At 16, Amy Jade Winehouse already had a signed record deal. That’s not precociousness — that’s because when you opened your mouth and heard her voice, there wasn’t much left to discuss.
She was born in London on September 14, 1983, and from childhood she had that rare blend of jazz, soul, and attitude that no school can teach. In 2003 she released ‘Frank’, her debut album, which critics welcomed with open arms. Four years later, ‘Back to Black’ catapulted her to the very top: five Grammy Awards in a single night. But that same year she met Blake Fielder-Civil, the man many point to as the gateway to the hardest drugs. What came afterward was captured in thousands of photos that are painful to look at. 💔
On July 23, 2011, Amy died in her Camden apartment at just 27 years old, joining the sadly famous 27 Club. These earlier images are a reminder of who she really was: a girl with an intense gaze, limitless talent, and a smile that still today feels like an unfulfilled promise.