Born and raised
in North London, Amy spent her teenage years locked in
her bedroom, ears glued to classic song chord changes.
She got her first guitar at 13. Her Brooklyn born, London
raised mum was into folk and Amy counted Carole King and
James Taylor as early influences but soon found herself
drawn more to her dad's jazzier taste, the likes of Sarah
Vaughn and Dinah Washington. Amy’s grandmother’s
fondness for Frank Sinatra was also an early influence.
Amy enrolled at the Sylvia Young stage school in North
London, but was later expelled for 'not applying herself'
and wearing a nose piercing. By the time she was 16, Amy
was spending her mornings appearing with a Youth Jazz Orchestra,
while at the same time, developing a broader musical education,
with favourites that included Mos Def, Talib Kweli, The
Roots, Erykah Badu. Gradually, subconsciously, the smoking
grooves, jazz enunciation and feisty attitude were coming
together to form Amy's own thing. With word around town
about Amy's unique abilities getting louder she found herself
a management company and started to work with producers.
Island Records got to hear the works in progress and swiftly
signed her to the label.
http://www.amywinehouse.com/amy.html |
