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- Duration: 4:04
- Updated: 14 May 2013
- published: 30 May 2012
- views: 47054
- author: nostalgiavideos80
Better that the devil should not be called
If you wanna wed the devil's daughter
I pray to the lord on high to set you free
Better you decide to cut him loose
Than to ride on the cunning line
I pray to the lord on high to rescue me
No one should go through hard times
No one should live in sorrow
Got to lift your head up high
Got to face the darker skies
Yahoo! ah higher, higher, higher
Yahoo! ah find your way unto the lord
ah higher, higher, higher
Yahoo! ah find your way unto the lord
To run where the devil would fear to tread
Got to put your money where your heart is
I pray to the lord on high to set you free
Whether you decide to trade your soul
For a little of the devil's gold
I pray to the lord on high to rescue me
No one should feel so low down
And give into sweet temptation
Got to lift your head up high
Got to face the darker skies
Yahoo! ah higher, higher, higher
Yahoo! ah find your way unto the lord
ah higher, higher, higher
Yahoo! ah find your way unto the lord
Yahoo! ah higher, higher, higher
Yahoo! ah find your way unto the lord
When you look around and find yourself
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
I pray to the lord on high to rescue me
If there's trouble on your mind when you sleep at night
Won't you come and put your trust in me
And I pray to the lord on high to set you free
No one should go through hard times
No one should live in sorrow
Got to face the darker skies
Got to lift your head up high
It has been suggested that Yahoo! Green be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) Proposed since January 2012. |
This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. You can assist by editing it. (September 2011) |
Type | Public |
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Traded as | NASDAQ: YHOO NASDAQ-100 Component S&P 500 Component |
Industry | Internet |
Founded | Santa Clara, California, U.S. (March 1, 1995 ) |
Founder(s) | Jerry Yang, David Filo |
Headquarters | Sunnyvale, California, U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Fred Amoroso (Chairman) Ross Levinsohn (Interim CEO) |
Products | See Yahoo! products |
Revenue | US$ 4.98 billion (2011)[1] |
Operating income | US$ [1] | 800 million (2011)
Net income | US$ [1] | 1.04 billion (2011)
Total assets | US$ 14.78 billion (2011)[1] |
Total equity | US$ 12.53 billion (2011)[1] |
Employees | 12,000 (May 2012)[2] |
Subsidiaries | Yahoo! subsidiaries |
Website | Yahoo.com |
Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine (Yahoo! Search), Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping, video sharing, fantasy sports and social media website and services. It is one of the largest websites in the United States.[3]
Yahoo! Inc. was founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994 and was incorporated on March 1, 1995. On January 13, 2009, Yahoo! appointed Carol Bartz, former executive chairman of Autodesk, as its new chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors.[4] On September 6, 2011, Bartz was removed from her position at Yahoo! by chairman Roy Bostock and CFO Tim Morse was named as Interim CEO of the company.[5][6] On January 4, 2012, Scott Thompson, former President of PayPal, was named the new chief executive officer.[7] On May 13, 2012, Scott Thompson was replaced by Ross Levinsohn as the company's interim CEO.[8]
According to news sources roughly 700 million people visit Yahoo! websites every month.[9][10] Yahoo! itself claims it attracts "more than half a billion consumers every month in more than 30 languages".[11]
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In January 1994, Jerry Yang and David Filo were electrical engineering graduate students at Stanford University when they created a website named "Jerry's guide to the world wide web".[12] David and Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web was a directory of other websites, organized in a hierarchy, as opposed to a searchable index of pages. In April 1994, "David and Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web" was renamed "Yahoo!".[13][14] The "yahoo.com" domain was created on January 18, 1995.[15]
The word "yahoo" is an acronym for "Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle."[16] The term "hierarchical" described how the Yahoo! database was arranged in directory layers. The term "oracle" was intended to mean "source of truth and wisdom," and "officious", rather than being related in any way to the meaning of the word, described the many office workers who would use the Yahoo! database while surfing from work.[17] However, Filo and Yang insist they mainly selected the name because they liked the slang definition of a "yahoo" (used by college students in David Filo's native Louisiana in the late 1980s and early 1990s to refer to an unsophisticated, rural Southerner): "rude, unsophisticated, uncouth." Filo's college girlfriend often referred to Filo as a "yahoo." This meaning derives from the name of a race of fictional beings from Gulliver's Travels.
Yahoo! grew rapidly throughout the 1990s. Like many search engines and web directories, Yahoo! diversified into a web portal. It also made many high-profile acquisitions. Its stock price skyrocketed during the dot-com bubble, Yahoo! stocks closing at an all-time high of $118.75 a share on January 3, 2000. However, after the dot-com bubble burst, it settled at a post-bubble low of $4.05 on September 26, 2001.
In 2000, Yahoo! began using Google for search results. Over the next four years, it developed its own search technologies, which it began using in 2004. Yahoo! also revamped its mail service to compete with Google's Gmail in 2007. The company struggled through 2008, with several large layoffs.
