Entertainment

Timeline: Amy Winehouse left indelible mark over glittering career cut short

It is 10 years since the superstar died of alcohol poisoning.
It is 10 years since the superstar died of alcohol poisoning.

Amy Winehouse was perhaps the most supremely gifted musician of her generation.

By the time of her death in 2011 at the age of 27, she had already left an indelible mark with her work and was mourned by millions of fans around the world.

The 10-year anniversary of Winehouse’s death is being commemorated with books and documentaries examining her meteoric rise and heartbreakingly premature demise.

Here is a timeline of the singer’s life and career:

Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse left an indelible mark on the music industry during her short but hugely successful career (Niall Carson/PA)

1983: Amy Jade Winehouse is born in Enfield, London, to taxi driver father Mitch and pharmacist mother Janis.

1993: A nine-year-old Winehouse is enrolled at the Susi Earnshaw Theatre School in Barnet, the same year her parents split and she stays with her mother.

1994: The singer performs in musical duo Sweet ‘n’ Sour, with childhood friend Juliette Ashby.

2002: Winehouse, who briefly attended the Brit School of the performing arts, signs with Simon Fuller’s  19 Entertainment management company, then Island Records.

Amy Winehouse
Since her death, Amy Winehouse’s life has been commemorated in books and films (Hollie Adams/PA)

2003: Frank, Winehouse’s debut album, arrives to critical and commercial success. It sells more than a million copies in the UK and earns the star an Ivor Novello award for songwriting.

2006: Winehouse releases her second album, Back To Black, and becomes an international star. It documents her tumultuous relationship with on-off boyfriend and future husband Blake Fielder-Civil.

2007: Winehouse and Fielder-Civil marry. She later cancels a string of appearances with her promoter saying she needs a rest. In a statement, Winehouse blamed her husband being in jail for her being unable to perform.

2008: Winehouse enters rehab after pictures allegedly showing her taking drugs emerge. Later that year she enjoys a night of triumph at the Grammys, winning five awards for Back To Black. However, she could not attend as US officials refused her a work visa.

Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse’s posthumous honours include a spot at the Music Walk of Fame in Camden, London (Victoria Jones/PA)

2009: Winehouse and Fielder-Civil divorce. The singer’s mounting legal issues include being arrested for common assault after allegedly attacking a Milton Keynes theatre manager.

2010: Island Records announces a new album from Winehouse is on the way. She later says it should arrive before January of the following year.

2011: Winehouse, 27, is found dead at her home in Camden. She had been in a relationship with the film director Reg Traviss. Tributes pour in from around the world as the cause of death is later revealed to be alcohol poisoning. Posthumous compilation album Lioness: Hidden Treasures is released.

2012: Mitch releases the book Amy: My Daughter, an intimate exploration of the musician’s life. Proceeds go towards the Amy Winehouse Foundation, set up to help disadvantaged young people.

2014: Janis releases Loving Amy: A Mother’s Story, a memoir about her daughter’s life.

2015: Director Asif Kapadia releases Amy, a critically acclaimed documentary about Winehouse’s life and death. It wins the Academy Award for best documentary.

2021: Fans around the world mark a decade since Winehouse’s death. Among the books and documentaries released is My Amy: The Life We Shared from her close friend Tyler James. The BBC’s Reclaiming Amy aims to uncover “the real Amy” behind the public persona.