Six years ago today, London Ambulance Service was called to rising star singer Amy Winehouse‘s Camden flat. Unfortunately, the medics were too late—Winehouse was found dead, having succumbed to her arduous battle with drug and alcohol abuse at just 27 years old. Though she released only two albums before her death—2003’s Frank and 2006’s Back To Black–her work on the two releases catapulted her to worldwide success and recognition. Back To Black netted the singer five Grammys (including Best New Artist, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year) in 2008, tying the record for most wins by any female artist in a single year at that time.
Winehouse’s tragically brief career was defined as much by her remarkable talent as it was by her struggles to keep her life together offstage. From an early age, she dealt with a litany of health issues, from drug addiction to alcohol abuse to eating disorders. These problems were only intensified as she saw her popularity and notoriety increase. As Winehouse explained to The Telegraph in her last interview before her death, “I’m not a natural born performer. I’m a natural singer, but I’m quite shy, really…You know what it’s like? I don’t mean to be sentimental or soppy but its a little bit like being in love, when you can’t eat, you’re restless, it’s like that. But then the minute you go on stage, everything’s OK. The minute you start singing.”
Winehouse’s live performances were the stuff of legend. As she told The Telegraph, it was clear that she was at ease when singing, particularly in intimate settings where she could forget about the problems that plagued her life as a whole and focus on doing what she did best. For a taste of the magic of Winehouse’s shows, throw on this video of her May 29, 2007 gig at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London, immortalized in her live video album release I Told You I Was Trouble: Live in London:
Though six years have passed since her death, the undeniable power and emotion of Amy Winehouse’s music lives on, and will continue to do so for years to come.