Amy Winehouse
Controversial? Definitely. Unpredictable? Absolutely. One of the most talented and unique artists that this country has ever produced? Undeniably.
Since it's release in October 2006, Amy Winehouse's second album Back to Black has transformed her into a global phenomenon, but rewind three years to 2003 and it's easy to forget that it all started with a stunning debut album called Frank, an album dripping with smokey, sexy atmosphere and bold lyrics held together wonderfully by THAT voice. It was a revelation to the jazz fraternity and it wasn't long before Amy crossed over to more mainstream audiences, helped in no small way by her no nonsense attitude to interviews, always having an opinion and always speaking sense.
Fast forward to February 2008 and Amy is honoured with 5 of the US Recording Academy’s most prestigious awards: Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best New Artist, Song of the Year for Rehab and Record of the Year for Rehab at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. This incredible haul made Amy the first ever British female artist to win 5 Grammys in one night and saw her join Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, Norah Jones and Beyonce in the elite band of female artists who have won 5 awards at one ceremony.
The Grammys cap a remarkable 18 months for Amy. During that time Back To Black, her second album (and of course the biggest selling UK album of 2007), has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and turned Amy into one of the hottest stars in the world. Widely regarded as a modern day masterpiece by critics and fans alike the phenomenal UK chart success has been mirrored in the US where Back To Black entered the Billboard Hot 100 at no. 7 making Amy the highest debuting British female artist in the history of the US albums chart.
Add to that the phenomenal success of her collaboration with Mark Ronson on the single Valerie and it becomes obvious that the world has pretty much universally fallen in love with Miss Winehouse, a young lady who Bestival are very proud to unveil as our Saturday night mainstage headliner.
www.amywinehouse.co.uk