[AlexandraMavier]

~ A m y W i n e h o u s e ~

Appreciation Thread

• • •

• • •

" Feb 2008 saw Amy Winehouse honoured with 5 of
the US Recording Academy’s most prestigious awards.
The 50th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

Best Pop Vocal Album
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (Rehab)
Best New Artist
Song of the Year (Rehab)
Record of the Year (Rehab)

This incredible haul makes Amy
the first ever British female artist to win 5 Grammys in one night
and sees her join Lauryn Hill (1998), Alicia Keys (2001), Norah Jones (2002) and Beyoncé (2003) in the
elite band of female artists who have won 5 awards in one evening."

~•~

"The Grammys cap a remarkable 18 months for this hugely talented and unique artist.
During that time “Back To Black”, her second album (and the biggest selling UK album of 2007),
ªhas sold over 5 million copies worldwide and turned Amy into one of the hottest
stars in the world. Widely regarded as a modern day masterpiece by critics
and fans alike the phenomenal UK chart success has been mirrored in the US
where “Back To Black” entered the Billboard Hot 100 at no. 7 making Amy
the highest debuting British female artist in the history of the US albums chart.

The critical response to the record has been every bit as impressive
and in addition to the Grammy’s Amy has picked up a series of awards including
a Brit, South Bank Show Award, Ivor Novello, Mojo, Glamour, Elle Style Award,
Mobo, MTV Europe’s Artists’ Choice Award and Q Award for Album of the Year.
Meanwhile Amy’s 2003 debut album ‘Frank’ has now gone double platinum
selling an incredible 300,000 copies in 2007 alone."
~ AmyWinehouse.co.uk

"Amy Winehouse is one of the most talented singers to come around in a long time."
~Glamurati.com

"Just as steeped in hard living and raw talent
as any strutting peacock of a rock star in the 1960s,
Amy Winehouse is one of the most fascinating artists I've heard in a long time.
She speaks her mind, sounds like a seasoned jazz singer
and lives her life fearlessly.
A bit like a dram of scotch, she'll tease you, jolt your senses and
leave you craving more."
~Cath, a fan.

"Amy Winehouse is one of the most gifted soul singers
to come along in years, with a fantastic voice and loads of songwriting talent.
But that gift lives within a person who, if the songs are indeed
autobiographical as she claims, loves to abuse alcohol, weed, and men.
The lyrics are deceptively vulgar at times,
but that strike against her isn't enough to outweigh the fact that
this is a phenomenal album of classic soul music."
~ CommonSenseMedia.com on "Back to Black"

“I want people to understand, even if they give her one cigarette they’re causing her harm.”
~ Her father, Mitch Winehouse to the U.K. news channel.

"Like many great albums -- and this is the best soul record to come out
since 1998's Miseducation of Lauryn Hill -- Amy Winehouse's BACK TO BLACK gets better with each play.
First-time listeners will think they've come across a batch of re-released oldies
from the Motown canon, mixed in with a few more hip-hop influenced songs.
Winehouse's voice ranges from sweet to husky, and the production from
Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson is wonderfully retro -- full of horn stabs,
jazz guitar riffs, piano arpeggios, and classic doo-wop harmonies."
~ Jim Welte on Common Sense's Review

"Back to Black has it all: soul-drenched jazz and funk music,
a dynamic voice, and terribly well-written songs. This couldn't come any more highly recommended."
~ Jim Welte on Common Sense's Review

"An acute ear or additional listens will unveil a remarkably layered
personality and songwriting palate. Winehouse shows off a disarmingly tart tongue,
brutally dishing out abuse to the other sex, as on "Me & Mr. Jones"
which employs the rarely used profanity, "****ery."
On the album's debut single, the irresistibly catchy "Rehab,"
Winehouse unabashedly explains her avoidance of treatment
for her alcohol dependence. On "Addicted,"
she declares her love of weed above all else,
and recounts her adulterous transgressions with self-deprecating wit
on "You Know I'm No Good," which features a cameo rap verse
by Ghostface Killah.
But if you dig even deeper into the album,
you'll see a woman who is deep, self-aware, and even devoted at times.
On songs like "Tears Dry On Their Own," Winehouse reminds
herself of the need for independence and her fear
that she won't be able to avoid attaching herself to the next man
that comes her way. On "Some Unholy War," she talks of her undying loyalty
to her man, willing "to be behind him/straight shook up beside him/with strength he didn't know."

