Amy Winehouse Page 5

Vinyl sales in the UK reached a 25-year high in 2016, with more than three million LPs sold over the past 12 months.

The death of music icon David Bowie in January was a key driver in sales of LPs, with his final album Blackstar becoming the UK’s biggest selling vinyl of the year.

David Bowie’s Blackstar is 2016’s biggest selling vinyl

Continue reading: David Bowie Helps Vinyl Sales Reach A 25 Year High In The UK

Pete Doherty has revealed his first solo album.

The 37-year-old singer has announced he will release his first LP in seven years, which will be titled 'Hamburg Demonstrations', on December 2, and the star has unveiled the lead single on the collection will be called 'I Don't Love Anyone (But You're not Just Anyone').

The rocker joined forces with The Libertines and Babyshambles producer Johann Scheerer whilst in Hamburg, Germany, where he relocated to for six months to complete the album.

Continue reading: Pete Doherty Will Launch His First Solo Album In December

Adele has paid tribute to Amy Winehouse, on what would have been the late star’s 33rd birthday.

“Happy Birthday Amy X,” Adele posted on Instagram and Twitter on Tuesday night (September 14th), following that the following night with an on-stage dedication to Winehouse’s memory while on tour in Boston.

Before breaking into her cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Make You Feel My Love’, with the crowd responding by holding up their phones, Adele said that it was the ‘Back To Black’ singer who first inspired her to pursue music when she was a teenager.

Continue reading: Adele Pays Tribute To Amy Winehouse On What Would Have Been Her 33rd Birthday

Amy Winehouse’s father Mitch Winehouse has once again slammed Asif Kapadia’s documentary Amy, after it won the award for Best Documentary Feature at last night’s Oscars (February 28th). Mitch has been vocal in the past about his disapproval of the film and has also said he’s in the process of making his own documentary to honour his daughter.

Amy took home the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.

On twitter Mitch told his 63.3k followers: 'Always proud of my baby. Amy will not get an oscar though. Just Asif Kapadia. That is what this is all about...Asif. He's fooled everybody. I am not changing my stance just because film won Oscar. It's a negative, spiteful and misleading portrayal of Amy. We will fix this.’

Continue reading: Amy Winehouse's Father Hits Out At 'Amy' Director Asif Kapadia After Oscar Win

The Brit Awards are coming tonight (February 24th 2016) and so the nominations are up for this year's best British pop acts. James Bay, Years & Years and, predictably enough, Adele lead the pack with four nominations each, while Amy Winehouse gets a posthumous nod in the Best Female Artist category.

Will Adele win Female Soloist?

After becoming 2015's Brits 'Critics' Choice' award winner with the release of his debut album 'Chaos and the Calm', singer-songwriter James Bay has found himself one to beat at the 2016 ceremony. He's up for British Breakthrough Act, Male Solo Artist, Mastercard's Album Of The Year and British Single with 'Hold Back The River'.

Continue reading: James Bay, Years & Years And Adele Lead Brits 2016 Nominations

It's no secret to anyone that talented popstar Amy Winehouse suffered a variety of mental illnesses in the last few years of life, caused undoubtedly by the multitude of drugs and alcohol that she voraciously consumed, as well as the pain and suffocation caused by being internationally famous and a total press magnet. But her mother Janis has recently revealed that she may also have been a victim of Tourette Syndrome.

Amy Winehouse struggled with more than one illness in her final years

Janis Winehouse-Collins is set to publish her book based on the inner vulnerabilities of her late daughter, who died of alcohol poisoning at the age of 27 on July 23rd 2011. Entitled 'Loving Amy: A Mother's Story', the book will explore the side not often seen by fans or the press during her career as well as an in depth look at the various of illnesses she suffered in the months leading up to her death; a tragedy that ironically came after several weeks of sobriety. 

Continue reading: Amy Winehouse's Mother: 'She Might've Had Tourette's'

Amy Winehouse is still being honoured three years after her tragic death, a bronze statue of the British singer was unveiled in the London neighbourhood of Camden on Sunday (Sept 14th), which would have been her 31st birthday.

The statue was unveiled on what would have been Amy's 31st birthday

The public unveiling, which took place where the late singer lived prior to her death, was attended by Amy's father Mitch Winehouse, who was accompanied by his wife and her mother Janis Winehouse. In front of the gathered crowd, Mitch lovingly hugged and kissed the statue.

Continue reading: Amy Winehouse Statue Unveiled In London, 3 Years After Death

Fame, fortune, talent and beauty are amongst the qualities those in the public eye enjoy. Unfortunately, they come with a heavy price of media attention, pressure and fan obsession. Whilst many celebrities are able to deal with the pressures of constant scrutiny, others find it considerably more difficult and turn to alcoholism and substance abuse as a means of coping. Amongst them is Daniel Radcliffe. 

Daniel Radcliffe admitted he had problems with alcohol.

We still think of Radcliffe as the eleven year old who first graced our screens as Harry Potter in 2001 but, at the age of 24, Radcliffe has admitted he has experienced problems with alcohol due to his long running fame. In an interview with Sky Arts, due to be broadcast later this year, he explained how the fame and attention from Harry Potter had taken its toll.

