Amy Winehouse had a voice like no other. Her music traversed genres and generations, and although her time in the industry was short, she made an incredible impact on the entire world.
Amy was born in London on September 14, 1983, and her passion for music started at a very young age. Her extended family often sang jazz music in their home, and while in school, she focused much more on music than academics.
She bought her own guitar when she was only fourteen years old and started writing songs, a passion she would use for almost every song on her future albums!
In July 2000, she became the featured female vocalist with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and sang in a few small groups in her youth. However, her career actually took off when she was signed with Simon Fuller’s 19 Management in 2002.
In 2003, she released her first album, Frank, with incredible success. Most of the songs were influenced by jazz, and apart from two covers, Winehouse wrote or co-wrote every song.
The album, and Amy, won several awards, and Frank made it to the top of the charts! While the world was loving her debut album, Amy was already working on her next masterpiece. Back to Black was released in 2006, creating even more fans all around the world.
It was the best-selling album in the UK in 2007, selling 1.85 million copies over the course of the year, and Time magazine named “Rehab” the Best Song of 2007.
While Amy’s albums were incredibly popular, her larger-than-life personality made her a bit controversial among her fans.
She was a big partier, rude to paparazzi, swore on television, and was generally just a bit rough around the edges. While those who knew her described her as incredibly kind and introverted, her public persona was almost the opposite.
By 2008, Amy’s performances were becoming more and more erratic. Her drinking and drug use were extremely prevalent and even visible when she was on stage.
In a documentary made in 2015, the public finally saw a completely different side to the talented musician, and there was a great deal of sympathy for her situation.
Amy was an alcoholic and an addict, and although she needed help, her family and production team were essentially forcing her onto the stage, leading to disappointing performances.
Sadly, Amy died in 2009, when she was only 27 years old. Her battle with alcohol, an eating disorder, and drug use led to her untimely passing.
Although Amy’s career was short, she remains one of the most popular and well-known names in music. Her love for jazz and her exceptional vocal talent will live on forever.
