Amy Winehouse, the internationally and critically acclaimed yet highly-controversial English singer-songwriter, was found dead in her north London apartment. She was 27. Police are calling the cause of death undetermined, but many suspect a drug overdose.
Winehouse, sadly, joins the so-called “27 Club,” a list of rock music artists who died at the age of 27, including Kurt Cobain, Brtian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison.
London Metro police issued this statement:
Police were called by London Ambulance Service to an address in Camden Square NW1 shortly before 16.05hrs today, Saturday 23 July, following reports of a woman found deceased. On arrival officers found the body of a 27-year-old female who was pronounced dead at the scene. Enquiries continue into the circumstances of the death. At this early stage it is being treated as unexplained.
Via the BBC:
Rumours of Winehouse’s death began circulating on Twitter on Saturday evening. Among those to comment was former prime minister’s wife Sarah Brown.
“Sad sad news of Amy Winehouse – great talent, extraordinary voice, and tragic death, condolences to her family,” she tweeted.
Singer and presenter Myleene Klass tweeted: “OMG. Amy Winehouse. Exceptional talent and really nice lady. RIP.”
BBC Radio 1 DJ Fearne Cotton wrote: “Can not believe the news. Amy was a special girl. The saddest news.”
Daily Telegraph rock critic Neil McCormick said he was “utterly shocked” at her death.
He said she had appeared focused when giving an “incredible performance” for a recent studio recording of a duet with Tony Bennett.
“It’s deeply sad. It’s the most completely tragic waste of talent that I can remember,” he added.
At the time she pulled out of the tour, her spokesman said: “Amy Winehouse is withdrawing from all scheduled performances.
“Everyone involved wishes to do everything they can to help her return to her best and she will be given as long as it takes for this to happen.”
Via The Telegraph:
Amy Winehouse, who has died aged 27, ticked all the right boxes for a self-destructive wild child of pop, having bags of “attitudeâ€, a drink and drugs problem and a no-good man; yet underneath the ratty beehive hair-do, oversized plastic earrings, kohl-encrusted eyes and tattoo-covered arms, she was also an addictive and engaging performer with a natural deep voice who sang with a jazzy, passionate energy.
Amy Winehouse’s music — Sixties pop-soul in 21st-century street slang — was always less interesting than her chaotic off-stage life. Her name seldom featured in the press unless prefixed by the word “troubled†and accompanied by an account of her battles with drink and drugs and her dependent-abusive relationship with her husband, a petty drug dealer and junkie called Blake Fielder-Civil. Cancelled gigs, brushes with the law and spells in rehab gave the press plenty to write about; commentators saw parallels between Amy Winehouse’s charge towards self-destruction with Blake Fielder-Civil and their punk rock counterparts Nancy Spungeon and Sid Vicious.
Â
Via the London Mail:
Winehouse has had a troubled life which has included various stints in rehab for drug and alcohol addiction.
In an interview in 2008, her mother Janis said she would be unsurprised if her daughter died before her time.
She said: ‘I’ve known for a long time that my daughter has problems. But seeing it on screen rammed it home. I realise my daughter could be dead within the year. We’re watching her kill herself, slowly.
‘I’ve already come to terms with her dead. I’ve steeled myself to ask her what ground she wants to be buried in, which cemetery. Because the drugs will get her if she stays on this road.‘I look at Heath Ledger and Britney. She’s on their path. It’s like watching a car crash – this person throwing all these gifts away.’
Via CBS:
Winehouse has struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. In May it was reported that she checked into a treatment facility after her father, Mitch, encouraged her to seek help.
Winehouse won five Grammy Awards for her 2008 album “Back to Black” and the single “Rehab,” including Best Pop Vocal Album, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best New Artist.
Â
Via Wikipedia on Wisehouse’s discography:
The discography of Amy Winehouse (1983–2011), an English soul, jazz, and R&B singer, contains two studio albums and ten singles.
Winehouse’s debut album, Frank, was released by Island Records in the United Kingdom in October 2003 and peaked at number thirteen on the UK Album Chart, however none of the four singles released from the album managed to reach the Top 50 of the UK Singles Chart. Her second album and the last released in her lifetime, Back to Black, was released in October 2006 and went to number one in the UK , and peaked at number seven on the Billboard 200 in the United States. The album was certified five-times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry and it was the best-selling album of 2007 in the UK. The first single from the album, “Rehab”, peaked at number seven in the UK, and number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. The album’s second single, “You Know I’m No Good” reached number eighteen in the UK. Other singles were the title-track, “Back to Black”, “Tears Dry on Their Own” and “Love Is a Losing Game”. A special deluxe edition of the album was released in the UK in November 2007 and also topped the charts. By mid-2009 Back to Black had sold a total of 2,985,303 copies and was the eighteenth biggest seller ever in the UK.[1]
Winehouse collaborated with other artists, as a vocalist on the song “Valerie” on Mark Ronson’s solo album, Version. The song peaked at number two in the UK. She also collaborated with ex-Sugababe Mutya Buena, on “B Boy Baby,” from Buena’s solo album, Real Girl.
Â
The BBC has a profile on Winehouse from 2008.
(image)