3 years ago today Amy Winehouse, after years of abusing drugs and alcohol, became the latest member of the notorious ’27 Club’, and was found dead in her Camden apartment from apparent alcohol poisoning.
The story of Amy Winehouse coming up through jazz clubs in London and her constant drug and alcohol abuse is generally known, however 3 years on it’s her influence on the music industry as a whole which we find a lot more fascinating.
Ultimately, Winehouse’s career blazed a trail for ‘non-traditional’ pop mega-stars in the early 2000’s. By shirking convention in both style and content she was able to make the path to stardom a little easier for British and American singers like Duffy, Adele, Lady Gaga, VV Brown, Florence and the Machine, La Roux, Little Boots, among others. And although this sounds like extremely high praise, it is generally understood that, in the words of Spin magazine music editor Charles Aaron, “Amy Winehouse was the Nirvana moment for all these women,” “They can all be traced back to her in terms of attitude, musical styles or fashion”. More praise of her influence came from Keith Caulfield, chart manager for Billboard, “Because of Amy, or the lack thereof, the marketplace was able to get singers like Adele and Duffy,” “Now those ladies have brought on the new ones, like Eliza Doolittle, Rumer and Ellie.”
So yeah, 3 years on we’re still seeing the effect of Amy Winehouse’s career on the music industry, and just like every other member of the ’27 Club’ her influence will continue to grow.
Here’s some of her best work:
BONUS!