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Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse performing at the Eurockéennes in Belfort, Territoire de Belfort, France on 29 June 2007
Background information
Birth name	Amy Jade Winehouse[1]
Born	14 September 1983 (1983-09-14) (age 24) Southgate, London, England
Genre(s)	Soul, jazz, R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Years active	2003–present
Label(s)	Island, Republic
Website	www.amywinehouse.co.uk

Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983) is an English singer-songwriter, primarily in the genres of jazz and soul.

Winehouse's debut album, Frank (released in 2003) was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Her 2006 album Back to Black led to six Grammy Award nominations including the "Big Four": Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. On 14 February 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 prestigous distinctions.

Winehouse has created media buzz apart from her singing. Her unique style, most notably her signature beehive hairstyle, has spawned imitators and been the muse for fashion designers, most notably Karl Lagerfeld. The singer's (and her husband's) struggles with self-harm, as well as drug and alcohol addictions became regular tabloid news in 2007. They have also been plagued by legal troubles that have led to the cancellation of several tour dates.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 Early career 2.2 Major label success 2.3 International success 2.4 Future recordings 3 Personal life 3.1 Legal troubles 4 Controversy 5 Discography 6 Awards and nominations 7 References 8 External links

Amy Winehouse was born in the Southgate area of Enfield, London to a Jewish family with a history of jazz musicians.^[2] She was raised in a family of four: her father Mitchell Winehouse (a taxi driver), her mother Janis (a pharmacistl), and her older brother Alex.^[3] She grew up in the suburb of Southgate and attended Ashmole School. At age ten, Winehouse founded a short-lived rap group called Sweet 'n' Sour with childhood friend Juliette Ashby.^[4] She was trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School when she was twelve years old but was allegedly expelled at fourteen for "not applying herself" and piercing her nose.^[5][3] She later attended the BRIT School in Selhurst, Croydon. She appeared in an episode of The Fast Show as an extra when she was 13.^{[citation needed]}

After toying with her brother's guitar, she received her first guitar when she was thirteen, and began writing music a year later. It was around this time that she dropped out of school, and first started experimenting with drugs—first marijuana. She began working soon after, including as a "showbiz journalist" for the World Entertainment News Network in addition to singing with a jazz band.^[3] Her sometimes boyfriend, soul singer Tyler James, sent her demo tape to an A&R person.^[2] The tapes led to her signing with record label Island/Universal under Simon Fuller's company 19 Management,^[6] and to a publishing deal with EMI. With her first check, she moved out with Ashby.^[3]

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.^[7]

Amy Winehouse's debut album, Frank, was released on 20 October 2003. It was 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^[8][9] with compliments over the "cool, critical gaze" in its lyrics^[10] and brought comparisons of her voice to Sarah Vaughan,^[11] Macy Gray and others.^[10]

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.^[12] Later in 2004, she won the Ivor Novello songwriting Award for "Best Contemporary Song" with her contribution to the first single, "Stronger Than Me" (alongside Salaam Remi).^[13] 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.^[2] 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."^{[14][unreliable source?]} 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."^[15]

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."^[14] In contrast to her jazz-influenced former album, Winehouse's focus shifted "to the girl groups of the Fifties and Sixties".^{[cite this quote]} 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 eleven-track album was produced entirely by Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson, with the production credits being split between them almost equally. 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.^[12]

Back to Black was released in the UK on October 30, 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. This was the highest debut entry for an album by a British female solo artist, only to be outdone two weeks later by Joss Stone, who debuted at number two with Introducing Joss Stone.^[16] By 25 October 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.^[17][18]

The album spawned a number of singles. The first single released from the album on 23 October 2006 was the Ronson-produced "Rehab".^[14] The song was a #7 single in the UK,^[19][20] and won the Ivor Novello award for best contemporary song on May 24, 2007.^[21] "Rehab" peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the week of June 21, over a week after a performance of it on the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. 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 #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 trac, "Back to Black", was released in the UK on 30 April 2007 and peaked at #25. A deluxe edition of Back to Black was also released on November 5, 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 singers career over the previous four years.^[22]

Winehouse toured in conjunction with the album's release. She joined Patrick Wolf as an opening act on some of his dates.^{[citation needed]} She performed headlining gigs in September and November 2006, including one of the Little Noise Sessions charity concerts at the Union Chapel, Islington. On December 31, 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. Come summer, Winehouse performed at various festivals, including UK's Glastonbury Festival,^[23] Chicago's Lollapalooza festival, Rock Werchter and Baltimore's Virgin Music Festival.