Continue reading: Daniel Radcliffe & 4 More Celebrities Who Battled Alcoholism

There’s a new Michael Jackson album on the way in May, Xscape, which will be the singer’s twelfth studio album. The only confusing part is, Michael died in 2009. Jackson of course isn’t the first artist to bring us ‘new’ material from beyond the grave, actually it seems it's common practice for a singer to leave behind pleanty of unreleased work. Take these five for examples of who have shown that not even death can bring an end to a recording career.

Michael Jackson's Xscape will be released in May

Johnny Cash

Continue reading: Michael Jackson And Five Other Artists With Posthumous Releases

Sigmund Freud’s ashes were the bizarre target of an attempted robbery on New Year’s Day. The fact that the ashes are – or were – kept in an ornate, ancient Greek urn might have something to do with the motive behind the crime. Staff at the crematorium in Golders Green, London, were shocked to discover the urn, which dates back to around 300BC, broken into pieces, laying on the floor.

Amy Winehouse Also Had Her Funeral At The Golders Green Crematorium 

It had been on public display since Freud was cremated at Golders Green in 1939, after his death aged 83. When his widow died in 1951, aged 90, her ashes were added. The chairman of the Freud Museum, in Maresfield Gardens, Hampstead, speaking as a representative for the Freud family, said news of the damage had brought them “great sadness”.

Continue reading: Sigmund’s Freud's Ashes The Target Of Bizzare Robbery - Or Was It The Urn?

An exhibition, opening today at London’s Jewish Museum, delves into the life of Amy Winehouse, in a way that hasn’t been seen by the public before. The exhibition features the late singer’s clothes, CDs and extensive book collection – from Hunter S.Thompson’s Kingdom of Fear, to a Snoopy book Amy swiped from her brother as a child – as well as photographs, shoes and all kinds of previously private artefacts from the singer’s life. The exhibition is curated with the help and cooperation of Amy’s family, particularly her brother, as the museum’s main goal was to show a true, if lesser know side of the tragic performer.

Winehouse's sudden and unexpected death two years ago created a number of myths.

Many visitors will find it moving. "And it carries on being moving," said the museum's chief executive, Abigail Morris. "Every time I go around there is something else that catches me. It is a really honest exhibition and you get a sense of the real person – as well as being a big, famous icon she was from a very strong, loving family and that really comes across."

Continue reading: Exhibition, Looking Into Amy Winehouse's Private Life, Goes Up At London's Jewish Museum

Amy Winehouse is being honoured in a special exhibition being held at the Jewish Museum in London, with the deceased singer's legacy being remembered in a showcase that looks to give fans an intimate look in Amy's private life. 'Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait' opened at the UK museum on Tuesday (July 2) and features a detailed history of her family's past and a vast array of Amy's personal belongings.

Amy is being remembered in a London museum exhibit

Charting her roots and leading to the legacy left by her death, the exhibit is more than just a fan's sanctuary, as curators hope it will also be an intriguing visit for those who aren't necessarily fans of the late singer. Museum chief executive Abigail Morris said upon the opening of the exhibit, "It's a story that people don't know about Amy, her family story... You can forget there's a person behind the hype."

Continue reading: New UK Museum Exhibit Will Show The Real Amy Winehouse

Um...eww! Pete Doherty has announced plans to sell the random celebrity tat his friends haven't bothered to bin when they're round at his, according to an interview with NME. "I've got fag butts that belong to Bobby Gillespie, Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse, and I've got Christmas paper that [former Coventry City goalkeeper] Steve Ogrizovic sent to the guy from Black Sabbath. All kinds of sh*t, basically," proclaimed Doherty, sh*t here being the keyword.

Would You Buy From This Man? Pete Doherty To Sell Friends' Junk.

It seems he needs a bit of extra dosh to fund his expensive lifestyle in Paris, where the guitarist and poet is reportedly living with Home Alone child star, Macaulay Culkin, with plans to acquire said cash with some good old cockney market stall dealing. He wants to set up a market stall in the alternative and eclectic Camden market - the borough of London where his friend 'Back To Black' singer Amy Winehouse unexpectedly died in 2011. Yes, the famous market specialises in the bizarre but isn't cigarette butts and scrunched up wrapping paper a bit much? Doherty has previously revealed to The Independent that he is quite the hoarder too, describing the "silks, bones, leathers, skulls, palettes - what's that thing you put canvases on? - oh yeah, easels, frames, boots, laces, wigs, mannequins..." that lie in piles about the mansion he used to rent from Lord Cardigan. Sounds like someone needs a little visit from TV cleaning duo Kim and Aggie.

Continue reading: Shambles: Pete Doherty To Sell Amy Winehouse And Kate Moss' Fag Ends

Amy Winehouse's tragic passing in 2011 is still thought about regularly as her lasting impact on the entertainment industry continues to hold strong to this day. For the first ever time the singer's brother, Alex Winehouse, has opened up on his sister's passing, giving his own opinions on why he thinks the singer passed away.

Amy's struggle with drugs was well-known and plagued her for much of her short adult life, however Alex reckons that despite what people still say, drugs are not to be held responsible for his sister's passing. Instead, Alex think that Amy's less publicised battle, with bulimia, is in fact to blame for her passing at the tender age of 27.

"She suffered from bulimia very badly," he said. "That's not, like, a revelation – you knew just by looking at her. . . She would have died eventually, the way she was going, but what really killed her was the bulimia. . . I think that it left her weaker and more susceptible. Had she not had an eating disorder, she would have been physically stronger."