In February 2008, Microsoft Corporation made an unsolicited bid to acquire Yahoo! for USD $44.6 billion. Yahoo! subsequently formally rejected the bid, claiming that it "substantially undervalues" Yahoo! and was not in the interest of its shareholders. Three years later, Yahoo! had a stock market capitalization of USD $22.24 billion.[18] Carol Bartz replaced cofounder Jerry Yang in January 2009.[19] In September 2011 she was removed from her position at Yahoo! by the company's chairman Roy Bostock, and CFO Tim Morse was named as Interim CEO of the company.
In early 2012, after the appointment of Scott Thompson as the new CEO, many rumors spread about large layoffs looming. Several key executives, such as Chief Product Officer Blake Irving left Yahoo!.[20] On April 4, 2012 Yahoo announced a cut of 2,000 jobs or about 14 percent of 14,100 workers employed by Yahoo!. The cut is expected to save around $375 million annually after the layoffs are completed at end of 2012.[21]
In an email memo sent to employees in April 2012, Scott Thompson re-iterated his view that customers should come first at Yahoo!. He also completely re-organized the company. [22]
On May 13, 2012, Yahoo! issued a press release stating that Thompson was no longer with the company, and would immediately be replaced on an interim basis by Ross Levinsohn, recently appointed head of Yahoo's new Media group. [23] [24] [25] Thompson's total compensation for his 130-day tenure with Yahoo! will be at least $7.3 million.[26]
Yahoo! operates the web portal which provides content including the latest news, entertainment, and sports information. The portal also gives users access to other Yahoo! services like Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Maps, Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Groups and Yahoo! Messenger.
Working with comScore, The New York Times found that Yahoo! is able to collect far more data about webusers than its competitors from its websites and advertising network. By one measure, on average Yahoo! had the potential in December 2007 to build a profile of 2,500 records per month about each of its visitors.[27]
As of May 22, 2008, an article in Computerworld states that Yahoo has a 2-petabyte, specially built data warehouse, which it uses to analyze the behavior of its half-billion Web visitors per month, processing 24 billion events a day.[28] In contrast the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) database of all US taxpayers weighs in at only 150 TB.[28]
As of December 18, 2008, Yahoo! retains search requests for a period of 13 months. However, In response to European Regulators, Yahoo scrambles the IP address of users after three months by deleting its last eight bits.[29]
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Yahoo! provides Internet communication services such as Yahoo! Messenger and Yahoo! Mail. In March 2007, Yahoo! announced that their e-mail service would offer unlimited storage beginning May 2007.[30]
Yahoo! also offers social networking services and user-generated content in products such as My Web, Yahoo! Personals, Yahoo! 360°, Delicious, Flickr and Yahoo! Buzz. In December 2010, reports emerged that Yahoo! would be shutting down Yahoo! Buzz, MyBlogLog and a handful of other products.[31]
Yahoo! Photos was shut down on September 20, 2007, in favor of Flickr. On October 16, 2007, Yahoo! announced that they would no longer provide support or perform bug fixes on Yahoo! 360° as they intended to abandon it in early 2008 in favor of a "universal profile" that will be similar to their Mash experimental system. [32][dead link]
Yahoo! partners with numerous content providers in products such as Yahoo! Sports, Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Music, Yahoo! Movies, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Answers and Yahoo! Games to provide media content and news. Yahoo! also provides a personalization service, My Yahoo!, which enables users to combine their favorite Yahoo! features, content feeds and information onto a single page.
On March 31, 2008, Yahoo! launched Shine, a site tailored for women seeking online information and advice between the ages of 25 and 54.[33]
Yahoo! has developed partnerships with different broadband providers such as AT&T (via BellSouth & SBC), Verizon Communications, Rogers Communications and British Telecom, offering a range of free and premium Yahoo! content and services to subscribers.[specify][vague][citation needed]
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Yahoo! Mobile offers services for email, instant messaging, and mobile blogging, as well as information services, searches and alerts. Services for the camera phone include entertainment, ring tones, and Yahoo! Photos.
Yahoo! also introduced its Internet search system, called oneSearch, developed for mobile phones on March 20, 2007. The company's officials stated that in distinction from ordinary Web searches, Yahoo!'s new service presents a list of actual information, which may include news headlines, images from Yahoo!'s Flickr photos site, business listings, local weather, and links to other sites. Instead of showing only, for example, popular movies or some critical reviews, oneSearch lists local theaters that at the moment are playing a certain movie, along with user ratings and news headlines regarding the movie. A zip code or city name is required for Yahoo! oneSearch to start delivering local search results.
