Amy Winehouse: Back to Black

Virgin Radio

24 Oct 2018, 17:03

Back to Black was the biggest selling album of 2007 worldwide selling over 5.5 million copies

Amy Winehouse was a five-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter.

The album won both the Q Award and the MTV Europe Music Award for the 2007 Album of the Year.

Back to Black was a huge success in the UK being the third biggest seller of the 2000s containing songs ‘Rehab’, ‘Back to Black’ and ‘Tears Dry On Their Own’.

Most of the songs on the album were heavily inspired by the relationship and split with her on-off boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil. Blake was the subject of many of her best tracks, "I go back to things I maybe shouldn't," Amy said in 2004.

With such a successful career we take a look back at a beautiful icon…

Her full name is Amy Jade Winehouse and she was born on 4 September 1983

Photo by YouTube

She grew up in the Southgate area of Enfield, Winehouse went to Southgate School and then Ashmole School.

In 1992 Amy began to attend Susi Earnshaw Theatre School where she was able to get a vocal education. At 14 she bought a guitar and began to write music.

 1. Photo by INS 2. Photo by Snopes

Amy was then a pupil at the Sylvia Young theatre school in Central London.

She used to be in a rap duo called Sweet ‘n Sour – a Jewish version of Salt-N-Pepa – with her childhood best friend Juliette Ashby when she was 10

Photo by Consequence of Sound

Amy Winehouse had 14 known tattoos, including 'Daddy's Girl' on her left arm for her father, and the name 'Cynthia' on her right arm in tribute of her Jewish grandmother.

Her first job was as a celebrity reporter at World Entertainment.

Photo by Evening Standard

But Amy wasn’t interested in a career in music at this point - instead, she dreamed of being a roller-skating waitress like in 1973 coming of age film American Graffiti.

She then attended the Brit School alongside fellow singers Adele, Jessie J and Leona Lewis.

Awards

2004 - Best Contemporary Song for ‘Stronger than Me’

2007 - Best Contemporary Song for ‘Rehab

2008 - Best Musically and Lyrically for ‘Love Is a Losing Game’

Photo by Daily Express

Back to Black led to five 2008 Grammy Awards, tying the then record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night, making her the first British woman to win five Grammys.

Including three of the General Field “Big Four” Grammy Awards: Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Photo by Happy Mag

Carole King’s wistful 1971 piano staple ‘So Far Away’ was Winehouse’s favourite song – so much so that her funeral service ended with friends and family singing the track in her honour.

Amy had previously covered King’s ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow’ but ‘So Far Away’ remained her favourite.

“She was one of those magical people who burn more brightly than the rest of us,” wrote Mark Ronson after Amy’s death.

Photo by Empics

Pete Mitchell tells the Story of one of the most tragic singers of the 21st Century

Click here to listen to Revolutions In Music: The Story of Amy Winehouse