Amy Winehouse, one of the most unique and beloved voices of our time, left us too soon, but not before leaving an indelible mark on the music world. With her unmistakable voice and jazz-infused style, she quickly became an icon. But behind the fame and talent was a life marked by struggle, addiction, and tragedy.
As the world remembers Amy, one of the most haunting questions remains: What were her final moments like? What did she say before her untimely death at just 27 years old?
Amy’s rise to stardom
Amy Jade Winehouse was born on September 14, 1983, in Southgate, London.
Her father, Mitchell ”Mitch” Winehouse, worked as a window panel installer and taxi driver, while her mother, Janis Winehouse, was a pharmacist. In 2003, Janis was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a condition that would later have a significant impact on the family.
From a young age, Amy was drawn to music, and her father, Mitch Winehouse, who loved jazz, introduced her to the likes of Frank Sinatra.
”When she was around two years old, and was first beginning to talk, I’d sing ‘Fly me to the…’, and I’d leave the word ‘moon’ out, and then she’d sing ‘MOON’ in the gap. She loved that song,” her father shared and added:
“Whenever she got chastised at school, she would always sing ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ – before she went up to the headmistress to be told off, she’d be singing the song because it cheered her up. It was a very special song for her.”
Amy often spoke about her deep connection to Sinatra’s music. While she didn’t necessarily think he was the greatest singer, she admired his emotional connection to the music.
“Sinatra had an emotional connection with music. That was his thing. He had the tone in his voice. But singers? I know a hundred singers that piss on Frank. And musicians. And just as a person: he was an arsehole. But he had an emotional connection to songs that touched everyone, women, men, soldiers.”
Her love for jazz and soulful ballads came from home, and by the time she was 19, Amy released her debut album, Frank, which earned her critical acclaim.
But it was her follow-up album, Back to Black, that catapulted her into global stardom. With hits like ”Rehab,” ”You Know I’m No Good,” and ”Love Is a Losing Game,” Amy became one of the most talked-about stars in music, winning five Grammy Awards in a single night.
Struggles behind the spotlight
Behind the success, however, was a much darker story. Amy battled alcohol and drug addiction, using crack cocaine and heroin to cope with her inner demons.
Her family believes that the passing of her grandmother in mid-2006, who had been a source of stability and support for Amy, triggered the downward spiral into addiction.
Her stepmother, Jane, recalled that Amy was at her worst during ”calm” periods, explaining, “When she had focus and purpose in her life, which for her, of course, was music, was generally when she was better. Sadly there were times when that didn’t work out and very publicly it all went wrong. Most of the time, work really helped her. Quiet periods can be quite dangerous for someone who has an addiction.”
Amy’s struggle was no secret. During a time when media empathy for struggling celebrities was nearly nonexistent, Amy Winehouse became a constant figure in the tabloids. Papped leaving her local Camden pub or caught in public altercations with her ex-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, her personal battles unfolded on front pages for the world to see. As her fame grew, so did the chaos surrounding her.
Though she sought help and had periods of sobriety, the darkness followed her. She once quit drugs for years, but alcohol soon took its place. By the end of her life, there were long stretches of sobriety, and her family believed she was finally going to conquer her demons.
”I literally woke up one day and was like, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore,’” she said about her struggle with drugs. Unfortunately, she was never able to overcome her alcohol addiction.
In the final year of her life, her performances took a sharp decline, much like her reliance on alcohol. On numerous occasions, Amy’s concerts were either abruptly canceled or ended prematurely, as she struggled to stay coherent, slurring her words and forgetting lyrics.
Amy’s final show
In 2011, Amy embarked on a 12-day European tour with her father, Mitch, and her manager, who were determined to push forward with the dates, despite pleas from her friends to cancel. She was supposed to be avoiding alcohol during the tour, but it soon became clear that she wasn’t doing well.
Her performance in Belgrade, Serbia, on the first night of the tour, quickly became infamous for all the wrong reasons.
Amy showed up an hour late and greeted the crowd by shouting ”Hello, Athens”.
Her performance was marked by confusion and distress. Reports described her stumbling around the stage for nearly 45 minutes, unable to recall her lyrics, the names of her bandmates, or even where she was performing.
Footage of the show is difficult to watch — Amy falters through songs like ”Addicted,” ”Just Friends,” and ”Valerie,” often turning to her backup singer, Zalon Thompson, for assistance on ”Tears Dry on Their Own.”
Perhaps the most heartbreaking moment occurred during ”Some Unholy War” when Amy forgot the lyrics and became overcome with emotion.
She broke down on stage, visibly frustrated with herself. The 20,000-strong audience booed her ”shambolic” performance, reported the Evening Standard
In a moment of utter isolation, Amy hugged herself, trying to hold back tears. The rest of the performance was off-key and disjointed, with Amy retreating into the background and allowing her backup singers to take over.
Once the band left the stage that night, it marked the end of Amy’s public performances. The disastrous performance dashed the hopes of a troubled singer’s comeback.
Tragically, she would never return to the stage again.
Amy Winehouse last words
On July 23, 2011, Amy was found dead in her Camden home in London at the age of 27. The cause of death was later confirmed to be acute alcohol poisoning.
But what’s more heartbreaking is what happened just hours before she passed.
The five-time Grammy Award winner had visited her doctor the day before her death, seeking help for her alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Dr. Christina Romete, who was present at the time, later shared that Amy understood the severity of her situation.
”I don’t want to die.” Amy told her doctor in their last conversation. Despite her clear distress, Amy turned down offers for help with her mental health.
This was nothing new to her bandmates. ”I was out with her two nights beforehand,” Dale Davis, her bassist and musical director, told The Sun. ”And she used to ring my house regularly around that time to speak to my wife (now ex-wife) and son. However, she did tell my ex that she didn’t think she’d see 28.”
During the investigation into Amy’s death, Dr. Romete shared her perspective on the singer, saying, “She was one of the most intelligent young women I’ve ever met,” and also noted, “She was very determined to do everything her way, including her therapy. She had very strict views on that.”
Dr. Romete, who had seen Amy just the night before her passing, described her as ”calm and somewhat guilty” and said that while she was a little “tipsy,” Amy was still able to hold a conversation. The doctor revealed that Amy had admitted to starting to drink again on July 20, just three days before she passed away.
When asked if she had any plans to quit alcohol, Amy simply responded, ”I don’t know.” Dr. Romete emphasized that she had repeatedly warned Amy about the dangers of alcohol, including the life-threatening consequences.
The next day, Amy’s bodyguard, Andrew Morris, found her lifeless in her bedroom. She had spent the evening watching TV and listening to music, a normal night for the troubled star. But when he checked on her the following afternoon, it was already too late. She was unresponsive, without a pulse.
A legacy that lives on
Amy’s death sent shockwaves through the world, leaving her fans, friends, and family heartbroken. However, her music still resonates with people around the globe, young and old. Her incredible voice and timeless songs will live on, forever etched in music history.
While we’ll never know what more Amy could have achieved, her legacy remains strong. New generations continue to discover her songs, and her voice, with its raw emotion, will always be with us.
As we remember Amy, we can’t help but wonder: What would she have become if addiction hadn’t claimed her life so soon? What would her final words have been, had she had the chance to conquer her demons?
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