The results of a Web search are listed on a single page and are prioritized into categories. The list of results is based on calculations that Yahoo! computers make on certain information the user is seeking.[34]
Yahoo! uses Novarra's mobile content transcoding service for the oneSearch platform.[35][dead link]
On October 8, 2010, Yahoo! announced plans to brings video chat to iPhones and Android-based phones via its popular Yahoo Messenger instant messaging service.[36]
Yahoo! offers commerce services such as Yahoo! Shopping, Yahoo! Autos, Yahoo! Real Estate and Yahoo! Travel, which enables users to gather relevant information and make commercial transactions and purchases online. Yahoo! Auctions were discontinued in 2007 except for Asia.[37]
Yahoo! provides services such as Yahoo! Domains, Yahoo! Web Hosting, Yahoo! Merchant Solutions, Yahoo! Business Email and Yahoo! Store to small business owners and professionals allowing them to build their own online stores using Yahoo!'s tools.[citation needed]
On 24 May, 2012, Yahoo launched Axis search browser. The browser is currently available for Apple mobile devices and on desktops.[38]
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Yahoo! Search Marketing provides services such as Sponsored Search, Local Advertising, and Product/Travel/Directory Submit that let different businesses advertise their products and services on the Yahoo! network.
Yahoo! Publisher Network is an advertising tool for online publishers to place advertisements relevant to their content to monetize their websites.[39]
Yahoo! launched its new Internet advertisement sales system on February 5, 2007, called Panama. It allows advertisers to bid for search terms based on their popularity to display their ads on search results pages. The system takes bids, ad quality, clickthrough rates and other factors into consideration in determining how ads are ranked on search results pages. Through Panama, Yahoo! aims to provide more relevant search results to users, a better overall experience, as well as increase monetization—to earn more from the ads it shows.[40]
On April 7, 2008, Yahoo! announced APT from Yahoo!, which was originally called AMP! from Yahoo!,[41] an online advertising management platform.[42] The platform seeks to simplify advertising sales by unifying buyer and seller markets. The service was launched in September 2008. [43][dead link]
In September 2011, Yahoo formed an ad selling strategic partnership with 2 of its top competitors, AOL and Microsoft.[44]
Yahoo! Next is an incubation ground for future Yahoo! technologies currently in their beta-testing phase. It contains forums for Yahoo! users to give feedback to assist in the development of these future Yahoo! technologies. It was created by Jerry Page and David Shin.[45]
Yahoo! Search BOSS is a service that allows developers to build search applications based on Yahoo!'s search technology.[46] Early Partners in the program include Hakia, Me.dium, Delver, Daylife and Yebol.[47] On October 8, 2010, The Yahoo Search Blog announced BOSS is switching, as expected, to a paid model. They will charge on a cost-per-query model where the price will vary from $0.40 to $0.75 CPM (cost per 1000 BOSS queries). The price, as Yahoo explained, will depend on if you are querying web, image, news or other information. Yahoo said they plan on offering BOSS v1, the free version, for free 60 days after BOSS v2, the paid version, is launched – which is expected in early 2011.[48]
Yahoo! Meme is a beta social service, similar to the popular social networking sites Twitter and Jaiku.
Yahoo! Koprol is an Indonesian social networking site based on location without the use of any GPS devices. Koprol was bought by Yahoo in May 2011 with 75,000 users. Koprol has accrued 1.5 million users as of early July 2011 at one year old.[49]
Y!Connect is a feature that enables individuals to leave comments in online publication boards by using their Yahoo ID, instead of having to register with each individual publication. The Wall Street Journal reported that Yahoo plans to mimic this strategy used by rival Facebook Inc. to help drive traffic to its site.[50]
Yahoo! has invested resources to increase and improve access to the internet for the disabled community through the Yahoo! Accessibility Lab.[51]
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Geocities was a popular web hosting service founded in 1994. At one point it was the third-most-browsed site on the World Wide Web.[52] Yahoo! purchased Geocities in 1999, and ten years later, the web host was closed,[53] deleting millions of web pages in the process. A great deal of information was lost but many of those sites and pages have been mirrored at the Internet Archive,[54] "OOcities.com", and other such databases.[55]
Yahoo! Go, a Java-based phone application with access to most of Yahoo! services, was closed down on January 12, 2010.[56]
Yahoo! 360° was a blogging/social networking beta service launched in March 2005 by Yahoo! and closed on July 13, 2009.[57] Yahoo! Mash beta was another social service closed after one year of operation prior to leaving beta status.[58]
Yahoo! Photos was shut down on September 20, 2007, in favor of integration with Flickr. Yahoo! Tech was a website that provided product information and setup advice to users. Yahoo! launched the website in May 2006. On March 11, 2010, Yahoo! closed down the service and redirected users to Yahoo!'s technology news section.[59] Other discontinued services include Farechase, My Web, Audio Search, Pets, Live, Kickstart, Briefcase, and Yahoo! for Teachers.[60]
Hotjobs was acquired by and merged with Monster.com.
