Amy Winehouse looking healthy then after her health detriorated London – Katia Haddad It was shocking to find out that singer Amy Winehouse had passed away.  She died after a long period of drug and alcohol abuse at only 27-years-old, joining a number of artists who died at the same age, making her a member of the \"The 27 Club”. The “club” includes celebrities such as Kurt Cubain of Nirvana, Jimmy Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin.  Winehouse was born in 1983.  Her father Mitch was a taxi driver, and her mother Janice works in a pharmacy in North London.  Her parents separated when she was nine-years-old, so she moved in with her mother in Southgate, London.  A few months before her death Amy said that she would like to reconsider her use of drugs, and considered admitting herself to rehab, whereas her father told “Rolling Stones” magazine in 2007 that his daughter was not doing anything wrong but was just somehow different to others.  From an early age it was apparent that Amy was struggling in her attempts to balance her musical life and talents, with the self-destruction that characterized her personal life.
Winehouse joined the Sylvia Young Theatre School at a young age, but was expelled after getting her nose pierced. She also formed a hip hop and rap group at the age of ten, naming it “Sweet and Sour”.  She soon after attended the BRIT School who took her on thanks to her distinctive husky yet raw singing voice. She then signed a contract with Simon Fuller’s record company which opened the door for her to join record label Iceland Records.  In 2003, Winehouse announced that she was releasing a new album titled “Frank”, which was loved by critics, and won the Ivor Novello award for best music and lyrics. It was nominated twice for the award for best music.
That same year Amy met Blake Fielder who was also addicted to self-destruction and self harm. He fell in love with her, but their relationship was very unstable and was based on taking drugs and alcohol. She was seen in 2007 wearing old shoes with blood streaming down her fingers, her face bruised under her eyes. Blake was also spotted with scratches on his face after a one late night.  Blake had full control over Amy’s actions, and her early childhood tendencies towards those actions did not help matters.
 In 2006, three years after her relationship with Blake, Amy lost a substantial amount of weight and completely neglected her appearance.  She had started filming herself using drugs and alcohol. However, things took a turn for the better in 2007 when she released the “Back to Black” album in the USA which turned out to be a huge international success, making her an international star.  The album was nominated for a total of five Grammy Awards.  Amy’s trademark was her jet black hair and innocent cat-like eyes; she was famous for her honesty between her peers, and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, describing Dido’s music as “deadly”, and pop princess Kylie Minogue as a “dwarf’s wife”.
To begin with her personal life did not affect her music, but she later revealed that she had eating problems, and was soon after diagnosed with severe depression.  As she began to deteriorate she started cancelling concerts that she was supposed to play in Europe, drinking tequila, and taking drugs to pass the time.  One newspaper published pictures of her looking extremely thin and unhealthy with bruises on her face, and marks suggesting that she had been in some sort of fight.
An embarrassing video of Amy and Beth Doherty singing a racist song to the melody of a children’s song came out.  Winehouse apologized for the video and her PR people tried to keep her on the straight and narrow, determined for her to achieve world music domination, but they failed.  Her audience was no longer forgiving when she continued to retreat into darkness time and time again.
Blake was arrested after attacking a bar owner who he later on offered  200,000 pounds for an out-of-court settlement.  While these events were taking place British newspapers claimed that Amy was having affairs out of wedlock, even though she attended Blake’s court cases to show her support, showering him with kisses, and wearing a heart with his name in it.  In 2009 the couple separated.
Kurt Cubain’s mother nicknamed the tombs of Rock and Roll artists “The Stupid People Club,” in the knowledge that many artists kill themselves with their drug addictions.  Her own son took his life in 1994, and her words were: “Kurt is gone now.  He’s joined the Stupid People Club.”