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Amy Winehouse BioThis Amy Winehouse biography contains information believed to be accurate as extracted from sources around the internet including Wikipedia. If you believe there are errors or omissions in this Amy Winehouse bio, please let us know so that we can correct any inaccuracies.
Amy Jade Winehouse (born 14 September 1983) is an English singer-songwriter, known for her eclectic mix of various musical genres including soul, jazz and R&B. Winehouse's 2003 debut album Frank did well, both commercially and critically, in her native Britain. It was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Her 2006 follow-up album Back to Black led to six Grammy Award nominations and five wins, tying the record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night, and made Winehouse the first British singer to win five Grammys, including three of the "Big Four": Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. On February 14, 2007, she won a BRIT Award for Best British Female Artist; she had also been nominated for Best British Album. She has won the Ivor Novello Award twice, among other prestigious distinctions. Winehouse has received media attention apart from her singing. Her distinctive style, most notably her signature beehive hairstyle, has spawned imitators and been the muse for fashion designers, most notably Karl Lagerfeld. The singer's problems with drug and alcohol addiction, as well as self-destructive behaviour, 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. In June 2008 it was confirmed that Winehouse has developed early signs of emphysema. Winehouse's father reported in addition she has an irregular heartbeat and said these conditions were brought on by smoking cigarettes and crack cocaine. Amy Winehouse: Early lifeAmy Winehouse was born in the Southgate area of Enfield, London to a Jewish family who shared her love of jazz music. She was raised in a family of four: her father Mitchell (a taxi driver), her mother Janis (a pharmacist), and her older brother Alex. She attended Southgate School before leaving to go to Ashmole School. Mitchell would constantly sing around the house, often singing Frank Sinatra to young Amy, who also took to a constant habit of singing to the point that teachers found it difficult keeping her quiet in class. She was trained initially at The Susi Earnshaw Theatre School from the age of eight years old. At age ten, Winehouse founded a short-lived rap group called Sweet 'n' Sour with childhood friend Juliette Ashby. She stayed at the Earnshaw school for four years before seeking full time training at Sylvia Young Theatre School, but was allegedly expelled at fourteen for "not applying herself" and for piercing her nose. With other children from the Sylvia Young School, she appeared in an episode of The Fast Show in 1997. She later attended the BRIT School in Selhurst, Croydon. Amy Winehouse: CareerAmy Winehouse - Early careerAfter toying with her brother's guitar, Winehouse received her first guitar when she was thirteen, and began writing music a year later. She began working soon after, including as a "showbiz journalist" for the World Entertainment News Network in addition to singing with a jazz band. Her sometimes boyfriend at the time, soul singer Tyler James, sent her demo tape to an A&R person. The tape led to her signing with record label Island/Universal under Simon Fuller's company 19 Management, and to a publishing deal with EMI. Winehouse hired New York singer Sharon Jones's longtime band, the Dap-Kings to back her up in the studio and on tour, giving the group its first real taste of the limelight. Amy Winehouse - Major label successPerforming at the Bowery Ballroom, New York CityAmy Winehouse's debut album, Frank, was released on 20 October 2003. Produced mainly by Salaam Remi, many songs had jazz-influences and, apart from two covers, every song was co-written by Winehouse. The album received positive reviews with compliments over the "cool, critical gaze" in its lyrics and brought comparisons of her voice to Sarah Vaughan, Macy Gray and others. 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". It went on to achieve platinum sales. Later in 2004, she won the Ivor Novello songwriting Award for Best Contemporary Song, alongside Salaam Remi, with her contribution to the first single, "Stronger Than Me". The album also made 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. After the release of the album, Winehouse commented that she was "only 80 percent behind [the] album" because of the inclusion by her record label of certain songs and mixes she disliked. Upon the release of her second album, she stated "I can't even listen to Frank any more - 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." Amy Winehouse - International successIn contrast to her jazz-influenced former album, Winehouse's focus shifted to the girl groups of the 1950s and 1960s. In an interview, Winehouse explained, "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, Winehouse's demonstration tracks such as "Wake Up Alone" and "Rehab" appeared on Mark Ronson's New York radio show on East Village Radio. These were some of the first new songs played on the radio after the release of "Pumps" and both were slated to appear on her second album. The 11-track album was produced entirely by Salaam Remi and Ronson, with the production credits being split between them. 