Winehouse's wardrobe on her recent UK tour was sponsored by the clothing label Gio-Goi, and it has recently been rumoured that she is to become the face of the label's 2007 Women's wear collection following in the footsteps of Pete Doherty, who was the face of menswear.^[24]

On 20 November 2007, Frank was released in the United States to positive reviews.^[25][26] The album debuted at #61 on the Billboard 200 charts.^[27]

On 10 December 2007, the final single from Back to Black, "Love Is a Losing Game", was released in the United Kingdom and US.

In addition to her own album, other artists have released her collaborations as singles. Winehouse was a vocalist on the song "Valerie" on the Mark Ronson solo album Version. The song peaked at #2 in the UK, upon its October single release. As of 26 November the song had been in the top 5 for seven weeks.^{[obsolete fact][28][29][30]} Her work with ex-Sugababe Mutya Buena, "B Boy Baby," will be released on 17 December 2007. It will serve as the fourth single from Buena's solo debut album Real Girl.

The singer has earned six 2008 Grammy Award nominations related to her work on this album. The album itself is up for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. "Rehab" was nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Performance. The singer herself was nominated for Best New Artist. Producer Mark Ronson's work on the album earned him a nomination for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical. Her representative said "Amy is thrilled to be nominated for six Grammys and is very much hoping to attend" and that "She is determined to be ready and well for that performance." The nominations are credited with bumping up the sales of "Back to Black" up by 48 percent in the United States where the album in mid December was at the number 82 position.^{[31][32][33][34]}

On 17 September 2007 the singer confirmed she is to return to the studio to start work on a new album set for release in 2008.^[35] According to The Sun newspaper the singer is to reunite with Mark Ronson. Ronson revealed that Winehouse wants to steer clear of her trademark horn-heavy style: He said, “I think that we can’t do the same thing again – it can’t be like a 60s element or Motown. If anything, I’d really like to make it sound older or more morbid. Really wall of sound. But, I don’t want to second guess before I actually hear the songs.”^[36] Winehouse is also said to be working with Missy Elliott and hip-hop producer Timbaland.

Pete Doherty said that the Babyshambles are collaborating with the singer on a song titled "You Hurt The Ones You Love".^[37]

Prince says he would like Winehouse to fly to to his Minnesota home to work on a musical collaboration after Christmas. Previously, Prince has said that he was a “big fan” of the singer prompting her to reply: “I’m honoured. I’m a massive fan. I’d love to work with him."^[38] George Michael has written a song in which he wants to duet with the singer. Michael said "Amy is the best female vocalist I have ever heard in my entire career, as well as one of the best writers."^[39]

Since her rise to fame, Winehouse has been the subject of much media attention. In various interviews, Winehouse has denied having bipolar disorder^{[citation needed]} but has admitted to having problems with eating disorders, depression and self-harm.^[40][3][19] She has attributed these problems to insecurities about her appearance.^[41][42]

On the morning of 18 May 2007, Winehouse married on-off boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil in Miami, Florida.^[43] In August 2007 Winehouse cancelled a number of shows in the UK and Europe, citing exhaustion and ill health, and both she and Fielder-Civil entered a rehab facility.^[44] However, they left after just five days.^[45] Winehouse's father subsequently voiced concerns that his daughter and her husband would at some point "reach rock bottom". The singer's parents-in-law also made their fears public, and urged fans and the industry to boycott her music in an attempt to halt her decline.^[46] In a separate interview, her mother-in-law said she was worried that Amy and Blake had become so inseparable that if one were to commit suicide, the other would follow.^[47]

Images of the singer outside her home in London in the early hours of the 2 December barefoot and wearing only a bra and jeans appeared on the internet and in some tabloid newspapers. In a statement her spokesperson blamed paparazzi harassment for the incident and said: "The constant bombardment by certain agency photographers at her home has increased anxiety and caused disturbance." The spokesperson also reported that the singer is currently in a program being supervised by doctors and channeling her difficulties by writing a lot of music.^[48][49][50]

On 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 said he would now receive a share of the copyright from the song and payment of costs. Previously he had received a "thank you" for his contribution but no songwriter credit on the album.^[51]