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On December 15, 2010, one day after Yahoo! announced layoffs of 4% of its workers across their portfolio, MyBlogLog founder Eric Marcoullier posted a slide from a Yahoo employee on Twitter. The slide was visible during an employee-only strategy webcast indicating changes in Yahoo's offerings.[61]
The following services were in a column under "Sunset": Yahoo Picks, AltaVista, MyM, AlltheWeb, Yahoo Bookmarks, Yahoo! Buzz, del.icio.us, and MyBlogLog. Under "Merge" was: Upcoming, FoxyTunes, Yahoo! Events, Yahoo! People Search, Sideline, and FireEagle.
11 other properties were listed that Yahoo was interested in developing into feature sites within the portal to take the place of the "Sunset" and "Merge" vacancies, including the prior feature services (before the New Yahoo! Mail was launched), were Yahoo Address Book, Calendar, and Notepad.[62] Yahoo's Chief Product Officer and Executive Vice President Blake Irving unofficially responded to the tweet implying that whoever sent him that particular slide is fired.[citation needed]
The blog on del.icio.us released a post by Chris Yeh after the leak, detailing that "Sunset" in their case doesn't necessarily mean they are closing down, and that other possibilities – including Delicious leaving Yahoo (through sale or spinoff) – are still on the table and that Delicious will not be closing down at this time; "We can only imagine how upsetting the news coverage over the past 24 hours has been to many of you. Speaking for our team, we were very disappointed by the way that this appeared in the press." [63][dead link] On April 27, 2011, an announcement said that Delicious has been sold to Avos by Yahoo!.[64]
Yahoo! Buzz was closed down on April 21, 2011 with no official announcement by Yahoo!.[65]
Yahoo! announced it will close down MyBlogLog on May 24, 2011.[66]
On March 29, 2012, Yahoo! announced that it will introduce a Do Not Track feature this summer. [67]
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About 88% of total revenues for the fiscal year 2009 came from marketing services. [68][dead link] The largest segment of it comes from search advertising, where advertisers bid for search terms to display their ads on the search results, on average Yahoo! makes 2.5 cents to 3 cents from each search. With the search advertising system "Panama" Yahoo! aims to increase revenue generated from search. [69][dead link]
Other forms of advertising, which brings in revenue for Yahoo! include display and contextual advertising.[citation needed]
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In 2000, Yahoo! was taken to court in France by parties seeking to prevent French citizens from purchasing memorabilia relating to the Nazi Party.[70] In March 2004, Yahoo! launched a paid inclusion program whereby commercial websites are guaranteed listings on the Yahoo! search engine,[71] but Yahoo! discontinued the paid inclusion / search submit program at the end of 2009.[72] Yahoo! has also been criticized for providing ads via the Yahoo! ad network to companies who display them through spyware and adware.[73][74]
Yahoo! as well as other search engines, have cooperated with the Chinese government in censoring search results. In April 2005, dissident Shi Tao was sentenced to 10 years in prison for "providing state secrets to foreign entities"[75] as a result of being identified by IP address by Yahoo![76] The extent of Yahoo's foreknowledge of Shi's fate is disputed by Yahoo! General Counsel and human rights organizations.[77] Human rights groups also accuse Yahoo! of aiding authorities in the arrest of dissidents Li Zhi and Jiang Lijun. In September 2003, dissident Wang Xiaoning was convicted of charges of "incitement to subvert state power" and sentenced to ten years in prison. Yahoo! helped authorities to identify posts he had made in a Yahoo! group calling for an end to single-party rule. [78][dead link] Both Xiaoning's wife and the World Organization for Human Rights[79] sued Yahoo! under human rights laws on behalf of Wang and Shi.[80]
As a result of media scrutiny relating to Internet child predators and a lack of significant ad revenues, Yahoo!'s "user created" chatrooms were closed down in June 2005.[81] On May 25, 2006, Yahoo!'s image search was criticized for bringing up sexually explicit images even when SafeSearch was on.[82] Yahoo! is a 40% owner of Alibaba Group, which was previously a subject of controversy for allowing the sale of shark-derived products. Nevertheless, the company banned the sale of shark fin products on all its e-commerce platforms in January 1, 2009. On November 30, 2009, Yahoo! was criticized by the Electronic Frontier Foundation for sending a DMCA notice to whistle-blower website "Cryptome" for publicly posting details, prices, and procedures[83] on obtaining private information pertaining to Yahoo!'s subscribers.[84]
After some concerns over censorship of private emails regarding a website affiliated with Occupy Wall Street protests were raised,[85][86] Yahoo! responded with an apology and explained it as an accident.[87]
Adobe and Yahoo! appear to have been among the targets of cyber attacks originating in China now known as Operation Aurora.[88]
Year | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
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Sales | 1,625 | 3,574 | 5,258 | 6,426 | 6,969 | 7,208 | 6,460 | 6,324 |
EBITDA | 453 | 1,000 | 1,505 | 1,066 | ||||
Net Results | 238 | 840 | 1,896 | 751 | 660 | 424 | 597 | 1,231 |
Staff | 5,500 | 7,600 | 9,800 | 11,400 | 13,900 | 13,200 |
As of January, 2010, Yahoo! held the world's largest market share in online display advertising. JP Morgan put the company’s US market share for display ads at 17%, well ahead of No. 2 Microsoft at 11% and AOL at 7%.[90]
Yahoo! is known across the world with its multi-lingual interface. The site is available in over 20 languages, including English. The official directory for all of the Yahoo! International sites is world.yahoo.com.
