Amy Winehouse
Year: 2011; Age: 27
In the time the world got to know Winehouse, she was a whirlwind.
Her 2006 sophomore album Back to Black became an internation-
al success, bringing her smoky, Mark Ronson-assisted retro-soul
to the masses and making her the world’s foremost vocal diva. It
turned out to be her final LP, as her rise to success worsened her
dependency on alcohol and drugs— making the omnipresence of
her biggest single “Rehab” even more ironic and heartbreaking. As
later chronicled in the Oscar-winning documentary story Amy, her
Cinderella story turned into a tabloid nightmare as she spiraled
out very publicly until her death in 2011, at age 27, from alcohol
poisoning. Winehouse’s influence still remains with many modern
soul singers giving credit to her honest lyrics and singing voice. “I
owe 90 percent of my career to her,” Adele said. BS
iconz magazine