Amy Winehouse

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.”

amy winehouse signs with island records
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 winehouse records frank
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.

amy winehouse releases back to black
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.”

amy winehouse sings for bond 22
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