Amy Winehouse

8kiu...dByY

31 Jan 2024

Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse, born on September 14, 1983, in England, was a renowned singer and songwriter celebrated for her distinctive contralto vocals and her fusion of various musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues, reggae, and jazz.

During her youth, Winehouse was part of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, where her musical talents began to shine. In 2002, she signed with Simon Fuller's 19 Management and subsequently secured a publishing deal with EMI. Her collaboration with producer Salaam Remi flourished under these labels.

Winehouse's debut album, "Frank," debuted in 2003. Influenced by jazz, the album showcased her songwriting prowess, earning critical acclaim and a nomination for the Mercury Prize. Her track "Stronger Than Me" earned her the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song.

In 2006, Winehouse released her sophomore album, "Back to Black," which catapulted her to international stardom. The album became one of the best-selling albums in UK history and garnered numerous accolades, including the Brit Award for British Female Solo Artist and two Ivor Novello Awards. At the 50th Grammy Awards, Winehouse made history by winning five awards, including Best New Artist and Record of the Year for "Rehab."

Despite her musical success, Winehouse battled with substance abuse, mental health issues, and addiction throughout her life. Tragically, she passed away on July 23, 2011, at the age of 27 due to alcohol poisoning, with her brother suggesting that bulimia also played a role in her death.

Following her untimely passing, "Back to Black" briefly became the UK's best-selling album of the 21st century. Winehouse's impact on music and culture endured, with VH1 ranking her 26th on their list of the 100 Greatest Women in Music, solidifying her legacy as one of the most influential voices of her generation.

Amy Winehouse, born on September 14, 1983, at Chase Farm Hospital in Gordon Hill, Enfield, was raised in a Jewish family. Her father, Mitchell "Mitch" Winehouse, worked as a window panel installer and taxi driver, while her mother, Janis Winehouse (née Seaton), was a pharmacist. Amy had an older brother named Alex.

Growing up in London's Southgate area, Winehouse attended Osidge Primary School and later Ashmole School for secondary education. She also participated in a Jewish Sunday school during her childhood, although she expressed dissatisfaction with the experience, feeling she learned little about her Jewish heritage.

Music was ingrained in Winehouse's family, with many maternal uncles being professional jazz musicians. Her paternal grandmother, Cynthia, had a background in singing and had dated English jazz saxophonist Ronnie Scott. Winehouse's parents influenced her early interest in jazz, with her father often singing Frank Sinatra songs to her.

After her parents separated when she was nine, Winehouse lived with her mother during the week and spent weekends with her father. At the suggestion of her grandmother, she attended the Susi Earnshaw Theatre School on Saturdays to further her vocal education. Later, Winehouse pursued full-time training at the Sylvia Young Theatre School and briefly attended the BRIT School in Selhurst, Croydon, before dropping out at age 16.

At 14, Winehouse bought her own guitar and began writing music. She worked as an entertainment journalist for the World Entertainment News Network and performed with local groups like the Bolsha Band. In July 2000, she became the featured female vocalist with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra.

Winehouse's talent caught the attention of an A&R person after her best friend, soul singer Tyler James, sent her demo tape. This marked the beginning of her journey into the music industry, where her unique voice and style would soon captivate audiences worldwide.

Amy Winehouse's career took off after she was signed to Simon Fuller's 19 Management in 2002, earning £250 a week against future earnings. Despite being kept as a secret within the recording industry, she performed regularly at the Cobden Club as a jazz standards singer. Darcus Beese, her future A&R representative at Island Records, discovered her talent by chance and eventually signed her to the label.

Winehouse formed a working relationship with producer Salaam Remi and signed a publishing deal with EMI before officially joining Island Records. Her debut album, "Frank," was released on October 20, 2003. Produced mainly by Salaam Remi, the album showcased Winehouse's jazz influences, with her co-writing almost every song. "Frank" received critical acclaim and was praised for its insightful lyrics and Winehouse's soulful voice, drawing comparisons to artists like Sarah Vaughan and Macy Gray.

The album achieved platinum sales and earned Winehouse nominations for the Brit Awards in categories like British Female Solo Artist and British Urban Act. She won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song for "Stronger Than Me," her collaboration with Salaam Remi. "Frank" was also shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize.

Despite the album's success, Winehouse expressed some dissatisfaction, stating that she was only 80 percent behind it due to disagreements with Island Records over song selections and mixes. Nonetheless, the album produced several singles, including "Take the Box," "In My Bed"/"You Sent Me Flying," and "Pumps"/"Help Yourself."

"Frank" solidified Winehouse's reputation as a unique and talented artist, setting the stage for her subsequent rise to international stardom with her next album, "Back to Black."

After the release of her jazz-influenced debut album, Amy Winehouse shifted her focus to the girl groups of the 1950s and 1960s for her second album. She hired New York singer Sharon Jones's longtime band, the Dap-Kings, to back her up in the studio and on tour. Mitch Winehouse, Amy's father, described her perfectionism in the studio and how she would listen to her recordings in his taxi to understand how most people would hear her music.

In May 2006, demo tracks from Winehouse's upcoming album, such as "You Know I'm No Good" and "Rehab," debuted on Mark Ronson's New York radio show. These tracks, along with others, were set to appear on her second album, which was completed in five months and produced entirely by Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson. Ronson appreciated working with Winehouse because she was straightforward when she didn't like his work, while Winehouse initially mistook Ronson for a sound engineer when they first met.

"Back to Black," Winehouse's second album, was released in the UK on October 30, 2006. It reached number one on the UK Albums Chart for two weeks in January 2007 and became the best-selling album in the UK in 2007, selling 1.85 million copies that year. In the US, it entered the Billboard 200 at number seven. The album's lead single, "Rehab," produced by Mark Ronson, achieved top-ten status in both the UK and the US. Time magazine named "Rehab" the Best Song of 2007, praising Winehouse's originality and confidence.

The album's subsequent singles included "You Know I'm No Good," featuring rap vocals by Ghostface Killah, "Back to Black," "Tears Dry on Their Own," and "Love Is a Losing Game." While "Rehab" and "You Know I'm No Good" performed well on the charts, the other singles did not achieve the same level of success, although they received critical acclaim for their artistry and emotional depth.