reputation, the tabloids jumped on her story and never let go. We, the media trumpeted her missed concerts, shaky performances, weight loss, and shambling manner. One set of photos, in 2007, showed her bloodied after an apparent argument with Fielder-Civil; another, from a raw-looking video, showed her apparently smoking crack.

Legal Issues

If there is one salvation from major issues concerning Amy’s well being than it is quitting drugs. The singer’s problems with drug and alcohol addiction, as well as followed self-destructive behavior, have become regular tabloid news since 2007. She and her husband have been plagued by legal troubles that have led to the cancellation of several tour dates.

On 8 September 2007, Winehouse settled a claim for copyright infringement over the song ‘He Can Only Hold Her’, brought against her by songwriter P-Nut. His lawyer stated that the songwriter would receive a share of the royalties from the song and payment of costs. Previously he had received a “thank you” for his contribution but no songwriter credit on the album.

In October 2007, Winehouse and her husband were arrested in Norway for possession of cannabis. The couple were later released and fined 3850 kroner (around £350). Amy claimed she was “duped” into confessing, but police denied the allegation, noting that fluent English speakers handled Amy when she signed the confession.

Amy Winehouse was initially denied a U.S. visa because of “use and abuse of narcotics”, but was later issued one. The decision came too late for her to appear live at the 2008 Grammy Awards show, and she performed via satellite.

In April 2008, Winehouse was cautioned after she admitted to police she slapped the face of a man with her hand. The incident, for which she has apologized, will stay on her record and could be used against her if she is charged with a similar offence at a future time. She voluntarily turned herself in and was held overnight. When she arrived a doctor ruled she was “unfit for interview”.

Winehouse was arrested in May 2008 on suspicion of possessing drugs after a video of her apparently smoking crack cocaine was passed to Scotland Yard in January, but was released on bail a few hours later. The Crown Prosecution Service considered charging her with possessing a controlled drug and allowing her premises to be used for the supply by others of a controlled drug, but was cleared when the service could not establish that the substance in the video was a controlled drug. As reaction to the decision, former Scotland Yard commander John O’Connor said it is an “absolute scandal that nothing could be done” about Winehouse “cooking a snook at the law”. Two London residents were subsequently charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and ecstasy to Winehouse.

Health Issues

In June 2008 it was confirmed that Amy Winehouse has developed early signs of emphysema. She was rushed to the hospital after fainting as a result of extreme weight loss; her father, Mitch Winehouse, told reporters that cigarettes and crack cocaine have jeopardized her lungs. Winehouse’s father reported in addition she has an irregular heartbeat.

On July 28th 2008 Amy was back in the hospital, this time for an adverse reaction to medication she uses to fight her drug addiction.

10 things you should know about Amy Winehouse

1. As a kid, little Amy wanted to be a roller-skating waitress.

2. At age 10, Amy and her best friend formed a rap duo inspired by Salt-n-Pepa. The name? Sweet ‘n Sour. “I was sour, of course,” she told London Observer.

3. Amy got her first tattoo, a small Betty Boop on her back, at age 15. At that point, she told Rolling Stone, “My parents pretty much realized I would do whatever I wanted, and that was it, really.”

4. Just how high is Amy’s trademark beehive? “On a good day, easily six [inches],” she told Entertainment Weekly.

5. Not surprisingly, Amy has strong opinions when it comes to cocktails. Her favorite one is the Rickstasy: three parts vodka, one part Southern Comfort, one part banana liqueur and one part Bailey’s.

6. Winehouse has an estimated £10m fortune, tying her for tenth place in the listing of the wealth of musicians under age thirty.

7. Amy earned about £1m singing at two private parties during Paris Fashion Week as well as another £1m to perform at a Moscow Art Gallery for Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

8. Amy Winehouse sang with Mick Jagger as Rollin Stones announced Amy inspired them as a classis soul singer. Unfortunately Amy couldn’t make it to touring with the band.

9. She is the first British artist to win five Grammy Awards, including three of the”Big Four”: Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

10. Sadly, there are people who are mean. There is a website www.whenwillamywinehousedie.com dedicated to Amy’s death date. It suggests users guess her final breath and be crowned Mr. Or Mrs. Death. Winner will be rewarded with an iPod Touch.

Upcoming Projects

Apart from working on new songs for a forthcoming album in collaboration with Mark Ronson, Amy has other exciting projects coming her way.

After a surprise duet with Prince, singer proposed Amy to fly to his Minnesota home to work on a musical collaboration. Meanwhile, George Michael has written a song with which he wants to duet with Winehouse. Michael said “Amy is the best female vocalist I have ever heard in my entire career, as well as one of the best writers.”

But Amy Winehouse expressed biggest interest in working with Damian Marley, the son of reggae legend Bob Marley.

A close friend of Winehouse Pete Doherty said that Babyshambles had begun collaborating with the singer on a song entitled ‘You Hurt the Ones You Love’. In May 2008, Doherty announced that he will duet with Amy on a track for the forthcoming Babyshambles album. Winehouse is writing the song with Babyshambles guitarist Mick Whitnall while Doherty said that he is taking a “back seat” in the collaboration process.

Another superproject for Amy Winehouse is working with the upcoming James Bond movie Quantum of Solace. Amy said she has written “loads of songs” and “it’s up to them if they want it or not.”

“She’s forever working on new material,” Mitch Winehouse told the Times of London. “Amy can be creative when most other people would be checking into a hospice. When she can hardly stand up, she’s got her books in front of her, scribbling away,” he said.

But, he added, “She only writes songs from her personal experiences, and they’re all more or less painful. It’s a shame. But that’s the way she is.”

For all that, the talent continues to shine through. Her Grammy performance, finally held at a London club, earned raves; she also pulled herself together for a tribute to Nelson Mandela in late June this year. A waxwork model of Amy Winehouse has been unveiled at London’s Madame Tussauds wax museum.

There are rumors that Amy Winehouse plans to start her own record label when she has fulfilled her contractual obligations to her current label Island Records.

Music Videos