Each of the international sites are wholly owned by Yahoo!, with the exception of Yahoo! Japan, in which it holds a 34.75% minority SoftBank holds 35.45%,[97] Yahoo!Xtra in New Zealand which Yahoo!7 have 51% of and 49% belongs to Telecom New Zealand and Yahoo!7 in Australia which is a 50–50 agreement between Yahoo! and the Seven Network. Historically, Yahoo! entered into joint venture agreements with SoftBank for the major European sites (UK, France, Germany) and well as Korea and Japan. In November 2005, Yahoo! purchased the minority interests that SoftBank owned in Europe and Korea.
Yahoo! used to hold a 40% stake in Alibaba, which manages a web portal in China using the Yahoo! brand name. Yahoo! in the USA does not have direct control over the operations of Alibaba, which operates as a completely independent company. On May 21st 2012, following years of negotiations, Alibaba announced that it would buy back half the 40% stake owned by Yahoo. The deal would raise about $7.1bn (£4.5bn) for Yahoo, which has been losing ground to rival Google and Facebook in online advertising.
In 2008, Darren Petterson, business development director for Yahoo! Europe confirmed that Yahoo! was going to launch a Romanian version of their website by the end of the year,[98][99] however, due to the financial crisis at that time, those plans were frozen.[100] In February 2010, new reports appeared in the Romanian media claiming that the portal will finally launch by June the same year, as some services like Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo! Mobile are already translated into Romanian.[101][102] On March 8, 2011 Yahoo! launched its Romania local service.
Yahoo!'s EMEA operations are led by Senior Vice President & Managing Director of Yahoo! EMEA, Rich Riley.
The first logo was used when the company was founded in 1995. It was red and had three icons on each side.[103]
The logo used on the main page www.yahoo.com used to be red with a black outline and shadow, but in May 2009, along with a new theme redesign, the logo was changed to purple with no outline or shadow.
Sometimes, the logo is abbreviated with "Y!".[104]
Themes and page designs are different on some international Yahoo! home pages, such as Yahoo! Australia,[105] and Yahoo! India,[106] etc.
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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2008) |
Taylor Ware | |
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File:Taylor ware.jpg | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Taylor Marie Ware |
Born | September 17, 1994 |
Origin | Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. |
Genres | Country |
Occupations | Singer |
Instruments | Violin (from an early age), guitar, vocals |
Years active | 2003–present |
Website | taylorware.com |
Taylor Marie Ware (born September 17, 1994) is an American singer and yodeler from Franklin, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville.
Before Ware knew how to yodel, she performed at a county fair at age four. Her talent was singing and playing a violin. When she was six she decided to sing to seniors, so she started an Adopt-a-Grandparent program. According to Ware, she taught herself to yodel from an audiotape and instruction book when she was seven years old, after going to a convention with a friend.
In 2003, Ware won $10,000 in the Yahoo! Yodel Challenge. She beat eight other yodelers to receive her prize. She was later featured in a Yahoo commercial. She also participated in a challenge to beat a Guinness world record.
Taylor honed her yodeling skills while taking lessons from country music star Margo Smith who is known worldwide as the Tennessee Yodeler. Shortly after taking yodeling lessons from Smith, Taylor was the runner-up on the NBC show America's Got Talent in August 2006.
Ware performed on the Grand Ole Opry with Riders in the Sky when she was nine years old. At age eleven, she competed on NBC's America's Got Talent and was selected by the viewers on July 13, 2006 to advance to the final competition (which aired on August 16, 2006). She was one of the top five finalists but she lost to 11-year old Bianca Ryan and Irish step-dancers/fiddlers, Celtic Spring. The million-dollar prize was later awarded to Ryan.
When Ware was nine, she was given a dog as a gift by Wayne Brady after she appeared on his now defunct television show, The Wayne Brady Show. She named the dog Brady after him.
Ware's younger brother, Harrison, is also a singer and yodeler. He has performed onstage at the Tennessee State Fair.
Ware released her self-titled debut album in 2004. In 2007, she released her second album, titled America's Yodeling Sweetheart. She appeared in an episode of Laguna Beach as herself.[1] Ware was an opening act at the Liberty Bowl for singer LeAnn Rimes in Memphis, Tennessee on December 29, 2006, performing the national anthem.
