Amy Winehouse was born on this day - 14 September - in North London to a family full of jazz musicians. From attending the prestigious Susi Earnshaw Theatre School for singing lessons to forming her rap group at 13, Amy seemed destined for musical fame.
Amy first began making her own music at the age of fourteen after buying a guitar. Her debut studio album Frank came out in 2003. Frank, named after Frank Sinatra, received glowing reviews and went triple platinum. In October 2006, Amy released her breakout album Back to Black. The acclaimed album brought her international fame and received 6 Grammy Awards. It went on to become the second best-selling album in the UK of the 21st Century.
From her deep jazz and soul roots, Amy’s music also mixed in R&B, hip hop, funk and Latin influences. The world was on edge to see what Amy would do with future albums. However, her troubled personal life and struggles with substance abuse were well-known. Tragedy struck when she passed away of alcohol poisoning in 2011 at the age of 27.
On the occasion of what would have been her 35th birthday, let’s take a chance to revisit some of the many gems she gave us in her short but bright career.
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