We lost the British artist, Amy Winehouse on July 23, 2011. Amy made a great impact on the world of music and many of her songs are still being streamed online by the fans.
Amy was the most influential and talented star of the 21st century. Amy herself had an iconic look and so did her voice. Her raw and unique voice captivated everyone from around the globe. She could’ve been so much more if time was by her side, so what happened to Amy Winehouse and how did she gain success, let’s find out!
The Sucess Story of Amy Winehouse
Am was always fond of music since she was a kid. Her uncles were all professional jazz musicians and her father, Mitchell (Mitch) Winehouse also knew how to play some instruments.
She then tested her singing skills at Sylvia Young Theatre School. Later, she joined the BRIT Schook for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon but never graduated from there. Amy dropped out when she was only 16 and focused on making her own music.
After leaving school, she followed her singing career immediately. She worked as an entertainment journalist before being big. Afterward, her friend Tyler James sent a demo tape to a person who was working for a music label.
Winehouse released her debut album “Frank: in 2003 and that’s when her musical career started to take a bright turn. Frank was also nominated for the Mercury Prize since it was a mixture of jazz, soul, and R&B, which made it very special and unique.
Amy then released her second album “Back to Black” in 2006 which gained her true recognition. Songs like “Back to Black”, “You Know I’m No Good”, and “Rehab” became hits and her song “Rehab” even became the Record Song of the Year. She even won five Grammy Awards in 2008.
Her raw and deep voice was finally starting to get recognition all around the globe. Although Winehouse was finally starting to gain fame through her music, she got into relationship troubles.
She struggled with many problems and was eventually found dead on July 23, 2011. Her music will forever continue her legacy and she will be forever remembered as an artist who gave a unique path to music.
Amy Winehouse’s Relationship With Blake Fielder-Civil
The fans are almost certain about the relationship between her and Blake Fielder-Civil. They met in 2005 at a pub where Winehouse was just beginning her career as a musician.
The tall, tattooed, handsome Blake was a video production assistant at the time. The pair spent some time together and even played pool and jukebox.
Fielder-Civil was in a relationship with someone at that time but after a month of meeting with Amy, the relationship just became causal. Blake and Amy even had their name tattooed on each other, Amy tattooed his name on her chest and Blake did it beneath his ear.
Although this was looking like a beautiful start for the couple, things took a unique turn and Blake broke up with Amy. He went back with his ex-girlfriend.
“I was really depressed. I was in love with someone and it fell through. A lot of it was to do with bad choices and misgivings. We were both to blame for the split,” Amy told The Mirror.
To get rid of the pain, Amy started to drink heavily. The case was getting so out of control that her management team even persuaded her to visit rehab.
“I asked my dad if he thought I needed to go. He said ‘no’, but that I should give it a try. So I did, for just 15 minutes. I went in said ‘hello’ and explained that I drink because I am in love and have f***ed up the relationship. Then I walked out.” she said.
Instead of going to rehab, she started to portray her heartbreak in her songs, especially on the Back to Black album. “The songs I wrote on the album are from times when I was so messed up in the head. I had literally hit rock bottom” she told to The Mirror.
She added; “ I hate to use such a phrase, since I’m sure I will sink lower at some point, but I was clinically depressed and I managed to get something I’m so proud of out of something that was so horrible,”
In 2007, Blake made his appearance in Amy’s life again and this time it was even worse. The couple were known for having fights in public. Once, Amy was even photographed with bruises and blood.
In the following year of April, the pair announced their engagement, and the pair married by running away from their families in Miami the following month.
Blake was then jailed for 27 for attacking a pub wonder and bribing a witness not to turn up in court. That was the moment when Amy started to take off by storm, she won five Grammy Awards, including song of the year, album of the year, and best new artist.
When Fielder-Civil came out of prison, he immediately filed for divorce which was granted in July 2009. Little did Amy know, she would only have six weeks to live.
How Did Amy Winehouse Die?
Amy Winehouse was found dead on July 23, 2011, in her bedroom. According to the official reports the cause of her death was alcohol toxicity.
At that time her blood alcohol level was five times more than the limit. After hearing the news about Amy, her family shared a statement to the public, “It is some relief to finally find out what happened to Amy,” her parents said.
They continued, We understand there was alcohol in her system when she passed away; it is likely a build up of alcohol in her system over a number of days. The court heard that Amy was battling hard to conquer her problems with alcohol and it is a source of great pain to us that she could not win in time,”
Winehouse was really struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. Well, it was Blake who introduced her to drugs. He admitted it to the News of the World in 2008.
“I made the biggest mistake of my life by taking heroin in front of her,” he told the newspaper. “I introduced her to heroin, crack cocaine, and self-harming. I feel more than guilty.”
Harry Fielder-Civil, Blake’s brother told the Washington Post about this situation in 2015, “They seemed hell-bent on destroying each other and didn’t care about dragging others down with them. It was like watching two speeding trains hurtle towards each other before a violent crash.” he said.
“I felt guilty because everyone knows it was Blake who introduced Amy to hard drugs. I didn’t speak to him for about two years because I blamed him for so many things. I didn’t hate him. I just wanted Amy to be still alive. We got back in touch only a couple of weeks ago. It destroyed our family.”
According to Winehouse’s father, Amy was in her happiest state. She was three weeks alcohol-free and had even gotten rid of heroin and crack. She was really working hard to get rid of her addiction.
“I want people to please, please recognize how hard she had worked to come off drugs and just how close she was to [giving up alcohol] for good, how close she was to being healthy,” her best friend James told The Times.
What Was the Net Worth Of Amy Winehouse?
The 27-ord old singer had gained great success. She was known as one of the world’s most promising stars. Although she passed away at a young age, she left a mass fortune behind.
If we take a peek at her album history and success, her 2006 album, “Back to Black” was the UK’s biggest-selling album of the 21st century until Adele surpassed her.
At the time of her passing, her estimated net worth was $4 Million. Her debut album “Frank” played a huge role as a source of income for her and so did her second album “Back to Black.”
Her second album was best-selling in 2007 and during the time she passed away her net worth was estimated to be $10 million through memorabilia auctions and royalties.
Her parents Mitch and Janice left her entire fortune behind after her passing. Her music still started to grow even after her passing. According to the reports of Openville Ltd, her music made over £1 million as of March 2020.
The Winehouse family even owns over $559,049 through MW Records Ltd, which Mitch Winehouse set up. This shows that her song was still popular after her demise.
The house in which Amu Winehouse was found dead remained an iconic piece and was sold for $3.2 million in auction. Amy’s semi-detached house in Camden Square was also listed for $4 million.