She also has appeared in commercials for Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Year | Album |
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2004 | Taylor Ware |
2007 | America's Yodeling Sweetheart |
America's Yodeling Sweetheart track listing:
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This article may contain wording that merely promotes the subject without imparting verifiable information. Please remove or replace such wording, unless you can cite independent sources that support the characterization. (December 2011) |
This article is an autobiography, or has been extensively edited by the subject or an institution related to the subject. Please help edit it to conform to Wikipedia's neutral point of view, in line with the discussion on the talk page. (December 2011) |
Shammi Kapoor | |
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File:Shammi Kapoor.jpg | |
Born | Shamsher Raj Prithviraj Kapoor 21 October 1931 Mumbai, Maharastra, India |
Died | 14 August 2011 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India[1] |
(aged 79)
Cause of death | Chronic kidney failure |
Residence | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
Other names | Elvis Presley of India[2] |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1948–2006,2011 |
Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[3] |
Spouse | Geeta Bali (m. 1955–1965; her death) Neela Devi Gohil (m. 1969–2011; his death) |
Children | Aditya Raj Kapoor Kanchan Desai |
Parents | Prithviraj Kapoor (Father) Ramsharani Kapoor (Mother) |
Relatives | Shashi Kapoor (Brother), Raj Kapoor (Brother), Ritu Nanda (Niece), Randhir Kapoor (Nephew), Rishi Kapoor (Nephew), Karisma Kapoor (Grand Niece), Kareena Kapoor (Grand Niece), Ranbir Kapoor (Grand Nephew) |
Awards | Filmfare Best Actor Award (1968) Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award (1982) Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (1995) Phalke Legend Actor Award by the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy (2009) |
Shammi Kapoor (Hindi: शम्मी कपूर; born Shamsher Raj Prithviraj Kapoor; 21 October 1931.[4][5] – 14 August 2011) was an Indian film actor and director. He was a prominent lead actor in Hindi cinema from the late 1950s until the early 1970s and played supportng roles from 1974 to 2011.
Shammi Kapoor is hailed as one of the most entertaining lead actors that Hindi cinema has ever produced and his notable films include Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Dil Deke Dekho, Junglee, Dil Tera Diwana, Professor, China Town, Rajkumar, Kashmir Ki Kali, Janwar, Teesri Manzil, An Evening in Paris, Bramhachari, Andaz and Vidhaata. He received the Filmfare Best Actor Award in 1968 for his performance in Brahmachari and Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Vidhaata in 1982.
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This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability. |
He was given the name Shamsher Raj Kapoor at his birth in Mumbai to film and theatre actor Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsharni Kapoor née Mehra.[4] Shammi was the second of the three sons born to Prithviraj (the other two being Raj Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor), both successful Bollywood actors. Though born in Mumbai, he spent a major portion of his childhood in Kolkata, where his father was involved with New Theatres Studios, acting in films. It was in Kolkata that he did his Montessory and Kindergarten. After coming back to Mumbai, he first went to St. Joseph's Convent (Wadala) and then, to Don Bosco School. He finished his matric schooling from New Era School at Hughes Road.
Kapoor had a short stint at Ruia College, in Matunga, Mumbai, after which he joined his father’s theatrical company Prithvi Theatres. He entered the cinema world in 1948, as a junior artiste, at a salary of Rs. 50 per month, stayed with Prithvi Theatres for the next four years and collected his last pay check of Rs. 300, in 1952. He made his debut in Bollywood in the year 1953, when the film Jeevan Jyoti was released. It was directed by Mahesh Kaul and Chand Usmani was Kapoor’s first heroine.
Kapoor started out with serious roles but with Filmistan's Nasir Hussain directed Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957) opposite Ameeta and Dil Deke Dekho (1959) with Asha Parekh, he attained the image of a light-hearted, and stylish playboy. Tall, athletic, lively, fair complexioned, green-eyed and with handsome features, Shammi was a heartthrob, and his good looks and physique complemented his image. Both the films were debut films of the respective actresses Ameeta and Asha Parekh and both went on to be big hits and are regarded as classics.
With Junglee (1961) his new image was cemented and his subsequent films were all in this genre. He particularly chose Mohammed Rafi as his playback voice. In his early career in fifties, he had often played second fiddle to established heroines like Madhubala in films such as Rail Ka Dibba (1953) and Naqab, with Nutan in Laila Majnu, with Shyama in Thokar and with Nalini Jaywant in Hum Sab Chor Hain though none of them except Thokar clicked at the box office. But producers after 1960 apart from the actresses from southern India, loved pairing Shammi with new heroines, three of them became huge stars in their own right in Hindi films: Asha Parekh, Saira Banu, and Sharmila Tagore.[6] Of all his heroines, he said that Sharmila Tagore, Rajshree, and Asha Parekh were easy to work with.[7] Sharmila Tagore and Saira Banu made their Bollywood debuts with Shammi Kapoor in Kashmir Ki Kali and Junglee respectively[8] He and Asha Parekh were paired together in four films, the most successful being besides debut film of Asha Parekh, the murder mystery Teesri Manzil (1966) and the romance film Jawan Mohabbat.