~ Jim Welte - Common Sense Review

"Whether the "troubled" songstress is self-mythologising or not,
there's no denying Amy Winehouse is one of the most engaging talents
to emerge in a long time.
This documentary and concert serves only to prove that fact."
~ John Hall. Independent, The London, Apr 16, 2008.

"Amy is one of the most FEARLESS, REMARKABLY INDEPENDENT and
COMPLETELY AUTHENTIC ENTERTAINERS to grace the GRAMMY'S
in what seems like forever."
~ a fan says.

~°~

About Amy

~°~

Birthplace: Middlesex, England
Birthday: 9/14/1983
Birth Name: Amy Jade Winehouse
Parents: Mitch Winehouse and Janis Seaton.
Amy has one brother named Alex Winehouse.
Height: 5 feet 2 inches.
She grew up in the suburb of Southgate, North London.


"We Love Her So Much To Let Her Die."





~°~ Trivia ~°~

In 2008 Bryan Adams wrote a song for Amy in a bit to help
her overcome her drug habit. The song titled Flower Grown Wild,
is about the dangers of drug-taking.

In October 2007 it was revealed that Prince had asked
Amy to perform a duet with him for his next album.

In April 2008, Amy was voted the greatest heroine among
under British 25-year-olds in a poll conducted by Sky.com,
beating people such as Florence Nightingale and Mother Teresa.

In her song Rehab, she mentions the names Ray and Mr. Hathaway.
These are references to the soul singers Ray Charles and Donny Hathaway.

Her album Back to Black, went to number one on the UK Albums Chart,
and to number seven on the U.S. Billboard 200, becoming the highest debut entry
for an album of a British female solo singer.

Amy announced she had been approached by one of the producers
of the James Bond movies to sing the main theme of Bond 22.

In May 2007, Amy married Blake Fielder-Civil in a secret ceremony in Miami.

After almost an year of pain because her husband in jail, rumours say she's no longer with him.
Source says she's with her ex, Tyler.

Her song "Rehab" is based on her past refusal to attend an alcohol rehabilitation centre
after it was encouraged by her management company.

Amy's debut album, Frank was released on October 20, 2003 and went on to sell platinum.

She pierced her nose when she was 13,
same age she received her first guitar.

When she was 14, she attended the BRIT School in Selhurst, Croydon. Amy attended the Ashmole School.

Her favorite artists include Nas, Mos Def, Teena Marie, Beastie Boys, Carol King,
Mahalia Jackson and Thelonious Monk.

In February 2007, Amy won the Best British Female Award at the Brit Awards,
beating the favourite to win, Lily Allen.

Amy's favourite cocktail is Rickstasy.
That is actually three parts vodka, one part Southern Comfort, one part banana liqueur,
and one part Baileys.

Amy appeared as a guest on the 'Charlotte Church' Show.
They sang Michael Jackson's 'Beat It' together.

Ella fitzgerald, Sarah vaughan, Billie holiday, Aretha Franklin and Lauryn Hill are some
of singers we can clearly link to her.

In May 2007, Amy won the 'Best Contemporary Song Award' for her hit "Rehab"
at the 52nd Ivor Novello Awards for British songwriters.

AW' Quotes

"I know I'm talented, but I wasn't put here to sing.
I was put here to be a wife and a mom and look after my family.
I love what I do, but it's not where it begins and ends."

"We're not planning a honeymoon. Every day is a honeymoon –
I've married the best man in the world."

"I don’t think your ability to fight has anything to do with how big you are.
It’s to do with how much anger is in you."

"I'm of the school of thought where, if you can't sort something out for yourself,
no one can help you.
Rehab is great for some people but not others."

"(on her drug overdose in August 2007) I was so out of control.
It just happened. It shocked me. I'm sorry - I just don't know what got into me.
I never want to feel that way again. I've scared myself this time.
I was all over the place. I know things have got to change. I need to sort myself out."

(on drinking) "My justification is that most people my age
spend a lot of time thinking about what they’re going to do for the next five or ten years.
The time they spend thinking about their life, I just spend drinking."

"I’m either a really good drunk or I’m an out-and-out *****,
horrible, violent, abusive, emotional drunk."