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 was released in the UK on 30 October 2006. It went to number one on the UK Albums Chart numerous times, and entered at number seven on the Billboard 200 in the United States. By October 25, the album was approaching 5x platinum in the UK, making it the best-selling album of 2007 and the top iTunes album in the UK in 2007. The album spawned a number of singles. The first single released from the album on 23 October 2006 was the Ronson-produced "Rehab". The song was a number-seven single in the UK, and the Ivor Novello award for best contemporary song. "Rehab" peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of June 21, shortly after a performance of it on the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. Time magazine named "Rehab" one of the 10 Best Songs of 2007, ranking it at number one. Writer Josh Tyrangiel praised Winehouse for her confidence, opining, "What she is is mouthy, funny, sultry, and quite possibly crazy" and, "It's impossible not to be seduced by her originality. Combine it with production by Mark Ronson that references four decades worth of soul music without once ripping it off, and you've got the best song of 2007." The album's second single, "You Know I'm No Good" was released on 8 January 2007 with a remix featuring rap vocals by Ghostface Killah. It ultimately reached number 18 on the UK singles chart. Back to Black was released in the United States in March 2007, with "You Know I'm No Good" as its lead single. The title track, "Back to Black", was released in the UK on 30 April 2007 and peaked at number 25. A deluxe edition of Back to Black was also released on 5 November 2007 in the UK. The bonus disc features B-sides, rare, and live tracks, as well as "Valerie". Winehouse's debut DVD I Told You I Was Trouble: Live in London was released the same day in the U.K. and November 13 in the U.S. It includes a live set recorded at London's Shepherds Bush Empire and a 50-minute documentary charting the singer's career over the previous four years. On December 10, 2007, the final single from Back to Black, "Love Is a Losing Game", was released in the United Kingdom and U.S. Frank was released in the United States on 20 November 2007 to positive reviews. The album debuted at number 61 on the Billboard 200 chart. In addition to her own album, she has collaborated with other artists on singles. Winehouse was a vocalist on the song "Valerie" on Ronson's solo album Version. The song peaked at number two in the UK, upon its October single release. The song was nominated for a 2008 Brit Award for "Best British Single". 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. Performing at Eurockéennes 2007By year's end, Winehouse had garnered numerous accolades and awards. The singer won 2008 Grammy Awards in the categories of 'Record of the Year', 'Song of the Year', and 'Best Female Pop Vocal Performance' for the single "Rehab", while her album Back to Black was nominated for 'Album of the Year' and won the 'Record of the Year' award. Producer Mark Ronson's work with her won the award in the Producer of the Year Non-Classical category. The singer also earned a Grammy in the 'Best New Artist' category. She performed "You Know I'm No Good" and "Rehab" at the awards ceremony on 10 February 2008 via satellite, as her visa approval came through too late for her to travel to the U.S. She said "This is for London because Camden town is burning down," in reference to the Camden Market fire. The nominations, announced in early December, led to a 48 percent increase in the sales of Back to Black in the United States. Post Grammy Awards, album sales increased by 368 percent over the prior week, to the number 2 position in the United States. On 13 January 2008, Back to Black held the number one position on the Billboard Pan European charts for the third straight week. By the end of January 2008, Universal Music International reported that total sales had reached 3.4 million copies and that it believed there was a correlation between that figure and the extensive media coverage the singer has received. On 20 February 2008, Winehouse performed at the 2008 BRIT Awards, performing "Valerie" with Mark Ronson, followed by "Love Is a Losing Game". She urged the crowd to "make some noise for my Blake." Performing at Eurockéennes in Belfort, Territoire de Belfort, France on 29 June 2007A special deluxe edition of "Back to Black" topped the UK album charts on 2 March 2008. The original edition of the album resided at the number 30 position, in its 68th week on the charts, while "Frank" charted at number 35. By 12 March, the album had sold a total of 2,467,575 copies, 318,350 of those in the previous 10 weeks, putting the album on the UK's top 10 best-selling albums of the 21st century for the first time. On 7 April, "Back to Black" was residing at the top position on the pan-European charts for the sixth consecutive and thirteenth aggregate week. At the 2008 Ivor Novello Awards, Winehouse became the first artist to receive two nominations for the top award, best song, musically and lyrically. She won the award for "Love Is a Losing Game" and was nominated for "You Know I'm No Good". "Rehab", a Novello winner for best contemporary song in 2006, also received a 2008 nomination for bestselling British song. Amy Winehouse - The Girl Done Good: A Documentary Review a 78 minute DVD was released on 14 April 2008. The documentary features interviews with those who knew her at a young age, helped her gain success, jazz music experts, as well as music and pop culture specialists. A wax sculpture of Winehouse will go on display at the London Madame Tussauds as part of a new music area at the museum. The museum manager noted that Winehouse is "a real icon in modern music" and the display had been widely requested by guests. Amy Winehouse - Future recordingsAfter a surprise duet with Prince at the end of a London appearance, he proposed that she fly to his Minnesota home to work on a musical collaboration. Meanwhile, George Michael wrote 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." The singer expressed interest in working with Damian Marley, son of reggae legend Bob Marley, in Jamaica. Winehouse has begun work on songs for a forthcoming album, in collaboration with Mark Ronson. 