Biography for
Amy Winehouse More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

14 September 1983, Southgate, London, England, UK

Date of Death

23 July 2011, Camden, London, England, UK (alcohol poisoning)

Birth Name

Amy Jade Winehouse

Nickname

Wino

Height

5' 3" (1.60 m)

Mini Biography

Amy Winehouse was a five-time Grammy Award-winning English singer-songwriter known for such hits as 'Rehab' and 'You Know I'm No Good' among her other works.

She was born Amy Jade Winehouse, on September 14, 1983, in Enfield, London, England to a Jewish family with Russian ancestry on her mother's side. Her father, Mitchell Winehouse, was a taxi driver; her mother, Janis Winehouse (nee Seaton), was a pharmacist. Her family shared her love of theater and music. Amy was brought up on jazz music; she played her brother's guitar and received her own guitar at age 13. Young Amy Winehouse was a rebellious girl. At age 14, she was expelled from Sylvia Young Theatre School in Marylebone, London. At that time she pierced her nose and tattooed her body. She briefly attended the BRIT School in Croydon, and began her professional career at 16, performing occasional club gigs and recording low cost demos. At age 19, she recorded her debut, Frank (2003), a jazz-tinged album that became a hit and earned her several award nominations. During the next several years, she survived a period of personal upheaval, a painful relationship, and has been struggling with substance abuse. Her 2006's album 'Back on Black' was an international hit, and 'Rehab' made No. 9 on the US pop charts.

Her big break came in 2008. Amy Winehouse became the first British female to win five Grammy Awards on the same night, February 10th, 2008, including Best New Artist and Record of the Year for 'Rehab'. Her Grammy performance was broadcast from London via satellite, because she was unable to appear in person in Los Angeles due to temporary problems with her traveling visa. Following her success at the Grammy Awards, Winehouse gave a string of highly successful performances during the year 2008. In June, she was suddenly hospitalized with a serious lung condition. However, she left hospital for one evening to perform for Nelson Mandela on his 90th birthday celebration in London's Hyde Park. She sang her hits Rehab and Valerie, drawing cheers and applause form the crowds and a smile from Mandela. Winehouse also performed for Roman Abramovich's party in Moscow; there she earned $2 million for her one-hour gig.

Amy Winehouse developed a distinctive style of her own. Her signature beehive hairstyle has become the model for fashion designers, while her vulnerability, her fragile personality and self-destructive behavior has been regular tabloid news, and subject of criticism and controversy. In April 2008 she was named the second greatest "ultimate heroine" by the British population at large, and a month later was voted the second most hated personality in the UK. George Michael called her the "best female vocalist he has heard in his entire career," while Keith Richards warned that she "won't be around long" if her behavior doesn't change.

Musically, Amy Winehouse created a cross-cultural and cross-genre style. She experimented with an eclectic mix of jazz, soul, pop, reggae, world beat and R&B. She had a special ability to channel hurt and despair into her performances. Her voice, phrasing and delivery sometimes sounded like a mix between Billy Holliday, Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan, and coupled with similarities in personal problems, she at times resembled another incarnation of legendary "Lady Blues".

Amy Winehouse died at the age of 27, on 23 July 2011, in her London home. She was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium and her ashes were laid to rest in Edgwarebury Jewish Cemetery in London, United Kingdom. Her death caused considerable mourning worldwide.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Steve Shelokhonov

Spouse

Blake Fielder-Civil

(18 May 2007 - 16 July 2009) (divorced)

Trade Mark

Long black hair styled into a '60s-inspired beehive

Extreme black eyeliner

Jangly, eccentric dancing while on stage

Deep soulful contralto vocals

Heavily tattooed arms

Trivia

Attended the Brit School with singer Katie Melua.

Jazz, soul and R&B singer.

Nominated for a Mercury Music Award in 2004.

Nominated for two Brit Awards in 2003.

Won a Brit Award for "Best British Female" in 2007.

Received her first guitar at the age of 13.

Her second album "Back to Black" reached #1 in the UK Albums Charts (2006).

Trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School when she was twelve years old, but was expelled at age fourteen for "not applying herself" and piercing her own nose.

At around age ten, she founded a rap group named Sweet 'n' Sour (she was "Sour").

Growing up in Southgate, she attended Ashmole School.

Has a brother, Alex.

Her mother, Janis, is a pharmacist.

Her father, Mitch Winehouse, is a taxi driver.

Born in the Southgate area of Enfield, London, England.

Her "Back To Black" album was inspired by her relationship with Blake Civil-Fielder prior to their marriage.

Her husband Blake appeared in the Lily Allen music video LDN.

Her husband Blake was one of five men arrested on a charge of trying to pervert the course of justice (9 November 2007).

Due to her bulimia as well as her alcohol problems, she has been a target of the tabloids.

Earned six 2008 Grammy Awards nominations including "Album of the Year" and "Record of the Year" for "Rehab" (6 December 2007).

Released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of attempting to interfere with a court case involving her husband (18 December 2007).

Friends with singer Remi Wilson (aka Remi Nicole) and Kelly Osbourne.

Ranked #2 in Richard Selzer (aka Mr. Blackwell) 's 48th annual Worst Dressed Woman list (January 2008).

Although she was finally granted an entry visa in the United States to perform at the 2008 Grammy Awards, she remained in London and sang two songs via satellite. During the show, she was awarded five Grammys for "Best Pop Vocal Album", "Record of the Year", "Song of the Year", "Best Female Pop Performance" (for "Rehab") and "Best New Artist" (10 February 2008).

Her song "Love Is A Losing Game" won the 2008 Ivor Novello Award for best song musically and lyrically.

Ties with Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill for the most Grammys (5) won by a woman in a single year.

First British artist to win 5 Grammys in a single year (2008).

Found not guilty of assault [July 23, 2009].

Died in her London home in Camden.

Died at age 27, making her a member of the "27 Club". The "27 Club" is a group of prominent musicians who have died at the age of 27. Other members include: The Rolling Stones co-founder Brian Jones, guitarist Jimi Hendrix, singer Janis Joplin, The Doors frontman Jim Morrison and Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.

She was the godmother of Dionne Bromfield.

Winehouse's final recording, a duet entitled "Body and Soul" with Tony Bennett, was released on 14 September 2011 to commemorate what would have been her 28th birthday. The track appeared on Bennett's CD album "Duets II" (2011).

The singer's final live performance occurred three days before her death when she made a surprise appearance at Camden's Roundhouse in London supporting her singer god-daughter Dionne Bromfield (20 July 2011).

Best friend of Tyler James.

Personal Quotes

I could never decide whether I wanted to be Michael Jackson or marry him. I don't care what people say because he's a f**king genius.

I didn't want to just wake up drinking and crying and listening to the Shangri-Las, and go to sleep, and wake up drinking and listening to the Shangri-Las. So I turned it into songs and that's how I got through it.

I believe in fate and I believe that things happen for a reason but I don't think that there's a high power, necessarily. I believe in karma very much though.

[In October 2010] I'm much healthier now. I used to use drugs and I haven't used drugs in almost three years. It's not a hard thing.

The minute I even start to think about what I'm doing I just lose it. I have to just shut my eyes and flow.

If you don't throw yourself into something, you'll never know what you could have had.

I don't care about all that pop stuff and I couldn't go to the Smash Hits poll winners' party without bringing a gun.