(admitting she used to harm herself)
"It's a funny thing, a morbid curiosity. I'm talking about when I was nine.
What does that feel like? 'Ow, that ********** hurts.'
It's probably the worst thing I've done."

"Girls talk to each other like men talk to each other.
But girls have an eye for detail."

"After 'Frank' I didn’t write for 18 months but when I met Mark (Ronson)
I pretty much wrote the album in six months — he was so inspiring."

My first kiss was about 11 or 12 and it was with a Greek boy called Chris.
.... who's gay now!

"I like pin-up girls. I’m more of a boy than a girl.
I’m not a lesbian, though — not before a sambuca anyway."

(About her health) "A little bit of anorexia, a little bit of bulimia.
I'm not totally okay now but I don't think any woman is."

"I have a really good time some nights, but then I push it over the edge
and ruin my boyfriend’s night. I’m an ugly dickhead drunk, I really am.

"I don't listen to anyone except my ... inner child anyway."

(after winning the Best British Female Award at the Brit Awards in 2007)
"I really, really didn't expect this.
I did try to think of a speech but I didn't want to pre-empt losing.
I'd just like to say I can't believe I'm here.
This one's for every singer-songwriter still playing in pubs."

"I can’t even listen to Frank any more... In fact, I’ve never been able to.
I like playing the tracks live because that’s different
but listening to them is another story."

(About cocktail Rickstasy)
"By the time you’ve had two of them you’re like,
don’t even try and go anywhere.
Sit down and stay down, until the birds start singing"

~ Members' List ~
1. AlexandraMavier
2. Angelax
3. _virgo_
4. Pure.Magic
5. loveslullaby

Visit her website.

[AlexandraMavier]

News:

Jun 24, 2008 Amy Winehouse 'does not have emphysema' Spokesperson says singer has not been diagnosed with lung disease. Amy Winehouse's spokesperson has said that the singer has not been diagnosed as suffering from lung disease emphysema, despite her father Mitch Winehouse saying she had. The spokesperson told Associated Press that Winehouse's condition was not serious, and that she had in fact been told she had early signs that could lead to her suffering from the lung disease in the future. He went on to say that Mitch Winehouse had "muddied the water" because he is "not a medical man". He also said that Winehouse was rehearsing for her scheduled performances at both the Nelson Mandela tribute concert set for Friday (June 26) and her appearance at Glastonbury on Saturday (June 27).

June 30th, 2008.No Charges Amy Winehouse Glastonbury Fan Attack Amy Winehouse will not face police questioning over her behavior at the Glastonbury festival over the weekend, where the troubled pop star reportedly got into a scuffle with a fan.

June 30, 2008, 8:15 am. Injured Amy Winehouse Fan Speaks OutBy Us Magazine The man who was attacked by Amy Winehouse at Saturday's Glastonbury Festival is speaking out for the first time about the incident. "I saw a hat being thrown from behind me and it hit Amy's beehive," James Gostelow told the BBC. "She looked down, saw me looking up, and her elbow went for me." The 25-year-old London resident says the encounter was a case of mistaken identity. "She caught my forehead, then someone may have shouted something from the back, which is when she went in again," he added. Footage of the 24-year-old singer's lunge was widely circulated over the weekend (Watch here). Gostelow, who provided the BBC with his tape of the incident, is not planning to file a police complaint. He's brushing off the incident as "all part of the Glastonbury experience. "Not everyone can say they have been hit by Amy Winehouse," he said. "I'm just pleased I got to see her. She did a great act." Last month, Winehouse was released on bail after being arrested for suspicion of drug use. She was questioned by police for more than nine hours about footage from January that shows her allegedly using a crack pipe. The singer also went to rehab in January. Source

[AlexandraMavier]

Amy Winehouse Nude… For Charity, Not Crack As the week in naked celebrities continues to roll (Audrina Patridge nude, Kristin Davis sex tape rumors, and Ashley Dupre gone wild to boot), Amy Winehouse is also taking her clothes off. But actually for good reason this time. Amy Winehouse is naked for charity, stripping down to nothing for photographer Carolyn Djangoly as part of a campaign to raise awareness about breast cancer among young women around the world, according to Radar Online. The British singer and songwriter is appearing buck ass naked in the April issue of British women’s magazine Easy Living, where she’s pictured strumming a guitar in the buff while covered only in two pieces of duct tape. Hot! Sort of… Let this be a lesson to all of you that Amy Winehouse naked and looking out of it (with a mild S&M twist) is fine, as long as she’s doing it for a good cause. Surely Blake Fielder-Civil has no problem with this pic! Then again, the junkie is probably too busy trying to avoid becoming somebody’s sex slave in the laundry room to have even seen it yet. Prison sucks. Source

*I hope it's ok to put the pic here, since it's a public one.