In the early fifties he accepted serious roles in women oriented films like Shama Parwana (1954) with Suraiya, comedy flick Mem Sahib (1956) with Meena Kumari and thrillers like Chor Bazar (1954), which were all successful at the box office and in the tragic love story Mirza Sahiban with (1957) (a box office flop) opposite Shyama, but did not gain recognition and fame among the masses. Other than the above hits, he had fifteen films as flops to his credit till 1957. The other hits in late fifties included Mujrim (1958), Char Dil Char Rahen, Raat Ke Raahi (1959). His performances in K A Abbas' Char Dil Char Raahein (1959) and Kidar Sharma's Rangeen Raatein (1956) were also noteworthy but remained underfeted.[9] It was only after triple success of Tumsa Nahi Dekha (1957), Ujala and Dil Dil Deke Deko (both 1959), that he became popular with the audience and became a star. In the first half of the 1960s, Kapoor was seen in successful films like College Girl, Basant, Singapore, Boy Friend, Professor, Dil Tera Diwana, Vallah Kya Baat Hai, Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya, China Town, Kashmir Ki Kali, Bluff Master, Janwar and Rajkumar. Although nominated before, in 1968, he received the first Filmfare Best Actor award of his career for the film Bramhachari. He made a unique place for himself in the industry as he was the only dancing hero in Hindi films from the late fifties till early seventies. Saira Banu said in an interview "At the time when Dilip sahab, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand ruled the industry, it was Shammi Kapoor who created a niche for himself with his unique dance moves. He used to say he didn't know how to dance but he would just listen to the music and feel it. He was the only 'dancing hero' at that time."[10] He used to compose dancing steps by himself in the songs picturised on him and never needed a choreographer. This earned him the name of Elvis Presley of India.[2][11]
His pairing opposite Southern heroines were always a success at the box office. He delivered hits opposite B. Saroja Devi like Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya and Preet Na Jane Reet, with Padmini gave Singapore (1960 film), opposite Vyjayanthimala had hits like College Girl and Prince (1969 film). In the sixties his successful run continued until new romantic icon Rajesh Khanna entered the scene in 1969.[12] However Shammi did have commercial successes in late sixties, like Budtameez and Sachaai with Sadhana, Latt Saheb with Nutan and Tumse Achha Kaun Hai with Babita.
In the 1970s, Kapoor’s weight problem proved an obstacle in his path of success and ended his career as a romantic hero as his films started failing. His last hit film, in which he played the lead role, was Andaz (1971). As his career as hero ended, Shammi started playing charcater roles in films from 1974. Shammi played Saira Banu's father in Zameer (1974), when he had been her leading man a decade earlier in Junglee (1961) and Bluff Master (1964).In 1974, he donned the hat of a director and made Manoranjan in 1974 and Bundal Baaz (1976). However, both the films failed to create magic at the box office though were critically acclaimed and have developed a cult fan following over the years. His directorial venture Manoranjan (1974), a movie inspired from Irma La Douce, had Sanjeev Kumar in lead role and Shammi played a supporting role himself. In Bundal Baaz (1976) he casted Rajesh Khanna in the main lead and Shammi played the role of a genie in the film. Critics hailed these 2 films as classics and to be ahead of its time. In the 1980s and 1990s, he continued to play supporting roles in many films and won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance in Vidhaata (1982). His notable roles as a character actor were in Hero, Vidhaata, Hukumat, Batwara, Tahalka, Chamatkar, Namak and Prem Granth. He got the opportunity to do some films in other languages such as Bengali and Tamil in the nineties. He did a social melodrama serial called Chattan aired on Zee TV for more than a year in the 1990s. He eventually cut down on film appearances by the late 1990s and early 2000s and made his appearances in the 1999 Salman Khan and Urmila Matondkar starrer Jaanam Samjha Karo, 2002 release Waah! Tera Kya Kehna and the delayed 2006 release Sandwich. He made his last appearance in Imtiaz Ali's directorial venture Rockstar co-starring his grand-nephew Ranbir Kapoor, the grandson of his brother Raj Kapoor.
Film director Shakti Samanta directed Shammi Kapoor in six hit films like Singapore, Pagla Kahin Ka, China Town, Kashmir Ki Kali, An Evening In Paris and Jaane Anjane and quoted in an interview “I found Shammi to be a thoroughly good man. Even in his heydays, he was humble."[13]
Shammi Kapoor, in 1953, dated Nadia Gamal, a belly dancer from Cairo.[14] Shammi quoted in an interview that "We met in Ceylon and we were in love. Somehow things did not work out and she went back to Cairo."[15] Kapoor met Geeta Bali in 1955, during the shooting of the film Rangeen Raaten, where he was the leading actor and she played a cameo. Geeta Bali was a well established actress and a popular star at this point of time and Shammi had not tasted any success. They fell in love during the outdoor stints of the movie at Ranikhet, an ancient Army based hill-station in the Kumaon region, but since she was a year older to him and had acted with his elder brother in Bawren Nain and his father in Anand Math, they were skeptical. Four months after they first met, they married at Banganga Temples, near Napean Sea Road of Mumbai with Hari Walia as the sole witness. They informed their parents only after their marriage. Geeta Bali also did cameo in Shammi starrer Mujrim (1958). They were paired together in Miss Coca Cola, a box office dud and Coffee House. After their marriage Geeta Bali acted in 14 films and retired from the film industry. Geeta Bali's last film as a lead was Jab Se Tumhe Dekha Hai opposite Pradeep Kumar, in which Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor made special appearances.
