Amy Winehouse died 4 years ago. I remember the day like it was yesterday, I was out with some friends and got a message from my mother saying ‘Amy Winehouse is dead‘. I don’t know if I was more shocked about her death or about my mother knowing who she was. But that was the thing about Amy, everyone knew who she was even if they were not into her music. She was a living icon and the legend still lives now she’s not here anymore.
In 2008 Marco Perego (Zoe Saldana’s husband) created an sculpture of Amy Winehouse dead under the name: ‘The Only Good Rock Star Is a Dead Rock Star‘. In the sculpture, we see Amy dead, shot in the head by William Burroughs (as he shot his wife). The sculpture became even more disturbing when 3 years later Amy died.
This article isn’t about her life, this article is about her legacy. What has happened to her fame in these 4 years? Well, many things have been going on from books to movies about her. So that’s what I am going to talk about.
The list starts in 2011, with Amy’s death. There are many Amy related events and news, but (not) surprisingly many journalists and celebs drop her name in articles and interviews to hit headlines and to make some tedious news seem more appealing to the readers. Nevertheless, all of them helped to keep Amy in the news every month for the last four years.
- July: Amy is found dead at her home in Camden on July 23rd, she is 27. She is cremated after a private funeral on July 26th.
- August: Tabloids start theorizing about her death keeping her in the headlines.
- September: On the 14th (which would have been her 28th birthday) The Amy Winehouse Foundation is set up by her father Mitch Winehouse. Her duet with Tony Bennett ‘Body and Soul‘ is released the 12th.
- October: The coroner report comes out: Amy died of alcohol poisoning. Amy Winehouse: The Biography by Chas Newkey-Burden is published.
- November: An Amy’s dress auction in London is a success.
- December: Her posthumous album Lioness: Hidden Treasures is released.
- January: A Jean-Paul Gaultier tribute collection inspired by Amy Winehouse makes her family angry.
- February: Amy is honored during the Brit Awards Ceremony. Her song ‘Body and Soul’ (with Tony Bennett) wins the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the Grammy Awards.
- March: Amy Winehouse’s parents on the news about inheriting her $4.6 million estate.
- April: Pete Doherthy, James Tyler and Jean-Paul Gaultier talk about her.
- May: The London home where Amy Winehouse lived and died is put up for sale by her family for £2.7m. A blood painting by her and Pete Doherty goes on sale at Cob Gallery.
- June: Amy, My Daughter (book by her father) is published the 26th.
- July: Amy Winehouse: The Day She Came to Dingle documentary is broadcasted on BBC4 the 23rd.
- August: Her ex-husband (Blake Fielder-Civil) in coma (overdosing after reading Amy’s old messages).
- September: ‘Cherry Wine‘ (Nas featuring Amy Winehouse) is released.
- October: An Amy Winehouse inspired play is planned in Denmark.
- November: Amy’s Danish play is cancelled after opposition from her father. The Amy Winehouse’s BBC Live Collection is released.
- December: Amy Winehouse’s coroner’s inquest to be reheard in London.
- January: Amy Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning, confirmed by second inquest.
- February: Her ex-husband Blake appears on tv: The Jeremy Kyle Show Exclusive: Married to Amy Winehouse.
- March: The Amy Winehouse Foundation launches the Resilience Programme For Schools with Russell Brand.
- April: Mitch asks Beyonce to pay for cover.
- May: Amy Winehouse: The Untold Story by Chloe Govan is published.
- June: Her brother talks about Amy’s bulimia.
- July: Amy Winehouse’s possessions on display at the Jewish Museum in London.
- August: Plans to celebrate Amy Winehouse’s 30th birthday include skydiving.
- September: Amy Winehouse: For You I Was A Flame exhibition (by the foundation) kicks off a month of events celebrating her legacy. A sculpture is unveiled in Bournemouth.
- October: A man sells explicit pics of Amy.
- November: Mitch Winehouse says he will never allow Hollywood to make a film about her daughter.
- December: ‘Fallen Angel‘ artwork returns to Camden.
- January: Singer Chloe Howl mentions Amy’s album Frank as her number one inspiration.
- February: Amy Winehouse collaborator arrested over Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death. Amy’s earnings have quadrupled since her death.
- March: Amy Winehouse Foundation is awarded a £4.3m lottery grant. Amy Winehouse hologram tour not happening banned by father.
- April: On the 11th the Mayor of Camden holds a dinner in aid of the Amy Winehouse Foundation.
- May: Screening of I Told You I Was Trouble – Live in London at The Jazz Café on 27th.
- June: Amy Winehouse drugs scheme to launch in schools.
- July: An unpublished 2004 interview is made public.
- August: Eurovision-2005 French singer, Ortal, leads an Amy tribute band Back to Amy.
- September: The life-size sculpture designed by Scott Eaton is unveiled on the 14th, at the Stables Market.
- October: Mitch Winehouse releases a charity album inspired by Amy But Beautiful.
- November: Amy’s rehab boss found guilty of misconduct.
- December: An impersonator thinks she might be Amy’s secret step sister.
- January: Peter Doherty unveils Amy Winehouse tribute single ‘Flags Of The Old Regime‘ and Mark Ronson dedicates new record to her: Uptown Special.
- February: Amy ’s father targeted by trolls claiming she “faked her death“.
- March: Amy’s documentary gets release date (July).
- April: Family anger against Amy’s documentary after preview.
- May: Asif Kapadia’s Amy is released the 16th in Cannes.
- June: Mark Ronson plays tribute to Amy at Glastonbury.
- July: Mitch Winehouse says he’s working with Amy’s former fiance in making his own film about her.
- August: Amy Winehouse - Inside & Out DVD released the 14th.
As you can see above, half of the news are her family banning things and getting angry at people doing Amy inspired stuff if they are not getting money for their foundation. It’s their right but there’s no need to take things to that extreme in my opinion. She was an icon, a public person, would be a pity if her memory gets lost because no one can use her as inspiration without paying (not only to her label also to the foundation). It’s not like they are using Amy’s name with mean purposes, they are using it like an homage to the artist because they like her.
To read some brutal opinions on the matter, you can read this interesting article at Defamer and the informative comments made there.
Photo by Andy Willsher @ NME.