Continue reading: Bulimia, Not Drug Abuse, Is To Blame For Amy Winehouse's Death, Says Brother

Camden’s local council has approved plans to build a life-size statue of the late singer Amy Winehouse, it’s been revealed. The statue will be designed by Scott Eaton and will see Winehouse with her styled in trademark beehive style and wearing a short dress.

Some conservationists had felt it was too early for a memorial, but according to Sky News the plans have been approved anyway. So you better believe that Amy’s father Mitch has something to say about the whole thing. Here he is: "Amy was in love with Camden, and it is the place her fans from all over the world associate her with. The family have always been keen to have a memorial for her in the place she loved the most, which will provide fans a place to visit and bring extra custom to local businesses.”

The statue will be placed outside the Roundhouse venue, causing Mitch to comment "The Roundhouse seemed an obvious choice of location as Amy had a special relationship with the venue. She played there with Paul Weller when the venue re-opened in October 2006 and her last public performance was on the same stage just days before she passed away in July 2011. We are strong supporters of The Roundhouse and their innovative music programmes which provide access to projects and opportunities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and we have funded their Roundhouse Radio programme for the next three years.” Finishing, he said "Amy was a wonderful person, she did a lot for Camden and did a lot for kids, she was one of the greatest singers the world has ever known."

Continue reading: Camden Council Approves Amy Winehouse Statue

Beyonce might have been on the wrong end of a tongue lashing from Amy Winehouse’s father, Mitch Winehouse, but it was nothing to the sort Andre 3000 received as Winehouse Sr once again tore into the cover of Back To Black that the pair had recorded for Baz Luhrmann movie, The Great Gatsby.

Previously, Winehouse had blasted Beyonce in The Daily Mail, saying that he hadn’t given her permission to use the song and that he didn’t think “she brings anything to it.” He added “They have got to pay for the privilege, which is what they are doing. I can’t tell you how much it is but it’s a lot of money.”

Now it’s Be’s collaborator, Outkast’s Andre 3000, who has ended up the wrong side of a Mitch-ing session. Apparently having heard Andre’s vocals on the track for the first time, Mitch took to Twitter to scathe “I just heard the Andre part of Back to Black. Terrible. He should have let Beyonce do it all. Mitch.” Oof. Thankfully for the pair, Mark Ronson – who worked with Amy on the original version of the song – has been rather more accepting of the new rendition, with MTV reporting that he told his East Village Radio show "I'm flattered and honored. I know Amy would be too." What do you think? Listen to both below.

Continue reading: Amy Winehouse's Father Continues Mitch-ing Session Against Beyonce And Andre 3000 Back To Black Cover

Asif Kapadia, the British director who won a Bafta for his 2010 documentary film about Ayrton Senna, is helming a new movie about the late singer Amy Winehouse. The multi-million selling Londoner died in 2011 at the age of 27 from alcohol poisoning. "Amy was a once-in-a-generation talent," said Asif Kapadia in a joint statement with film producer James Gay-Rees. "She wrote and sung from the heart."

The documentary about Winehouse is thought to be similar to Senna, about the Brazilian Formula 1 racing driver who died at the age of 34. He was killed in a crash while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Kapadia and Gay-Reese noted the similarities, in that both stars were still at the top of their games at the time of their deaths. "Everyone fell under her spell," the pair said of Winehouse, "But tragically, Amy seemed to fall apart under the relentless media attention, her troubled relationships, her global success and precarious lifestyle."

The new Amy Winehouse film has yet to be given a title - we're guessing Winehouse - but it is likely to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The movie should be relatively quick to make, given it will mainly include archived footage and interviews with family, friends and industry professionals.

Continue reading: Bafta Winning 'Senna' Filmmaker To Helm Amy Winehouse Documentary

The British director Asif Kapadia is due to release a documentary film about the late singer Amy Winehouse, BBC News have reported. Using unseen footage of the singer, the movie is expected to be ‘similar’ to Kapadia’s documentary about Ayrton Senna, which earned him a Bafta in 2010.

“Amy was a once-in-a-generation talent," said Asif Kapadia in a joint statement with the film’s producer James Gay-Rees. "She wrote and sung from the heart." They continued: “everyone fell under her spell, But tragically, Amy seemed to fall apart under the relentless media attention, her troubled relationships, her global success and precarious lifestyle.” Amy Winehouse died in 2011 from alcohol poisoning, at the age of 27. She had long battled with substance abuse issues and personal issues that had begun to have a negative effect on her career before she passed away. Despite this, she remains an inspiration to many and a statue of Amy Winehouse has been commissioned, to be placed in legendary Camden music venue The Roundhouse.

Kapadia’s movie about Ayrton Senna detailed the life and death of the Forumla 1 racing driver, who dies at the age of 34. He was killed in a crash whilst leading the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994. His death, to this day, is the last fatality in Formula 1 motor racing. The Amy Winehouse documuentary has not yet been named. 

Continue reading: Bafta Winning Director Asif Kapadia To Direct Amy Winehouse Documentary

Two years after her death, Amy Winehouse continues to haunt the public consciousness and now, a documentary about Winehouse’s life and career is in the works. The film will feature previously unseen footage of the soul singer, the distributor said yesterday (Wednesday, April 24th).

When a young, troubled celebrity dies, it always attracts attention and feeds the myth around them. This is what happened with Winehouse. She gained international stardom with her debut album Back to Black, released in 2006. She died five years later, in 2011 and her death was attributed to substance abuse.

