July 23, 2011 was a hard day for fans of legendary singer Amy Winehouse. After a years-long battle with substance abuse and an eating disorder, the “Valerie” hitmaker passed away from alcohol poisoning at her home in Camden, London, England. Amy Winehouse was only 27 years old when she passed, and she left behind a bittersweet legacy.
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Winehouse’s struggle with substance abuse started when she was quite young. As early as 2003, several appearances to promote her album Frank had to be canceled because she was too inebriated to perform. Her tumultuous relationship with her ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil is widely considered to be what introduced her to the world of hard drugs. Winehouse also notoriously struggled with her self-image, which led to bouts of bulimia that were rarely talked about by the singer and those who knew her personally. According to Winehouse’s bodyguard, her last words to him were: “If I could, I would give it back just to walk down the street with no hassle.”
The Legacy of Amy Winehouse
Ruminating about Winehouse’s death on the anniversary of her passing feels unavoidable for those who loved the English singer and her music. However, now is an excellent time to reminisce about her absolutely incredible career.
Winehouse started her career as a jazz singer before being catapulted into fame with her 2006 album Back To Black. Songs like “Rehab” and “Valerie” became enormous hits, and the album itself nabbed the singer five Grammy awards that year.
So much about Amy Winehouse has inspired new generations of musicians today, from her unique aesthetics (including her famous “beehive” style hair and sharp makeup) to her powerful vocal style. Fellow British singer Adele once said that Winehouse paved the way for other female artists in the country, including herself.
“I feel like owe so much of my career to her,” said Adele during a concert in 2016 that took place on Winehouse’s birthday. “Because of her, I picked up a guitar, and because of her, I write my own songs. The songs that I got signed with are the songs I wrote completely on my own. If it wasn’t for her, that wouldn’t have happened. I owe 90 percent of my career to her. […] I’m obviously completely happy with all the music that she left behind because it’s all genius. But every day I wish I could hear a new song from her.”
We couldn’t agree more. RIP, Amy.
Photo by Phillip Massey
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