Every week, we love to focus on one woman who really impresses us or a woman that we just adore. This week, we thought we would focus on one of our personal music heroes and a talent that was just gone far too soon, the wonderful Amy Winehouse.
1. She made that hair look cool.
Yes, it was a beehive from the 60’s but dammit, didn’t Amy make that look good.
2. This masterpiece.
It was the song that really put Amy on the map and boy, isn’t Rehab just a classic?
3. Her style.
Sure, she wasn’t into wearing the latest trends but Amy certainly had a style that was all her own.
4. Her honesty.
Throughout her work, Amy literally poured her heart out into her music. She was completely frank and honest. It led to these masterpieces.
5. Her unbelievable talent.
Amy tragically died at just 27 but what a legacy of music she left behind with two studio albums, Frank and the simply brilliant Back to Black, she was one of music’s legends.
6. The saddest love songs.
If you can find a more tragic love song than this, we tip our hats to you. It’s just heartbreaking.
7. The voice.
That amazing, amazing voice.
8. She just didn’t care what people thought.
She went with her heart.
9. This cover.
How many singers do you know that can make a song better than the original? Much better than the original.
10. She inspired this letter from Russell Brand.
The full letter is on Russell Brand’s website but this extract alone is heartbreaking.
“I’ve known Amy Winehouse for years. When I first met her around Camden she was just some twit in a pink satin jacket shuffling round bars with mutual friends, most of whom were in cool Indie bands or peripheral Camden figures Withnail-ing their way through life on impotent charisma. Carl Barrat told me that “Winehouse” (which I usually called her and got a kick out of cos it’s kind of funny to call a girl by her surname) was a jazz singer, which struck me as bizarrely anomalous in that crowd. To me with my limited musical knowledge this information placed Amy beyond an invisible boundary of relevance; “Jazz singer? She must be some kind of eccentric” I thought. I chatted to her anyway though, she was after all, a girl, and she was sweet and peculiar but most of all vulnerable.”
11. She inspired a wave of other artists who came after her.
Amy inspired pretty much every other British female singer that came after her, particularly Adele who was completely taken with her:
“Not many people have it in them to do something they love, simply because they love it. With no fuss and no compromise. But she knew what she was capable of and didn’t even need to try. If she wanted to do something she would and if she didn’t she’d say f**k off. It came easy to her and that’s why we all loved her so much. We believed every word she wrote, and it would sink in deep when she sang them. Amy paved the way for artists like me and made people excited about British music again whilst being fearlessly hilarious and blase about the whole thing. I don’t think she ever realised just how brilliant she was and how important she is, but that just makes her even more charming. Although im incredibly sad about Amy passing im also reminded of how immensely proud of her i am as well and grateful to be inspired by her. Amy flies in paradise xx”