Now the task of retelling Winehouse’s life will fall on the shoulders of director Briton Asif Kapadia, whose 2010 film “Senna,” about Brazilian auto racer Ayrton Senna, won a BAFTA for best documentary.

Continue reading: Documentary About Amy Winehouses Life And Death Is In The Works

Albums of Note... Tasked with the tricky mission of releasing an album that stood up to their back catalogue, after several years in the wilderness and a brief spell of time on the reunion circuit, Suede have finally released Bloodsports. Rather than opting for replicating one of their previous albums, they have amalgamated elements of all five of them.
They’ve not lost their distinctive, Bowie-obsessed sound and Suede will forever have one foot in the Britpop era but with Bloodsports they have achieved what few can manage: to come back after a lengthy hiatus, ties unsevered, water under the bridge and still get back to making a quality album and reclaiming their mark on the British landscape.“Bloodsports then, is exactly the album that Suede needed to make. It is loud, aggressive, uncompromising and absolutely, defiantly Suede. Nobody else could have written these songs. Suede have done the almost impossible task of simultaneously looking back at the past while planting a foot firmly into the future.”

Pitched somewhere between The Killers and the Kings of Leon, Cold War Kids have returned with much of the same kind of material that they showcased on their first album. Dear Miss Lonely Hearts is a little bit “Cold War Kids by numbers” and although they’re pretty adept at what they do, if they just stepped out of their comfort zone for a moment, they could surely achieve much greater heights.
“The album's sure fire highlight is Jailbirds, a jaunty rocker, with a fat bass line and a noisy breakdown reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age. This song offers something a little different and breaks the slight monotony of the rest of the album.”

Continue reading: A Week In Music, Suede Return With A New Album To Match Their Best, Vampire Weekend Release Unusual Double A Side, Beyonce Causes A Stir With 'Bow Down'

Preliminary images of the Amy Winehouse statue, due to be unveiled in Camden in 2014 have been made public as part of the planning application process. The artist Scott Eaton will be creating the life-sized bronze of the late singer, to be erected on the first floor terrace at the Roundhouse in Camden, the London borough where Amy lived. On his website, he explained his reasons for sharing the image: “In my opinion it is a little early to be sharing these images given that there is a lot of sculpting still to do, but the planning application is now public and it is in the news.”

Eaton stressed that the images are merely a work in progress, saying “There is much more work to do on the piece, but for application purposes it is a good representation of the scale and the gesture of the sculpture.” In 2012, Amy’s father Mitch announced that the statue is due to be unveiled alongside a special commemorative concert which will take place at the Roundhouse on September 14, 2014; which would have been Amy’s 31st birthday. “We want to make it like a Live Aid type concert where we get maybe four, five, six hours' worth. People doing a couple of songs each. Obviously that involves a lot of people,” said the singer’s father.

Amy Winehouse will also be honoured in a Walk of Fame due to open in Camden later in 2013. Camden will twin with Hollywood, according to NME, to honour international music figures this summer. 

Continue reading: Bound For Camden Town: Amy Winehouse Statue Unveiled

Legendary New York crooner Tony Bennett is to record his next album with Lady GaGa. The somewhat unlikely pair collaborated on 'The Lady Is A Tramp' for Bennett's Grammy-winning 'Duets II' album, and although they're yet to hit the studio, Bennett says he "can't wait" to record his next album with the Born This Way singer. Bennett confirmed the news after receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Amy Winehouse Foundation on Thursday (March 20, 2013), calling the new record "a big swing album."

After developing his singing technique following a stint in the U.S. Army during World War II, Bennett signed with Columbia Records and had his first number one with 'Because Of You' in 1951. Further hits followed including Rags To Riches and Bennett peaked in the late 1950s with albums The Beat of My Heart, Basie Swings and Bennett Sings. The New York rock music era led to his music suffering an extended downturn, though few could deny Bennett's class and the singer staged an eventual comeback in the late 1980s and 1990's, putting out gold selling records and winning a slew of Grammy awards. 

Continue reading: Tony Bennett To Record "Big Swing Album" With Lady Gaga

Amy Winehouse’s former husband Blake Fielder-Civil has appeared on the daytime TV show hosted by Jeremy Kyle and confessed that he was the person to introduce Amy to heroin, The Sun reports. “I'd taken it about three or four times, we were in a hotel in East London and I think I had about £10 of heroin with me, which is something I used to do after a club,” Blake explained. “I was smoking it on foil and she said, 'Can I try some?' I think I might have put up a weak resistance, the fact is whatever I said she did end up having some.”

Fielder-Civil was in jail when he discovered that Amy had passed away and told Kyle that he and Amy had discussed reuniting, despite the fact that he now had a new girlfriend and a son. “When I got discharged there was text messages on my phone from Amy. I don't know when they were from but there was one talking about being a godmother to Jack, we'd spoken about her visiting me and had an emotional phone call about how we were thinking about maybe getting together.”

In an interview reminiscent of Oprah Winfrey’s recent chat with Whitney Houston’s brother Michael, who admitted that he had been responsible for introducing Whitney to cocaine, Blake admitted that he felt responsible for Amy’s drug use. “I have to be really conscious about what I say because I don't want it to seem that I'm shirking responsibility… of course I regret it… It was the worst part of my life being with somebody that I love, having the opportunity of total happiness but being in complete misery."  

