The Biography Channel - Amy Winehouse Biography

Growing up in the Southgate area of Enfield, Winehouse went to Southgate School and then Ashmole School. She was introduced to music at an early age by her parents whose tastes ran from Carole King and James Taylor to the jazz classics her father favoured. At age 10 Winehouse and a friend formed a short-lived rap band called Sweet and Sour and then at 12, Winehouse entered the Sylvia Young Theatre School.

Her first brush with controversy came just two years later when she was expelled for “not applying herself” and piercing her nose. At about the same time Winehouse began to experiment with song writing. Conventional school did not last long either and Amy eventually dropped out, taking up part-time work that included a stint singing with a jazz band.

At 16, her close friend Tyler James, a soul singer, passed her demo tape to an A&R person. The move led to Winehouse signing with 19 Management, the management company owned by Simon Fuller, the man behind American Idol. With this expert backing, Winehouse signed to record label Island/Universal and eventually received a publishing deal with EMI. Winehouse hired a backing band, the Dap-Kings, who had long been supporting New York singer Sharon Jones and set about writing and recording her first album.

In early 2003 Winehouse met Blake Fielder-Civil, a music video production assistant, at a local bar. The two began a stormy relationship and Winehouse had his name tattooed over her heart.

Winehouse’s debut, Frank, was released on 20 October, 2003. The album’s jazz, pop, soul and hip-hop blend, together with its world-wise lyrics were received well by critics and prompted comparison with a host of artists, from Sarah Vaughan and Macy Gray to Billie Holiday and Lauryn Hill. Apart from two covers, every song on the album was co-written by Winehouse and it marked the beginning of her collaboration with producer Salaam Remi.

Frank was nominated for two Brit Awards for British Female Solo Act and British Urban Act. Winehouse also won the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song for “Stronger Than Me”. On the back of the album’s success, Winehouse performed at Glastonbury on the Jazzworld stage and at the V Festival.

In 2005, Winehouse teamed up with producer Mark Ronson and began writing her second album after an 18-month song-writing hiatus. Winehouse said Ronson’s involvement was so inspirational she wrote the album in six months.

As her fame grew, so did speculation in the press about her lifestyle. Her weight was a particular focus with the once-curvy singer appearing to drop several dress sizes in 2006. Winehouse told an interviewer her new slim look was due to cutting back on marijuana use.