[Angelax]

I love Amy Winehouse. its a shame what happend to her. she is amazing

Her voice, her clips, her albums. everything.. i love her. she's a great inspiration

[AlexandraMavier]

Originally Posted by Angelax (View Post) I love Amy Winehouse. its a shame what happend to her. she is amazing Her voice, her clips, her albums. everything.. i love her. she's a great inspiration

I agree because I love her too and I don't want just two albums from her I think some people don't really pay attention on the great artist she is, they're are more concerned to show her falls and bad news.

btw, if you want I can add you to the members' list


News:

Amy Winehouse Wax Statue At Madame Tussauds The world famous Madame Tussauds Wax Museum at London, which contains wax sculptures of renowned personalities such as Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Sachin Tendulkar, Spice Girls and many others will soon include one more model – that of English singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse. The statue of this five-time Grammy Award winning singer will get unveiled at this London museum sometime during the second half of the year. Sources inform that the wax figure of Winehouse will flaunt her signature beehive hairdo as well as an array of decorative pin-up girl tattoos. Confirming this news, Edward Fuller, the General Manager of Madame Tussauds, said, ‘We are really pleased to be creating Amy; she is a real icon in modern British music, a continual award winner, and an internationally recognized star widely requested by our guests.’

[AlexandraMavier]

08/07/08 - Amy Rocks Madrid After acclaimed and eventful performances last week at Nelson Mandela’s birthday celebrations and Glastonbury, Amy was on top form again this weekend when she played at Madrid’s Rock In Rio concert in front of 40,000 fans. Head over to youtube to see a ton of clips of Amy in action. Her next UK performance will be on Sunday (July 13) at Scotland’s T In The Park Festival.

15/07/08 - In Full Swing Amy’s live campaign was in full swing this weekend when she made two Celtic Festival appearances within 24 hours. Playing faultless 14 song sets at both events Amy kicked things off on Saturday night at Ireland’s Oxegen Festival where she drew a massive crowd for her performance on the main stage. Sunday saw her at Scotland’s Tin The Park festival where another giant crowd of 80,000 fans joined in one of the biggest sing alongs of the year when as she closed the set with her infamous Zuton’s cover ‘Valerie’. Next up is the V Festival Aug 16. Source

Guys, if you know news about her, please, feel free to post 'em. Thanks

[AlexandraMavier]

Coldplay, Leona Lewis, Amy Winehouse 'Biggest Selling Artists In The World' Four of the five biggest selling albums of 2008 so far have been recorded by British artists, new figures show. Amy Winehouse tops the list with 'Back To Black', which has sold a total of 3.67million copies in the last six months. The album, which was originally released at the end of 2006, has sold nearly 10million copies worldwide. Second in the list are Coldplay with 'Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends', which has already sold 2.67millions copies since it was released last month. Leona Lewis (2.4million) and Duffy (2.25million) came in at third and fifth respectively on the countdown, with Jack Johnson the only non-British artist at number four. Other artists in the top-ten include Lil' Wayne, Michael Jackson and Alicia Keys.

I also Alicia Keys, Coldplay and Leona Lewis, they're really awesome.

I know, I'm too british

[Angelax]

Originally Posted by AlexandraMavier (View Post) I agree because I love her too and I don't want just two albums from her I think some people don't really pay attention on the great artist she is, they're are more concerned to show her falls and bad news. btw, if you want I can add you to the members' list News:

Yeah i know what you mean, every time there is news its always about her using drugs or she's drunk. and they're counting the days when she dies. i so hate it. I'm watching sites like Perez, and x17, and im disappointed in Perez. he always was a big fan of Amy, he talked about her long before she was famous. and now, he's talking **** about her. cuz yeah he needs to i think. i think he must be ashamed of him self.

yeah you may add me

& i only like Coldplay from your list.

[frostie]

I love Amy's music

[Crystaline]

I love her. She's insanely talented. I know her personal life is quite the spectacle and hopefully she can get herself together.