Continue reading: "Complete Misery" - Blake Fielder Civil On Jeremy Kyle - He Introduced Amy Winehouse To Heroin

Awards ceremonies are supposed to make you laugh. They’re supposed to make you cry. They’re supposed to make you angry. They’re supposed to shock the living daylights out of you. They are supposed to provide some serious ‘water cooler’ moments for you to talk about at work the next day. Did The Brits do any of these things? Did they heck. The most animated we got last night was when we managed to muster up the energy to actually yawn.

Ben Howard at the Brits 2013, possibly the blandest year ever?

Continue reading: Brit Awards 2013 - Why They Were The Blandest Brits, And Who Should Have Won...

On Saturday (January 19, 2013), 5,000 American kids were treated to a pop spectacle at the Kids Inauguration, at the Walter E Washington Convention Center but will it have any impact on those kids’ future political tendencies? Asides from Usher asserting “the youth matters!” during his aerobically-challenging, dance-heavy performance, the message of the evening seemed to be none more challenging than ‘let’s have fun and celebrate!’

The 5,000 strong crowd, Washington Post reports, was made up primarily of military families, public school kids from DC and a ton of “media folk.” As well as, of course, Sasha and Malia Obama, representing their mom and dad, the First Lady, Michelle Obama and of course President Barack Obama, celebrating the official start to his second term in office yesterday (January 21, 2013). But the evening was low on politics and heavy on pop, with Katy Perry putting in a star turn, in a sparkling, star-spangled onesie and sharing some of her greatest hits for the gathered throng, singing ‘Teenage Dream’ and ‘Firework’ “with gusto.”

The cast of Glee were also on hand with the lightweight entertainment, performing ‘Valerie’ (made famous by Amy Winehouse) and ‘Beautiful’ by Christina Aguilera. Meanwhile, the California boy band Mindless Behaviour might not have the kind of name that you think would get the White House seal of approval but their highly physical performance got the thumbs up from the Obamas, nonetheless. 

Continue reading: Kids Inaugural - Light On Politics, Heavy On Pop Thanks To Katy Perry, Usher And Glee

This year’s Brit Awards nominations look as though they were concocted by a group of strangers, with wildly different cultural backgrounds, on a drunken night out. Is this a sign that the mainstream music world is finally starting to accept that it’s becoming more and more acceptable to have diverse musical tastes? Or are the organisers of the BRITS simply trying to spark controversy? have they lost the plot? Or is this an honest reflection of the mindset of a 2013 British music buying public? Let’s take a look at the evidence, and scrutinise some of the more baffling categories…

British Female Solo Artist Nominees – One of the more sensitive and contentious issues, here, in the British female solo artist category. Of the five nominees, only four of them were alive this year. We understand that Amy Winehouse has a lasting legacy in British pop music. We understand that she was – and, in many ways remains - a tour de force. But, for the sake of the awards, we simply have to ask, at the risk of sounding flippant, what has Amy Winehouse done for British music in the last 12 months? Sadly, nothing. Her posthumous album (released in December 2011, we should add), Lioness: Hidden Treasures was politely and quietly denounced for being little more than cuttings from the studio floor. We simply can’t get our heads around her inclusion on this list. With Bat For Lashes throw in as the ‘alternative’ wild card, to lend a touch of outsider cool to the category, it’s between Emeli Sande, Paloma Faith and Jessie Ware to catch this one, we reckon. 

Watch Jessie Ware's video for 'Sweet Talk'

Continue reading: BRIT Awards 2013 Nominees Announced: Diverse? Or Just Weird?

This awards season has already been rife with surprises and snubs, but this year's Brit Nominations has become the most surprising of all after Amy Winehouse was nominated for Best British Female, despite passing away over 18 months ago. She won that same award back in 2007, but it is the first time that any artist has been nominated posthumously. 

Competing for that same award are Paloma Faith, Bat For Lashes, Jessie Ware and Emeli Sande. Sande is the most nominated artist in this year's list, as she's also up for Best Single, a category in which she has two nominations, with 'Next to Me' and her Labrinth collboration, 'Beneath Your Beautiful'. 

"It's a really good feeling," Emile said, reports the BBC. "It feels great, a bit scary, because you never know, you might not win anything. It feels great to have this acknowledgement and recognition. And to come back here after winning the Critics' Choice and to be nominated is really, really cool."

Continue reading: Amy Winehouse Receives Posthumous Brit Awards Nomination

The probe of Amy Winehouse's death has been reopened following the resignation of Suzanne Greenaway and subsequent questions as to her the validity of her legal credentials, CNN reports.

Greenway, the coronoer who ruled the singer died of alcohol poisoning, was appointed by her husband, London Coroner Andrew Reid. However, it was discovered that she had not been a registered lawyer in the United Kingdom for the requisite five years, which has lead Winehouse's case to be re-visited. The pathologist's tests revealed that Winehouse's blood-alcohol level was 416 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood. The level considered lethal is 350 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood, and the legal limit to drive in Britain is 80 milligrams of alcohol. A new coroner's inquest into Winehouse's death will begin on January 8, London's Camden Council announced Monday.

Found dead after a very public battle with drugs and alcohol in her north London home on July 23, 2011, Winehouse's death hit The U.K hard. The Grammy award-winning artist's success came with her 2007 album "Back to Black." She dominated the 2008 Grammys, winning five awards that night. Her niche style, candid nature and undoubtable talent made her one of Britain's most loved talents. Her first album, "Frank," debuted in 2003, when she was just 19.

