Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Amy Jade Winehouse was born on 14 September 1983 at Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield, London, to Jewish parents Mitchell "Mitch" Winehouse and Janis Winehouse (née Seaton). Growing up in Southgate, London, she was surrounded by musical influences from an early age. Her paternal grandmother Cynthia had been a singer who dated English jazz saxophonist Ronnie Scott, while many of her maternal uncles were professional jazz musicians. Her father frequently sang Frank Sinatra songs to her, fostering her deep appreciation for classic jazz standards. After her parents separated when she was nine, Winehouse divided her time between her mother in Whetstone and her father in Hatfield Heath. She attended the Susi Earnshaw Theatre School and later Sylvia Young Theatre School, where she developed her vocal talents and learned tap dancing. At age 14, she began writing music after teaching herself guitar, and by July 2000, she had become the featured female vocalist with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra.

Career Breakthrough: Frank and Early Success

In 2002, Winehouse was signed to Simon Fuller's 19 Management and subsequently signed a publishing deal with EMI, forming a crucial working relationship with producer Salaam Remi. Her debut album, Frank, released in October 2003, showcased her jazz influences and featured co-writing credits on all but two tracks. The album received critical acclaim and achieved platinum sales in the UK, earning her the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song for "Stronger Than Me." Frank was nominated for the Mercury Prize and established Winehouse as a distinctive new talent, with her voice compared to Sarah Vaughan and Macy Gray.

International Stardom: Back to Black Era

Winehouse's second album, Back to Black, released in October 2006, became a transformative global phenomenon. Produced entirely by Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson, the album shifted her focus toward 1950s and 1960s girl group influences. Back to Black topped the UK Albums Chart and reached number seven on the US Billboard 200, eventually selling over 20 million copies worldwide. The lead single "Rehab" became her signature song, named Time magazine's Best Song of 2007, reaching the top ten in both the UK and US. The album dominated 2007, selling 1.85 million copies in the UK alone that year and becoming one of the best-selling albums in UK history.

Grammy Success and Peak Recognition

At the 50th Grammy Awards in February 2008, Winehouse achieved unprecedented success, winning five Grammy Awards including Best New Artist, Record of the Year for "Back to Black," Song of the Year for "Rehab," Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Pop Vocal Album. This achievement made her the first British woman to win five Grammy Awards in a single night and tied the then-record for most wins by a female artist at one ceremony. At the 2008 Ivor Novello Awards, she became the first artist ever to receive two nominations for the top award Best Song Musically & Lyrically. Her musical style—a sophisticated blend of soul, rhythm and blues, and jazz with deeply personal, autobiographical lyrics—resonated globally, and she collaborated with major artists including Mark Ronson on the hit "Valerie" and performed at prestigious venues including the Glastonbury Festival and Nelson Mandela's 90th Birthday Concert.

Legacy and Cultural Impact

Despite her immense professional success, Winehouse struggled with substance abuse, mental illness, and addiction throughout her life. Her personal battles became increasingly public, affecting her performances and career trajectory from 2007 onward. She died on 23 July 2011 at her Camden Square home in London from alcohol poisoning at age 27, joining the notorious 27 Club. Following her death, Back to Black briefly became the UK's best-selling album of the 21st century, and in 2025, it was preserved in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. Her life was documented in the 2015 documentary Amy and the 2024 biopic Back to Black. Winehouse sold over 30 million records worldwide and remains a cultural icon of the 21st century, appearing on prestigious rankings including VH1's "100 Greatest Women in Music" and Rolling Stone's "200 Greatest Singers of All Time" for her distinctive contralto vocals and innovative fusion of classic genres.