With her commanding singing voice, often compared to Ella Fitzgerald, Macy Gray, and Sarah Vaughan, her Sixties-inspired style, her big personality, and her general musical genius, Amy Winehouse has gone down as one of the world's most beloved artists. The singer passed away unexpectedly on July 23, 2011, in her Camden Square home in London. Seven years later, her heartfelt ballads still play on repeat in our heads, while her trademark beehive hairstyle and pronounced cat-eye makeup continue to inspire. Here is our ode to the one who left us too soon, at just 27 years old. Vogue Paris has compiled 10 things to know about the brilliant Amy Winehouse.
1. Her grandmother was her ultimate role model
While her father was the one who introduced her to music, through the soft rhythm of Frank Sinatra songs, which he sang to her as a child (according to a 2007 interview), it was her grandmother Cynthia, a cabaret singer, who made her fall in love with jazz. After her role model passed away in 2006, Amy Winehouse paid tribute to her with a tattooed effigy on her arm in the form of an old-school pin-up girl.
2. She didn't always want to be a singer
Believe it or not, Amy Winehouse wasn't always set on being an entertainer. She once had inspirations for a simpler life, dreaming of being a waitress on roller skates.
3. She started a rap group when she was 10
Childhood is full of great ideas, and Amy's was no different. After determining that the radio stations weren't playing the music she liked, the young Londoner began to write lyrics and eventually began to create full songs. In fact, she wrote every single song on her first two albums, Frank and Back to Black.
At 10 years old, alongside her best friend Juliette Ashby, she founded a rap group dubbed Sweet'n'Sour. The two friends eventually shared an apartment together in Camden, Amy Winehouse's favorite London neighborhood.
5. She was slated to become a James Bond girl
In 2008, Amy Winehouse almost became a character in a James Bond film. She was invited to put her own spin on the opening song for Quantum of Solace, the 22nd film in the 007 saga, however she was unable to honor her contract due to personal issues.
6. She inspired numerous designers
After achieving paramount success in her career, Amy Winehouse became a style icon for various high-fashion designers. Karl Lagerfeld designed his pre-fall 2008 collection using Sixties references, and Jean Paul Gaultier dedicated his haute couture Spring/Summer 2012 show to Winehouse as a tribute.
Her pathway into fashion didn't stop there. In 2010, one year before her death, Amy Winehouse revealed a collaboration with Fred Perry, one of her favorite brands. The collection encapsulated her retro spirit, completed with rock'n'roll influences. Three subsequent collections were expected to follow, all just as inspiring.
7. The Grammy Awards sweep
In 2008, Amy Winehouse took home 5 Grammys. She was won best song for Rehab, best pop album, record of the year, best new artist, and best female pop vocal performance. While she wasn't allowed in the United States in order to be present at the ceremony in Los Angeles, the singer learned about her multiple grammy awards from a London concert hall during the event. It was a night to remember.
8. Prince was a fan of hers
During a filmed interview with Tim Kash in 2007, the host relayed to Amy Winehouse that Prince had said he would love to perform alongside her. The collaboration occurred via Prince's rendition of Love is a Losing Game, written by the British singer. The two had planned to record a duet together, however, these plans never materialized.
9. The story behind "Rehab"
Rehab is one of Amy Winehouse's most popular songs, and it was nothing short of an ironic joke according to the singer, as she indicated through several interviews in the 2000s. "With 'Rehab' I was walking down the street with Mark Ronson, who produced my last album. I just sang the hook out loud. It was quite silly really - Mark laughed and asked me who wrote it because he liked it. I told him that I'd just made it up but that it was true and he encouraged me to turn it into a song, which took me five minutes. It wasn't hard."
10. She founded a record label, "Lioness Records"
In 2009, Amy Winehouse founded her own record label in order to support her goddaughter, Dionne Bromfield, who was just 13 years old at the time. She didn't choose the "Lioness" label by accident, it was in fact the nickname her grandmother Cynthia had given her (also given to her in the form of a pendant). Still active today, the label has signed several artists who were close to the singer, such as Juliette Ashby, Zalon, her backup vocalist, and Liam Bailey.
Translated by Abdel Benakki
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