The Amy Winehouse death inquest will be reheard, after the coroner involved in the case has quit, BBC News have reported. An inquiry was launched into Dr Andrew Scott Reid’s decision to appoint his wife, Suzanne Greenaway as the assistant deputy coroner, back in July 2009 and Reid has been accused of not fully checking her qualifications.

Greenaway conducted 12 inquests in Camden during her time as deputy assistant coroner. One of those was that of Amy Winehouse, which she declared as a verdict of “death by misadventure,” in October 2011. In November last year, Ms Greenaway resigned, on the basis that she had not served 5 years as a lawyer in the UK, as is required for the post. She qualified in Australia in 1999 and was a member of the Supreme Court there but had not worked as a lawyer in the UK for the required amount of time. It is currently unknown whether or not the other 11 cases over which she presided will also be re-heard. Dr Reid stepped down from judicial office on December 7, 2012. His resignation came before the Office For Judicial Complaints had finalised their disciplinary procedure.

A new hearing has now been scheduled for January 8, 2013, at St Pancras Coroner’s Court.

Bruno Mars has revealed a slightly surprising influence on his new album Unorthodox Jukebox – the late British blues singer Amy Winehouse! We reviewed the multi-million selling 27 year-old’s second album and, though we found ourselves impressed with it, we must admit we’d be hard-pushed to pinpoint the Winehouse influence stylistically.

However, talking to The Associated Press, Mars said "I felt like everything I've been saying, everything I wanted to do, she did it. It was one of those things like, 'Damn it! Damn it!' It was perfect.” He went on to enthuse "You couldn't put it in a box 'cause it could be played on rock stations, it could be played on rhythmic stations, it could be played on pop radio, and I've always wanted to make music like that – that could be spread out, and can't be pigeon-held to one thing. And they did it. Her and Mark Ronson."

Mars once again re-enlisted the help of his song writing pals The Smeezingtons for Unorthodox Jukebox but also has Mark Ronson on too – who of course was instrumental in Winehouse’s fame. Talking of the additional collaborations on the album – several producers are involved – Mars enthused “That's when the fun comes in. Now, it's time to have some fun. Let's put the dream band together... I love their take on pop music... It was a big ole science project.” Unorthodox Jukebox is out now and, a challenge from The Game notwithstanding, should find itself on top of the US Billboard 200 this weekend.

Continue reading: Bruno Mars Reveals Amy Winehouse As Surprise Influence On Unorthodox Jukebox

Like many artists that eventually plough their way out of the woodwork, Bruno Mars began his career as a writer for other singers. His work crops up in the portfolios of Flo Rider, Alexandra Burke, Sean Kingston, Travie McCoy, Adam Levine and Brandy. He even co-wrote Cee Lo Green's 'Forget You'. However, he always set his sights very high and revealed in an interview recently that he aspired to the musical heights of Amy Winehouse- which, it appears, is why he's now teaming up with Mark Ronson, the producer that pushed Amy into super-stardom.

"It was perfect," he said, of Amy's Back to Black album. "You couldn't put it in a box 'cause it could be played [anywhere]... And they did it. Her and Mark Ronson." Having grown up listening to a wide variety of music, all of it has rubbed off but in a kind of mis-matched way, he's an endearing if not brilliant patchwork quilt. His latest album 'Unorthodox Dukebox' is also a great patchwork, as Mars has brought together some of the business' best producers including Diplo, The Smeezingtons (who did his entire first album), Jeff Bhasker, Paul Epworth, and Emile Haynie. He described these collaborations to the Associated Press as "a big ole science project."

The album has got fairl good reviews so far but he's already joking about a future 'comeback', saying "You know my sister sings, my brother plays drums in my band. My whole family is a bunch of musicians. So, when the right time comes, you'll see it on some kind of reunion tour, CBS special, 'Behind the Music: Bruno's Family,' trying to revive my career." 

Amy Winehouse's home has sold for £1.98m ($3.2m) at an auction in Piccadilly, by auctioneer Chris McHugh. The original asking price was £2.7m when it was on the open market but after sparse interest and a few bidders failing to be able to actually get the money together to purchase it, the family opted to sell it at auction.

The house is a semi-detached property in Camden Square and despite there being no word of Winehouse's name in the auction catalog, "word got out" according to Mr McHugh. As the BBC reports, there were 5 bidders who got the ball rolling after the star price was set at £1.7m. The guide price is said to have been £1.8m but the price it eventually sold for is apparently pretty standard for that area of Camden. "They did have it on the market but they didn't get the result for them," said Mr McHugh. Adding, "I think they are pleased they have drawn a line under it."

Celebrity memorabilia is normally hot property, and the ex-homes of celebrities often do sell for more than the normal price for the size and location, but perhaps that it was the place that Amy Winehouse was found after she died put some sellers off hence the very reduced price that it eventually sold for. 

Jimi Hendrix, in action, in his heyday

Happy Birthday, Jimi Hendrix! Today, Jimi Hendrix would have been celebrating his 70th birthday, had a tragic turn of events not resulted in his death on September 18, 1970.

Continue reading: Happy 70th Birthday, Jimi Hendrix! Is It Too Late To Become A Hendrix Fan?

The Amy Winehouse play, which was a Danish production, and due to hit Danish theatres in January, has been cancelled after the late singer's father blocked its use of her music and photos, The Associated Press reports.