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 Winehouse on a track for the forthcoming Babyshambles album. Winehouse is writing the song with Babyshambles guitarist Mick Whitnall. In addition Doherty said that Winehouse was "recording loads of new stuff" and that he is taking a "back seat" in the collaboration process. Winehouse said she has written "loads of songs" for the upcoming James Bond movie Quantum of Solace and "it's up to them if they want it or not." Amy Winehouse: TouringAmy Winehouse performing at the Bowery Ballroom, 2007Winehouse toured in conjunction with the album's release. She performed headlining gigs in September and November 2006, including one of the Little Noise Sessions charity concerts at the Union Chapel, Islington. On 31 December 2006, Winehouse appeared on Jools Holland's Annual Hootenanny and performed a cover of Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" along with Paul Weller and Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. She also performed Toots and the Maytals' "Monkey Man". She began a run of another fourteen gigs beginning in February 2007. During the summer of 2007, Winehouse performed at various festivals, including UK's Glastonbury Festival, Chicago's Lollapalooza festival, Rock Werchter and Baltimore's Virgin Music Festival. However, Winehouse cancelled her appearance at Provinssirock in Seinäjoki, Finland on 17 June 2007, citing a sore throat. Amid controversy surrounding her health, drug use, and her husband, in October 2007, she cancelled her tour dates for the remainder of the year. On 30 May, 2008, Winehouse performed at the Rock in Rio festival in Lisboa, Portugal. Although the set was plagued by a late arrival and problems with her voice, the crowd warmed to her. In addition to her own material she performed two Specials covers. Winehouse performed at Nelson Mandela's 90th Birthday Party concert at London's Hyde Park on the 27 June. and the next day at the Glastonbury Festival. Other performances scheduled include the Rock en Seine, V Festival, Oxegen Festival, T in the Park, Bestival, and Isle of Wight events as well a duet with Pete Doherty at the Albert Hall during the summer of 2008. Amy Winehouse: Personal lifeOn 18 May 2007, Winehouse married on-off boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil in Miami, Florida. Winehouse has admitted she is violent towards Fielder-Civil when she has been drinking. In a June 2007 interview with World Entertainment News Network she said: "I'll beat up Blake when I'm drunk. I don't think I have ever bruised him, but I do have my way. If he says one thing I don't like then I'll chin him." Amy Winehouse - Substance abuse and mental health issuesWinehouse's battles with substance abuse have been the subject of much media attention. In various interviews, she has admitted to having problems with self-harm, depression and eating disorders. In August 2007, Winehouse cancelled a number of shows in the UK and Europe, citing exhaustion and ill health. She was hospitalized during this period for what was reported as an overdose of heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and alcohol. Soon after, Winehouse and her husband were photographed, bloodied and bruised, in the streets of London after an alleged fight, although she contended her injuries were self-inflicted. Winehouse's parents and in-laws publicly reported their numerous concerns, citing fears that the two might commit suicide, with Fielder-Civil's father encouraging fans to boycott her music. Winehouse's father commented that when he had made public statements regarding her problems, he was using the media because it seemed the only way to get through to her. On 2 December 2007, images of the singer outside her home in the early morning hours, barefoot and wearing only a bra and jeans, appeared on the internet and in tabloid newspapers. In a statement, her spokesperson blamed paparazzi harassment for the incident. The spokesperson reported that the singer was in a physician-supervised program and was channeling her difficulties by writing a lot of music. The British tabloid The Sun posted a video of a woman, alleged to be Winehouse, apparently smoking crack cocaine and speaking of having taken ecstasy and valium. Winehouse's father moved in with her, and Island Records, her record label, announced the abandonment of plans for an American promotion campaign on her behalf. In late January 2008, Winehouse entered a rehabilitation facility for a two week treatment program. On 23 January 2008, the video was passed on to Scotland Yard, Metropolitan Police, who questioned her on February 5. To date no charges have been brought. On 26 March 2008, Winehouse's