September 14: Amy Winehouse

British musician Amy Winehouse, whose fast-rising career was derailed by alcohol abuse and mental disorder that culminated in her death at 28 in 2011, was born in London on this date in 1983. Winehouse had a powerful contralto voice, a knack for mixing rhythm and blues, jazz, soul-singing, and girl-group music, a tattooed body and a dirty mouth. She emerged in 2003 with her debut album, Frank, and was immediately acclaimed by critics and fans — and immediately seized upon by the gossip media for her drug abuse, her physical fights with men and women, and her general outrageousness. (Both Lady Gaga and Adele have credited Winehouse for paving their way to media stardom.) As a philanthropist and star, Winehouse was supportive of Oxfam and other hunger-relief agencies, children’s relief work the world over, breast cancer research, and other poverty- and gender-related causes. To see her performing the title song of her award-winning album, Back to Black (five Grammy Awards), click here. To see her performing “Body and Soul” with Tony Bennett, look below.
“I just dress like I’m an old black man. Sorry! Like I’m an old Jewish black man. I just dress like it’s still the ’50s.” —Amy Winehouse