"We acted in good faith when we gave them the permission for the performance. We believed that the format -- a theater play -- was OK," Koda spokesman Nicolaj Hylten-Cavallius said. "We were told by her father and the lawyers around him that we can forget all about the rights for the music, the photos, branding and everything." Winehouse spokesman Chris Goodman said on Monday that the family had never granted the theater company permission to use the singer's materials. The play, simply entitled 'Amy' was penned in a collaborative effort by Danish playwrights and was to have opened on Jan. 30 in a 220-seat theater in central Copenhagen. It was based on interviews, concerts, Winehouse's letters and newspaper articles.

Koda said that Winehouse's father, Mitch Winehouse, objected to the use of any of her music, photos or belongings but gave no reason why, Hylten-Cavallus said.

Continue reading: Amy Winehouse Play Hits The Rocks As Father Refuses Permission To Content

Pete Doherty has revealed, in an intimate interview with the Daily Mail, that he once had an affair with Amy Winehouse and claims that he is still in love with the singer, who died last year, at the age of 27.

Both Amy and Pete (the former frontman of The Libertines) have had their musical talents overshadowed by their enduring struggles with addiction and substance abuse. Winehouse’s struggle though, ended tragically with her early death.

Sat in his favourite Parisian bistro, Wagon Bleu, Doherty reveals “yes, it’s true. Amy and I were lovers. I loved her then and, well, I still do today.” He added “but towards the end, as only lovers can, she became quite mean and cruel to me. She didn’t suffer fools... and believe me, she had a mean right hook.” During the interview, he is reminded of comments that he made about Amy three years ago, when he said “I’m kind of in awe of her because I do believe she is an incredible talent who has come out of nowhere. And like a lot of the greats she is irreplaceable so .  .  . we don’t want to lose her.” His response to hearing those words once more, was to say “Wow, I said that, did I? Well we did lose her. There but for the grace of God go I, is what I say.”

Continue reading: "I Loved Amy Winehouse" - Pete Doherty Reveals Love Affair With The Late Singer

After her tragic death in 2011, Amy Winehouse's name hasn't been easily forgotten, cropping up in the news at least every week. She has sold almost two million records since her death and the Amy Winehouse Foundation continues to do good work in her name. Tonight, family, friends and stars alike are all turning up in a special tribute evening and fundraiser for the Amy Winehouse Foundation Ball, hosted by Mark Ronson.

Amy's father, Mitch Winehouse said: "We're just really carrying on the work she was starting. She was particularly concerned with homeless people as well." According to GigWise, the charity which was set up after the singer's death last year, had raised £230,000 in its first 12 months. 

Jamie Cullum, Tyler James, and of course Mark Ronson will all be performing at the Dorchester this evening, and among the other star studded guests in attendance are her god-daughter Dionne Bromfield, Patsy Kensit, Paloma Faith, Mica Paris and X Factor stars Ella Henderson and James Arthur. The latter guests mingled with one another, reports the Daily Mail, despite the potential for a bitter rivalry after Henderson was sent home in favour of Arthur. 

Continue reading: Stars Pay Tribute To Amy Winehouse And Raise Cash For The Homeless

The Amy Winehouse Foundation is preparing for its first major fundraising event. Sky News report that the organisation is gearing up for the Amy Winehouse Foundation Ball at the Dorchester Hotel.

Calling upon his daughter’s many contacts in the recording industry, Amy’s father Mitch Winehouse is helping to promote the event, which will feature performances from Jamie Cullum, Matt Goss and Amy’s friend (and former contestant on the Voice), Tyler James.

The money raised will be used to help disadvantaged young people; something that Mitch explained was very important to Amy. He recalls how he once asked Amy who a girl was, in her flat and Amy replied that the girl was homeless and that she was helping her out. She stayed with Amy for around six months.

Continue reading: The Amy Winehouse Foundation Gears Up For Fundraising Ball, Featuring Jamie Cullum

A wedding dress beloning to the late singer Amy Winehouse has been stolen from her former home in London, where it was being kept in storage.

The deceased singer wore the dress when she tied the knot with former lover Blake Civil-Fielder in 2007, and so far Metropolitan Police have said they are yet to receive a formal allegation about the thefts. Another dress once belonging to the singer, which she wore on an episode of Later...With Jool Holland, is also said to have gone missing.

Winehouse passed away of alcohol poisoning in July 2009, and since then all her possessions at her Camden home have been kept in storage there before being moved on to be sold or given elsewhere. A number of her dresses have already been sold at auction to raise money for the charity set up by her father in her name and so far the dress Amy wore on the cover of her album Back To Black sold for £40,000 last year whilst another was sold for £30,000. The wedding dress was said to have the potential to raise £100,000, all of which would have been given to the foundaion.

Continue reading: Amy Winehouse's Wedding Dress Stolen From London Home

The notorious, glorious and late Amy Winehouse will be remembered and celebrated once again as her life is adapted into play-form that will open on the stage in Copenhagen in January 2013. The play will be called 'Amy'.

According to the Danish Royal Theatre, in Denmark's capital, the intention of the play is to illustrate the "enormous pressure a sensationalist public put on a young superstar when her problems began." Indeed, Amy went from zero to hero in a matter of months, with her second album Back to Black which featured songs that have become contemporary classics; Rehab, Back to Black and Love is a Losing Game. The play has been written in Danish by 'The Red Room' (Det Roede Rum, in the native Danish), which is a group of 11 writers and is, according to the Telegraph, based upon interviews, speeches, newspaper articles, letters, concerts and Amy's songs, and will focus on her relationships with drugs, alcohol and Blake Fielder-Civil. If the show is a success it will undoubtedly be translated and toured around Europe and further afield. 

