Filed under: Celebrity Gossip
AP
We take a look back at the short life of a modern musical icon. R.I.P. Amy.With her much-publicised drug and drink addictions, torrid love life and frequent spells in rehab (despite initially saying that she wouldn't go, go, go), Amy Winehouse's music took somewhat of a back seat to her personal troubles which ultimately led to her tragic, premature death at the age of just 27. But it was her undisputable talent that brought her to the world's attention; second album Back To Black won critical plaudits and became a commercial smash, marking her out as one of the most idiosyncratic pop stars of her generation.
Singing even in school classes, the young Amy's first attempt at stardom came with short-lived rap group Sweet 'n' Sour, but Winehouse soon switched her attentions to jazz upon receiving her first guitar at the age of 13, and started to write her own songs. A rebellious streak also emerged around that time, as Amy was expelled from the Sylvia Young Theatre School for lack of concentration and piercing her nose. After graduating from London's prestigious BRIT School, however, things became rosier for the wannabe star; a demo tape grabbed the attention of record execs, and after a lot of secret work behind the scenes, Amy's debut album Frank was released in 2003.
Frank was a moderate success, garnering her positive reviews and an Ivor Novello Award for songwriting, but Amy's private life was more chequered. A break-up with future husband Blake Fielder-Civil, depression, weight loss and rumours of drug abuse hounded her, but undeterred, Amy poured the misery into 2006's Back To Black, influenced by '60s girl groups and masterminded by super-producer Mark Ronson.
Back To Black's expertly-crafted tales of heartbreak made her a megastar, with songs Rehab, You Know I'm No Good and the title track going on to become global hits, a legion of fans imitating her distinctive beehive hairdo and lashings of eyeliner. Despite becoming a sensation, however, Amy appeared to be on a self-destructive bent, with rumours of heroin and alcohol addiction and her on-off relationship with Fielder-Civil, culminating in their marriage in 2007, almost a daily fixture in the UK press. Live shows where Winehouse struggled to get through her tunes fuelled speculation that she was coming apart at the seams.
After jaunts in rehab and ditching her husband, though, Winehouse seemed to be on the road to recovery, and a follow-up to Back To Black looked increasingly likely but it was never to be. Amy was found dead in her North London flat on Saturday 23 July - an almost inevitable tragic end to one of modern music's true talents.
Amy Winehouse profile
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Source: http://celebrity.aol.co.uk/2011/07/23/amy-winehouse/
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