Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse was born in 1983 in North London and attended the celebrated Sylvia Young Theatre School as well as Brit School. She was from a Jewish background and attended Sunday school as a child, but she wasn’t highly religious.

As a teenager, Winehouse was signed by Simon Fuller’s 19 Management, who created Pop Idol and managed the Spice Girls. She later secured a record deal with Island, who released her debut album, ‘Frank’, in 2003. The LP charted at 60 in the UK Album Chart upon its release, which was considerably lower than expected for a prodigal talent signed to Island Records. However, over the next few months, it gradually began to climb up the chart before reaching a peak position of 13 in late January.

She teamed up with Mark Ronson for her second album, ‘Back To Black’, which elevated her career to dazzling heights. The record also included the hit single, ‘Rehab’, which remains her only song to chart in the top ten in the United States.

Tragically, Winehouse’s problems with alcoholism and substance abuse also surged at the same time as the success of Back To Black. Although she managed to get clean from drugs in 2010, alcohol continued to be an issue and caused her death in July 2011 at 27 years old. She also struggled with bulimia which her brother Alex believes caused her passing.