Amy died in tragic circumstances in 2011 but is still loved and revered by fans all over the world. She has also had singles released posthumously. With a voice like no other, the task of playing Amy and singing her songs will be mammoth, but Dane Johanne Louise Schmidt will certainly give it her best shot. 

Continue reading: Amy Winehouse To Return To The Stage In A Fictionalised Account Of Her Life

Even at the ripe old age of 86, Tony Bennett is still more active than most mid-twenty-year-olds. He has one of the longest musical careers that is still alive and kicking, and has still yet more planned. Tomorrow sees the release of a detailed documentary about his life, created by his son Dan Bennett, called 'Zen of Bennett'.

The film includes a portion dedicated Bennett's relationship with Amy Winehouse, with whom he recorded her last duet before she died. The film will coincide with the release of his third album of duets, entitled 'Viva Duets'. This latest album is a collection of duets with the world's best Latino artists. In an interview with TIME he spoke about the recording process, saying "We [went] where they live, so each record took a couple of days of getting to know them, meeting their managers and their friends, and they became great relationships." He said, "They're really tremendous artists, each one of them."

He seemed even more excited, however, about another upcoming project with Lady GaGa. "Lady Gaga called me from Australia and she said, "I want to do a jazz album with you."" The impressive octogenarian revealed, "So we're going to doing it with Marion Evans, the great orchestrator. We're going to have a big swinging album." He sang high praise for the quirky singer, "I call her the Musical Picasso. She's so creative and she changes every two minutes" he said. Later, he revealed that there was nothing in his entire back catalogue (which is incredibly extensive) that he regrets, hopefully Gaga wont put an end that immense 60 year streak and will prove to be another triumph with another of pop's biggest character's.

Continue reading: Zen Of Bennett - The Most Active Man In Showbiz Tony Bennett Talks Lady Gaga

Amy Winehouse’s headstone has finally been unveiled in Edgware, North London, and features the names of the singer’s closest family and friends. The Camden-based star’s collaborator Mark Ronson is mentioned, as is her soul singing goddaughter Dionne Bromfield.

The stone – inscribed with pink writing – carries a prominent tribute to Amy’s late grandmother Cynthia Levy, with the singer’s name featuring below. It reads, “Forever in the hearts of their devoted family”. The headstone also features a host of other colleagues and friends who were close to the singer, including manager Raye Cosbert, backing singers Zalon Thompson and Ade Omotayo and Dale Davis, her long-time bass player. Reg Traviss – her boyfriend at the time of her death – is mentioned, as is her best friend Tyler James, who most recently featured on the BBC singing contest The Voice. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Winehouse’s ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil is conspicuous by his absence on the headstone.

The unveiling of the headstone comes as a new box-set ‘Amy Winehouse at the BBC’ was announced. Set to hit shelves on November 12, the package includes a total of four discs, three of which are compilations of live performances.

For a man associated with the cool, glacial music of British band Portishead, the group's co-founder Geoff Barrows can sure be head strong when he wants to be. The 39 year-old musician was promoting his side-project Beak's new album to Electronic Beats when he decided to launch a scathing attack on the late singer Amy Winehouse, accusing her of being "fake" in her singing style.

"I think Whiney Sh*tehouse - Amy Winehouse -, by the end of it, had become just a comic character of herself and how she sang" Barrows fumed to the blog. "I saw her with an electric guitar in a little pub in Bristol and people were going "that's amazing" but it wasn't all that. Then she had the big drug problem and all the tabloids got involved and she would start being Minnie Ripperton or whatever it was." He finished his tirade by saying "It seemed fake, but because there was a massive drug problem you couldn't say it was fake, but her actual voice was fake. She had a real life with a fake voice."

Barrows however was more complimentary about Adele, commenting that "I think Adele sings in her own voice, I think it's her trying to be a big voice and that's her." Barrow has since been forced to defend his comments on Twitter, claiming that he was "misquoted", though insisted that he still wasn't a fan.

Amy Winehouse fans have been showing their allegiance to the late singer, following remarks made by the Portishead producer Geoff Barrow. Barrow made the comments about Amy’s voice, during an interview with his band Beak for Electronic Beats magazine. The producer was asked about his opinion on female vocalists in the music industry and branded Amy’s voice as “fake.”

Referring to Winehouse as “Whiney Shitehouse,” Barrow said “Amy Winehouse –by the end of it, had become just a comic character of herself and how she sang. I saw her with an electric guitar in a little pub in Bristol and people were going ‘that’s amazing’ but it wasn’t all that. Then she had the big drug problem and all the tabloids got involved and she would start being Minnie Ripperton or whatever it was. It seemed fake, but because there was a massive drug problem you couldn’t say it was fake, but her actual voice was fake. She had a real life with a fake voice.” It was a fleeting moment in the interview but it’s caused a stir in the media.

On Geoff Barrow’s Twitter, he has responded to Amy Winehouse fans who have criticized him for his comments. He’s defended his comments, though he admits that his words were “pretty misquoted.” Late yesterday (September 20, 2012), Barrow posted a message to say “I'm sure she was a lovely caring talented person - I didn't know her. Very sad that she passed away - but i never dug her vibe.”