Whether the creases of her eyelids were overly penciled black or the style of her hair appeared to be a chaotic beehive, Amy Winehouse was a soulful rockstar. She proved that with her eclecticism and new approach to music.
When a white Jewish girl from the suburbs of London knows how to mix R&B, Jazz & Soul, you better not only pay attention, but also take notes!
Winehouse is mostly known for fearlessly spilling her raw emotions on her records and selling them. The most notable one was entitled “Rehab” off her 2006 album Back to Black. The power of her voice did cause a few goosebumps, but the honesty of her lyrics is what sent shock waves through people. “They tried to make me go to rehab, I said no no no.” This is probably the first line that comes to mind when you think of Amy.
Blunt or not, the dark lyrics of this song scored three Grammy Awards in 2008, Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The irony of the lyrics in the song is what has fans asking one simple question, “Well, why didn’t she go to rehab?”
While she did enter a clinic on May 25, 2011 for only a week, it still would not be enough to keep her from her devastating demise that soon followed nearly two months later.
Let’s not focus on the debate of “Why didn’t she go to rehab?” but let’s reflect on the life and times of Amy Winehouse.
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The comfort in death is reflecting back to memorable moments, with a talented singer like Winehouse, this shouldn’t be hard. Who could forget when crying Amy accepted her 2008 Grammy Award? Her personality poured on stage as she stood there in shock.
With a simple “Amy Winehouse Grammy Awards,” search on YouTube.com the unforgettable moment can be rewound. Fans could be seen leaving comments like, “OK, I was holding a lot of sadness in my heart for the loss of Amy Winehouse, and needed to pour it out crying, but it didn’t happen, until I watched this video! Her expression just got me!” or “Just watched this, and I could not keep my tears from falling. THIS is the Amy that all fans will remember – forever! Rest in peace sweetheart.”
Her fans we’re not the only ones feeling the loss. Celebrity friends expressed their devastation as well “I cant even breath right now I’m crying so hard I just lost 1 of my best friends. I love you forever Amy & will never forget the real you!” said Kelly Osbourne, while Demi Moore shared the same pain. “Truly sad news about Amy Winehouse. My heart goes out to her family. May her troubled soul find peace.”
The five things that Amy will be remembered for after the break.
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Humor ― In a 2007 interview with SPIN Magazine Amy Winehouse had no problem expressing how she truly felt about professional interview questions. “I don’t care about any of this” she said, “Ask me a silly question. Ask me my favorite flavor Tootsie pop.” A lot of people got a kick out of this.
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Fashion ― Fashion designers were extremely attracted to Amy. It was with Fred Perry whom she collaborated with and released a 2010 17-piece collection of vintage inspired looks. Perry admits that she was hands on with decisions for the line and described her as being “closely involved.”
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Voice ― Sasha Frere-Jones of The New Yorker says nobody can match Winehouse’s unique transitions or her utterly weird phrasings. “She sounded like an original sixties soul star, developed when the landscape had no rules.” Everyone knows that Amy’s soulful voice will live forever.
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Fearlessness ― Amy was never scared to be herself. If she didn’t want to do something, she would let it be known, despite what others may think. The 3x Grammy Award winning song “Rehab” was written by Amy, it was inspired when her father tried to make her go to “Rehab” and she refused. Although it may have been her downfall, it took a lot of courage to go public with a personal addiction and issue.
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International Success ― It was in 2006 when Amy’s second studio album Back to Black was released, selling 1.85 million copies over the course of that year, topping the charts both in the UK and the US. The album won five Grammy Awards at the 2008 ceremony tying the record with one of her influences, Lauryn Hill and a few other singers. In Germany, the album is the most downloaded of all time.