In October 2007, Winehouse and her husband were arrested in Norway for possession of marijuana. The couple were later released and fined 3850 Norwegian kroner (around £350).^[52] The singer claims she was "duped" into confessing to possession of illegal drugs and vowed to fight the United States ban on her travel there triggered by the arrest.^[53] Also during this period the singer and her husband were photographed bloodied and bruised in the streets of London after a hotel room fight allegedly started when, according to the singer as quoted by a tabloid newspaper, she was spotted by her husband doing drugs with a call girl.^{[54][unreliable source?][55]}

Fielder-Civil and four other men were arrested on 9 November 2007 on a charge of trying to pervert the course of justice in relation to an assault on a bartender in June 2007;^[56] he allegedly offered to pay the victim £200,000 to withdraw his complaint.^[57][58] He was denied bail and remains in custody, pending investigation until at least 18 January 2008.^[59] As Fielder-Civil is not known to have any income independent of his wife, Winehouse also came under investigation for any role she might have had and officers visited the singer’s accountants—the London-based firm Smallfield Cody—in an attempt to track her financial dealings. About a week later, on December 18, Winehouse voluntarily submitted to arrest, and was released on bail without charges being filed. The singer was ordered to return to a London police station in early March. Police have confiscated her mobile phone records, bank details and computer software.^[60],^[61]

The New Statesman magazine called Winehouse "a filthy-mouthed, down-to-earth diva."^[62] People magazine called her "a perfect storm of sex kitten, raw talent and poor impulse control."^[63] In late 2006, she heckled Bono (of U2) during an awards show speech he gave.^[3] 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,^[64][65] until it was announced on November 27, 2007, that Amy Winehouse has called off all gigs and other public appearances for the remainder of 2007, after her doctor advised her to take 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.^[66] 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.^[67]

Main article: Amy Winehouse discography

• 2003: Frank
• 2006: Back to Black

Year	Award	Category	Title	Result
2004	Ivor Novello Awards	Best Contemporary Song (musically and lyrically)	"Stronger Than Me"	Won
	BRIT Awards	Best Female Solo Artist		Nominated
		Best Urban Act		Nominated
	Mercury Music Prize	Album of the Year	Frank	Shortlisted
2007	South Bank Show awards	Best Pop		Won
	BRIT Awards	British Album	Back to Black	Nominated
		Best Female Solo Artist		Won
	Elle Style Awards	Best British music act		Won
	Ivor Novello Awards	Best Contemporary Song	"Rehab"	Won
	Greatest Britons	Musical Achievement		Won
	Mercury Music Prize	Album of the Year	Back to Black	Shortlisted
	Popjustice £20 Music Prize	Best British pop single of the year	"Rehab"	Won
	Q Awards	Best Album	Back to Black	Won
	MOBO Awards	Best UK Female		Won
	MTV Video Music Awards	Female Artist of the Year		Nominated
		Best New Artist		Nominated
		Video of the Year	"Rehab"	Nominated
	MTV Europe Music Awards	Most Addictive Track	"Rehab"	Nominated
		Album of the Year	Back to Black	Nominated
		Artist's Choice		Won
	World Music Awards	World's Best-Selling New Artist		Nominated
		World's Best-Selling Pop/Rock Female Artist		Nominated
	Vibe Awards	Breakthrough Artist of the Year		Nominated
2008	Grammy Awards	Record of the Year	"Rehab"	Nominated
		Album of the Year	Back to Black	Nominated
		Song of the Year	"Rehab"	Nominated
		Best New Artist		Nominated
		Best Female Pop Vocal Performance	"Rehab"	Nominated
		Best Pop Vocal Album	Back to Black	Nominated

Official

• AmyWinehouse.co.uk, official website
• Official MySpace page

General

• "Amy Winehouse On Fighting Her Inner Demons and the Just-Married Life", Rolling Stone magazine cover story from 30 May 2007
• "The Year of Amy Winehouse", 2007 timeline at CollegeNews.com
• Analysis of how Winehouse made pain part of her artistry by Joan Anderman Boston Globe

v • d • e Amy Winehouse
Albums	Frank · Back to Black
Singles	"Stronger Than Me" · "Take the Box" · "In My Bed"/"You Sent Me Flying" · "Pumps"/"Help Yourself" · "Rehab" · "You Know I'm No Good" · "Back to Black" · "Tears Dry on Their Own" · "Valerie"  · "Love Is a Losing Game" · "B Boy Baby"
DVDs	I Told You I Was Trouble: Live In London