spokesperson said she was "doing well" and denied a published report in a British tabloid that consideration was being given to having her return to rehab. Her record company reportedly believed that her recovery remained fragile. By late April 2008, her erratic behaviour, including an allegation of assault, caused fear that her drug rehabilitation efforts have been unsuccessful, leading to efforts by Winehouse's father and manager to seek assistance in having her sectioned. Amy Winehouse - Health issuesOn 23 June 2008 a spokesperson for Winehouse confirmed that she has been diagnosed with early signs of what could lead to emphysema. Mitch Winehouse reported that his daughter's lungs are operating at 70 percent capacity. In addition he said she has an irregular heartbeat. Mr. Winehouse said these problems were caused by her chain cigarette smoking and crack cocaine usage. The singer's father also reported that doctors have warned Winehouse that continued smoking of crack cocaine will result in her having to wear an oxygen mask and will be fatal. In a radio interview Mitch Winehouse said the singer is responding "fabulously " to treatment which includes being covered with nicotine patches. British Lung Foundation spokesperson Dr. Keith Prowse noted this type of condition can be managed with treatment. Prowse also said the condition is not normal for a person her age but "heavy smoking and inhaling other substances like drugs can age the lungs prematurely". Dr. Norman H. Edelman, Chief Medical Officer for the American Lung Association explained that if she stopped smoking her lung functions would decline at the rate of a normal person but continued smoking would lead to a more rapid decline in lung function. Photographs of the singer with a cigarette in her mouth, taken 23 June 2008, were widely published. Winehouse was released from The London Clinic 24 hours after returning from a temporary leave in order to perform at the Mandela 90th birthday and Glastonbury concerts, and is now being treated as an outpatient. Amy Winehouse - Legal problemsOn 8 September 2007, Winehouse settled a claim for copyright infringement over the song "He Can Only Hold Her", brought against her by songwriter and producer 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). Winehouse claimed she was "duped" into confessing, but police denied the allegation, noting that fluent English speakers handled Winehouse when she signed the confession. A 29 February 2008 court appearance was postponed because of a legal conflict concerning an appearance Fielder-Civil was required to attend. On 9 November 2007, Winehouse's husband and four other men were arrested on a charge of trying to pervert the course of justice in relation to an assault on a pub landlord in June 2007; On 6 June 2008, Fielder-Civil and his 3 co-defendants pled guilty to both the pervert the course of justice charge, as well as a charge of grievous bodily harm with intent. Winehouse was rebuked for her behavior several times by court officials during the legal proceedings in the matter. In testimony before the court the prosecution revealed that the landlord, who suffered a broken cheek in the attack, accepted £200,000 as part of a deal to "effectively throw the [court] case and not turn up". The prosecution testified that the money used to pay off the landlord belonged to Winehouse and that the plot began to unravel when a middleman involved in the plot recognizing Fielder-Civil's notoriety tried to sell security camera footage of the attack to The Daily Mirror. The court was told that Winehouse pulled out of a October 2007 meeting with the men involved in the plot. The meeting never occurred because Winehouse had to attend an awards ceromony. 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. Meanwhile, on 17 February 2008, Fielder-Civil reportedly was hospitalized after collapsing in prison from what was reported to be contaminated heroin. On 26 April 2008, Winehouse was cautioned after she admitted to police she slapped the face of a man with her hand, a "common assault" offense. 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 offense 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 on 7 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. In 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". Some Members of Parliament also reacted negatively. Two London residents were subsequently charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and ecstasy to Winehouse.. On 1 July the pair appeared in court and were bailed to return in October. Amy Winehouse - Other issuesWinehouse was ranked number two on Richard Blackwell's 48th annual "Ten Worst Dressed Women" list, behind Victoria Beckham. In Paris, she performed what was described as a "well-executed 40 minute" set at the opening of a Fendi boutique. Winehouse joined a campaign to stop a block of flats being built beside the George Tavern, a famous London East End music venue. Campaign supporters feared the residential development would end the spot's lucrative sideline as a film and photo location, on which it relies to survive. As part of a breast cancer awareness campaign Winehouse appeared in a revealing photograph for the April 2008 issue of Easy Living magazine. Winehouse has an estimated £10m fortune, tying her for tenth place in the Sunday Times listing of the wealth of musicians under age thirty. It was reported she 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. Amy Winehouse: ControversyWinehouse's dichotomous public image of critical and commercial success versus personal turmoil has proven to be controversial. In November 2007, the opening night of a 17-date tour was marred by booing and walkouts at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. A music critic for the Birmingham Mail newspaper said it was "one of the saddest nights of my life...I saw a supremely talented artist reduced to tears, stumbling around the stage and, unforgivably, swearing at the audience." Other concerts ended similarly, until she announced on November 27, 2007, that her performances and public appearances were cancelled for the remainder of 2007, citing doctor advice to take a complete rest. A statement issued by concert promoter Live Nation blamed "the rigours involved in touring and the intense emotional strain that Amy has been under in recent weeks" for the decision. The New Statesman magazine called Winehouse "a filthy-mouthed, down-to-earth diva," while Newsweek magazine called her "a perfect storm of sex kitten, raw talent and poor impulse control." Karen Heller with The Philadelphia Inquirer summarized the maelstrom this way: By 2008, her continued drug problems threatened her career. Even as Nick Gatfield, the president of Island Records, toyed with the idea of releasing Winehouse "to deal with her problems", he remarked on her talent, saying, "It's a reflection of her status [in the U.S.] that when you flick through the TV coverage [of the Grammys] it's her image they use." In the days before her entry into rehabilitation, The Times, in a break with its normal custom of not devoting space to the "saga of pop singers," editorialized that the state should force the singer into rehabilitation. The editorial, in part, read, "The State's actions could save a great talent. She desperately needs to be brought into rehabilitation and, this time, to stay put there for weeks if not months." The 2008 NME Awards reflected mixed feelings toward Winehouse. The singer was nominated for awards in the categories of "Villain of the Year", "Best Solo Artist", and "Best Music DVD" and won in the category of "Worst Dressed Performer". In its third annual list, Glamour Magazine named Winehouse the third worst dressed British Woman. Post-Grammys, some questioned whether Winehouse should have been honored with the awards given her recent personal and drug problems. Natalie Cole (who battled her own substance-abuse problems while winning a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1975) remarked, "I think the girl is talented, gifted, but it's not right for her to be able to have her cake and eat it too. She needs to get herself together." In an opinion newspaper commentary, Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, said that the alleged drug habits of Winehouse and other celebrities sends a bad message "to others who are vulnerable to addiction" and undermines the efforts of other celebrities trying to raise awareness of problems in Africa, now that more cocaine used in Europe passes through Africa. Winehouse's spokesperson called Costa a "ludicrous man" and noted that "Amy has never given a quote about drugs or flaunted it in any way. She's had some problems and is trying to get better. The U.N. should get its own house in order." Graeme Pearson, the former head of Scotland's drug enforcement agency, criticised Winehouse and Kate Moss for making going to rehab a badge of honour, thus giving the false impression that quitting drugs is easy, because many can not afford to go to clinics. In an April 2008 poll conducted by Sky News, Winehouse was named the second greatest "ultimate heroine" by the UK population at large, topping the voting for that category of those polled under 25 years old. Psychologist Donna Dawson commented that the results demonstrate women like Winehouse who have "a certain sense of vulnerability or have had to fight against some adversity in their lives" receive recognition. Winehouse was voted the second most hated personality in the United Kingdom in a poll conducted one month later by Marketing Magazine. London's Mall Galleries opened an exhibit in May 2008 which includes a sculpture of Winehouse, entitled Excess. The piece has the singer sitting on top of a smashed champagne bottle, a pool of liquid beneath her feet. The body is covered with what appeared to be tiny pills, while one outstretched hand holds a wine glass. June 2008 brought a report that Winehouse, singing a disparaging chant about blacks, the disabled, and homosexuals, and containing racial epithets about Asians, was taped by husband Fielder-Civil, despite assurances to her that he was not filming. Winehouse denied allegations that she was a racist, saying "I don't want to play anything down, but I'm the least racist person going." Winehouse added that the images were taken during "really, really happy times." Speaking at a discussion entitled Winehouse or White House?: Do we go too big on showbiz news? Jeff Zycinski head of BBC Radio Scotland said the BBC and media in general were complicit in the destruction of celebrities like Winehouse. He said that public interest in the singers lifestyle does not make her lifestyle newsworthy. Rod McKenzie editor of the BBC Radio One program Newsbeat replied that "If you play [Amy Winehouse's] music to a certain demographic, those same people want to know what's happening in her private life. If you don't cover it, you're insulting young licence fee payers. |