Amy Jade Winehouse

She had a very troubled marriage with Blake Fielder-Civil that was marked by physical violence and drug abuse. In fact it was her husband who had introduced the singer to illegal drugs. The couple had got married in 2007 and divorced two years later.

She was dating Reg Traviss at the time of her death.

She had had several brushes with the law because of her violent behaviour and possession of illegal drugs.

Amy Winehopuse was the daughter of a taxi driver father, Mitchell Winehouse and pharmacist mother, Janis. Music was in her blood; several of her relatives from her mother’s side were musicians.

She loved music from an early age and just could not stop singing. She was often reprimanded at school for singing during classes.

She was sent to the Susi Earnshaw Theatre School for four years to receive vocal education.

She also received training at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, and appeared in an episode of ‘The Fast Show’ along with some other schoolmates.

She began working as a teenager, one of her initial jobs being an entertainment journalist for the World Entertainment News Network. She also sang with local bands.

In 2002, her friend Tyler James sent her demo tapes an A&R person who helped her sign with Simon Fuller’s 19 Management.

Even though she was meant to be kept a recording industry secret, her recordings were accidentally heard by the A&R man at Island/Universal who became keen on signing the young artist.

She released her debut album ‘Frank’—named in honour of her idol Frank Sinatra— with Island Records in 2003. The album featured a mixture of jazz, hip-hop and soul music. It received positive reviews and won several prizes and nominations.

Around this time she also started receiving media attention for her substance abuse problems. Post the release of her debut album she plunged into a period of heavy drinking, drug addiction, eating disorders and mood swings which escalated during 2005.

Her second album ‘Back to Black’ was the best work of her short lifetime. It spawned the hit singles ‘Rehab’ considered to be her signature song. The album was critically acclaimed for its richness and beautiful lyrics.