Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive
contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including
soul (sometimes labelled as
blue-eyed soul and
neo soul),
rhythm and blues, and
jazz. Winehouse's debut album,
Frank (2003), was a critical success in the UK and was nominated for the
Mercury Prize. Her follow-up album,
Back to Black (2006), led to five
2008 Grammy Awards, tying the then
record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night, and made her the first British woman to win five Grammys, including three of the
General Field "Big Four" Grammy Awards:
Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
Winehouse won three
Ivor Novello Awards from the
British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors: in 2004, Best Contemporary Song for "
Stronger Than Me"; in 2007, Best Contemporary Song again, this time for "
Rehab"; and in 2008, Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "
Love Is a Losing Game." She also won the
2007 Brit Award for Best British Female Artist, ha
Back to Black.
ving been nominated for Best British Album, with
Winehouse died of
alcohol poisoning on 23 July 2011, at the age of 27. Her album
Back to Black posthumously became, for a time, the UK's best-selling album of the 21st century.