Unfortunately, Amy Winehouse is also part of the 27 club....
Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was a British jazz and soul singer. She became known in the United Kingdom with her album Frank. Worldwide, she gained fame with her album Back to Black, which included the hit singles Rehab and Back to Black. She collaborated with, among others, Mark Ronson, resulting in the big hit Valerie, a cover of a song by the band The Zutons. Winehouse often made negative headlines due to her alcohol and drug addiction. She was the first British artist to win five Grammy Awards.
On Saturday 23 July 2011, Winehouse was found dead at the age of 27 by her bodyguard in the bedroom of her apartment in North London. The autopsy performed on 25 July 2011 did not reveal a clear cause of death at that time. Additional toxicological tests took several more weeks but also did not provide a clear cause of death. Eventually, on 26 October 2011, it was officially announced that Winehouse had died of alcohol poisoning. She was cremated on 26 July 2011.
Many artists expressed their condolences. The American punk rock band Green Day wrote a song titled Amy. At award ceremonies, Winehouse's death was also commemorated. At the VMAs, Bruno Mars sang Winehouse's hit Valerie; at the EMAs, English singer Jessie J gave a speech about her; and at the Grammy Awards and Brit Awards, her life was remembered again. Winehouse also posthumously won a Grammy for her collaboration with Tony Bennett. Since her death, more and more people have called Winehouse the "Queen of Soul." Patti Smith (the "Godmother of Punk") paid tribute to Winehouse on her album Banga with a song titled This is the Girl. Rapper Nas also reportedly included a tribute song called Cherry Wine on his album, which he recorded with Winehouse. She co-wrote the song herself. One of Winehouse's last recordings, the song Body and Soul with Tony Bennett, was released as a single. The proceeds from the single went to her father's foundation for drug addicts. In 2013, Winehouse was nominated for a Grammy Award alongside Nas for the song Cherry Wine in the category of Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.
Sunday Morning Classics: Frank
On 18 July 2021, Amy was our Sunday Morning Classic with the album Frank.
Amy Winehouse was one of the most influential and impactful artists in the R&B, soul, and jazz industry. Even after her sudden death in 2011, her music is still played every day across America. Recently, I finally listened to her debut album Frank, and I was overwhelmed by the emotions Winehouse conveyed in these songs. The album begins with a simple track called 'Intro'. It has a simple beat and Winehouse scat singing. Then we move on to the second track, with the real lyrics, "Stronger Than Me." In this song, Winehouse wishes her early partner, Chris Taylor, were more masculine and tougher. Afterwards, 'You Sent Me Flying' describes Winehouse's journey from flirting to losing interest as her love interest wants to take things to the next level.
"Cherry" is another of the better tracks on the album; it’s not as impressive as "You Sent Me Flying," but it’s short and powerful. Surprisingly, it’s about her red guitar named Cherry. Every album has a few tracks that get overlooked. In this case, they are "October Song" and "What Is It About Men." However, the album makes up for it with my two all-time favourites: "In My Bed" and "Take The Box."
Starting with "In My Bed." In this song, Winehouse combines elements such as the stern tone used in 'Stronger Than Me' and the lively beat in 'You Sent Me Flying' to create this magical track. Accompanied by an energetic beat with trumpets and drums, Winehouse made an addictive song I will never tire of.
"Take The Box" is one of the best and most emotional breakup songs I have heard. Winehouse packs everything her now ex-boyfriend gave her into it. My favourite line is in the second pre-chorus: "But you made me cry, where is my goodbye kiss?" which solidifies the decision to give up this irreparable relationship. He not only made her cry, but he couldn’t even give her a simple farewell kiss to leave.
Frank is one of my new favourites. I can highly recommend this album to anyone who is a fan of R&B, jazz, and soul music. Winehouse’s voice can vary within minutes from deep and slow to high and energetic, which is unique. Nothing comes close to Amy Winehouse’s discography, and this album proves it.
Source: Wikipedia and Jan Liebregts Photo: Ramo
