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Amy Winehouse Profile |
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Birth Date: September 14, 1983
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Birth Place: Camden, London, England, UK
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Birth Name: Amy Winehouse
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Height:
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Biography |
Amy Winehouse was born September 14, 1983, in Camden,
London, England. The niece of professional jazz players, Amy
grew up surrounded by music and formed her first group at
the age of 10. “Me and my friend loved Salt-N-Pepa,” she
explains. “So we formed a band called Sweet ‘n’ Sour. We had
a tune called ‘Spinderella,' which was great… but it was a
long time ago.”
Although the group’s tenure was short-lived, Amy continued
to pursue her interest in live performance by attending the
Sylvia Young Theatre School in Marylebone at the age of 12.
Unfortunately, the school’s classes failed to capture her
interest and she was expelled the following year for “not
applying herself.”
Undaunted, Amy packed her bags and enrolled at the BRIT
School, Britain's only free performing arts and technology
institution. The change of scenery agreed with her and,
within three years, Amy was signed to her first record
contract by Island Records -- the same label that also
represents Bon Jovi, Mariah Carey and Fall Out Boy.
Amy promptly rewarded Island’s investment by releasing her
debut album, Frank, on October 20, 2003. The breathtaking
13-song compilation instantly won the hearts of fans and
critics alike, and was nominated for two Brit Awards en
route to receiving platinum certification.
Next up for Amy was her hotly anticipated sophomore record,
Back to Black. Released on October 30, 2006, the 11-track
album presented Amy in a new light. “I was bored of
complicated chord structures and needed something more
direct,” she explains. “I’d been listening to a lot of girl
groups from the ‘50s and ’60s. I liked the simplicity of
that stuff, so I started thinking about writing songs in
that way.”
Her new approach agreed with the public, and her fans helped
catapult Back to Black to No. 3 on the UK charts. The album
was certified gold thanks to hit singles like “Rehab” and
“Me and Mr. Jones.”
In addition to winning legions of new fans, Amy’s success
also won over the producers of Bond 22, who commissioned the
British songbird to sing the main theme for the 2008
installment of the James Bond franchise. |
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Other
Information |
Attended the Brit School with singer Katie Melua
Jazz singer
Nominated for a Mercury Music Award in 2004
Nominated for two Brit Awards in 2003 |
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