I'm so anxious for the new album! But 'Back to Black' is still in my cd player.

[AlexandraMavier]

Back to Black is Amy in itself. One of the things that makes me a fan is the fact she writes her own songs, she's a real artist. You can notice there's nothing like her.

People say those things thinking they'll be sucessful 'cause that, they don't care about Amy and maybe hoping and wishing some mistake to get a picture, just disgusting.. I heard once a girl saying "Amy wouldn't be Amy if she wasn't trouble like that" and I disagreed 'cause Amy wasn't that "trouble" before and her songs were amazing.

The thing is people prefer to read anything bad about stars than good stuff about 'em. That's silly. I hate when people talk about bad things she've done or anything bad linked to her.

Oh her new album, yeah, I so can't wait

Angelax, I'm adding you

I found this yesterday:

Her father Mitch and her mother Janis.

[AlexandraMavier]

Although I've read this long time ago, I think this deserves to be posted in here:

How my affair made Amy suffer, by her father Mitch Winehouse 13 Mar 2008 They say pain is good for art, which might explain why Amy Winehouse's music draws on troubled times from her childhood. And now her father has revealed what influence he had on the 24-year-old singer's work - by conducting a longstanding affair. Mitch Winehouse, 57, began the relationship soon after his daughter was born. It was an open secret in the family home. Mitch Winehouse is supporting Amy come off drugs - but says leaving their family had an effect on the star. And years later, when Miss Winehouse wrote the bitter song What It Is About Men, the taxi driver realised that the line: "All the s**t my mother went through," referred to his behaviour. Mr Winehouse married Amy's mother Janis Seaton, now 53, in 1976. Their son Alex was born in 1980 and Miss Winehouse in 1983. But 18 months later, Mr Winehouse became smitten with a colleague Jane, now 43, who was working with him in a double glazing firm. The pair started an affair two years later, which continued until 1993. He then left his family to move in with his mistress and married her in 1996. Mr Winehouse, who lives with his second wife in Greenhithe, Kent, said: "The children used to call Jane 'Daddy's work wife'. "I did not leave home until Amy was ten, so the situation occurred for another eight or nine years before I left home. It was difficult." Mr Winehouse said he thought at the time that Amy had forgiven his deception and coped with her parents splitting up. He told a BBC programme: "I should have left earlier, I should have left sooner. There was not really a negative response from Amy (when I left), but she definitely became a lot more independent. Amy Winehouse hugs her mother Janis after accepting a Grammy Award in February. "Perhaps deep down she felt her parents were splitting up, she could not rely on them to stay together and that it was about time she learned to look after herself. "I thought Amy was over it pretty quickly - in fact it felt at the time Amy felt no effect at all. "Maybe she could not articulate it in words, but she certainly did it with music." Speaking of his daughter's drug and drink abuse, he explained that it culminated in a seizure in August. Doctors warned if she continued her drug use, she ran the risk of dying from further seizures. "She could die horribly," Mr Winehouse said. "That is not going to happen - that cannot happen." Since his betrayal, he has been reconciled with his daughter. And Mr Winehouse added: "I think she would have found her way here one way or another without any help from me. "It is easy for me to say it is my fault, and that had I been a better parent this would not have happened. But who knows whether it would or not?" Source: One Life- Rock Star Parents is on BBC1 at 10.35pm on Tuesday.

Right.. Of course his decision in the past was one of the big things Amy had to deal with when she was younger, I don't know you guys, but I don't like the way he talks about her, I mean it doesn't sound true from him. He wants to justify why Amy went so far but the only thing he's getting back is people ****ing her daughter by mean words. I've seen more Mitch's interviews than Amy's, how weird it is!

Honestly, I think he should shut up because he' not helping. Just help her the way you can, that's all papa Mitch.

[frostie]

I think he wants what is best for his daughter but doesn't know the proper way to say it. We all want what's best for her; she really needs help.

[AlexandraMavier]

Yeah frostie, maybe he doesn't know how to use words and that's sad

[Crystaline]

Originally Posted by frostie (View Post) I think he wants what is best for his daughter but doesn't know the proper way to say it. We all want what's best for her; she really needs help.

I agree. From what I've seen, he's there quite a bit with Amy. I think he's doing his best. But she has to want the help and follow through with it.

Btw, she is the perfect combination of her parents. I see them both in her. I'd love to see what her brother looks like.