Shammi and Geeta lived a life of bliss in the coming years. They had a son, Aditya Raj Kapoor, on 1 July 1956, at Shirodkar's Hospital, Mumbai, a year after they were married. Five years later, in 1961, they had a daughter, Kanchan.
Tragedy struck in 1965, during the filming of Teesri Manzil. Geeta died of small pox, leaving Shammi with two small children.
In 1969, he married Neela Devi Gohil from the former royal family of Bhavnagar in Gujarat. He was gaining weight rather significantly now and this ended his career as a romantic hero in the early 1970s. Andaz (1971) was one of his last hits.
Shammi Kapoor was the founder and chairman of Internet Users Community of India (IUCI). He had also played a major role in setting up internet organizations like the Ethical Hackers Association. Kapoor also maintained a website dedicated to the Kapoor family.[16]
In 2006, he told interviewers that he underwent dialysis three times a week. Irrepressible even then, this punishing regimen has failed to depress him. Rather, he said that he was thankful to God for giving him so much.
He died of renal failure around 5:15am on 14 August 2011 at Mumbai's Breach Candy hospital, where he was undergoing treatment for chest infection.[17]
Kapoor was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai on 7 August 2011 suffering from chronic renal failure. His condition remained serious for next few days and he was kept on ventilator support.[18] He died on 14 August 2011, 05:15 am IST, of chronic renal failure, aged 79.[19][20] Funeral was held on Monday, 15 August at Banganga cremation ground, Malabar Hill, Mumbai. Aditya Raj Kapoor, the actor's son, performed the last rites at the cremation. The entire Kapoor family were present to pay their last respects, including his younger brother Shashi Kapoor, sister in law Krishna Kapoor, grand nephew Ranbir Kapoor, nephews Rishi, Randhir and Rajiv, Randhir's wife Babita and grand nieces Karishma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor.[21] Bollywood personalities Vinod Khanna, Shatrughan Sinha, Subhash Ghai, Amitabh Bachchan, Ramesh Sippy, Danny Denzongpa, Prem Chopra, Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Govinda, Aamir Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Shahrukh Khan, Kabir Bedi and Priyanka Chopra were among those who attended the funeral.[22]
Year | Film | Role | Co-Star | Notes |
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1953 | Jeevan Jyoti | Shyam Sunder 'Shammi' | Chand Usmani | Debut Film |
Rail Ka Dibba | Sundar | Madhubala | ||
Thokar | ||||
Laila Majnu | Majnu | Nutan | ||
Ladki | ||||
Gul Sanobar | ||||
Khoj | ||||
1954 | Shama Parwana | |||
Mehbooba | ||||
Ehsan | ||||
Chor Bazar | ||||
1955 | Tangewali | |||
Naqab | ||||
Miss Coca Cola | Geeta Bali | |||
Daku | Badal | Shashikala | ||
1956 | Sipahsalar | |||
Rangeen Raatein | Mala Sinha | |||
Memsahib | Manohar | Meena Kumari | Negative character | |
Hum Sab Chor Hain | ||||
1957 | Tumsa Nahin Dekha | Shankar | Ameeta | First breakthrough in career |
Maharani | ||||
Coffee House | Geeta Bali | |||
Mirza Sahiban | Mirza Khan | |||
1958 | Mujrim | Shankar/Anand | Ragini | |
Dil Deke Dekho | Roop/Raja | Asha Parekh | ||
1959 | Ujala | Mala Sinha, Raaj Kumar | ||
Raat ke Raahi | Jabeen | |||
Mohar | Geeta Bali | |||
Char Dil Char Rahen | Johny Braganza | Raj Kapoor | ||
1960 | Basant | Ashim | Nutan | |
College Girl | Vyjayanthimala | |||
Singapore | Padmini | |||
1961 | Boyfriend | Shyam | Madhubala | |
Junglee | Chandra Shekhar | Saira Banu | Shammi Kapoor's first colour film | |
1962 | Dil Tera Diwana | Mohan | Mala Sinha | |
Professor | Professor Pritam Khanna | Kalpana | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | |
China Town | Mike/Shekhar | Shakila & Helen | Double role | |
Vallah Kya Baat Hai | Kundan | Bina Rai | ||
1963 | Bluff Master | Saira Banu | ||
Shahid Bhagat Singh | ||||
Jab Se Tumhe Dekha Hai | Qawwali singer | Geeta Bali & Shashi Kapoor | Cameo appearance | |
Pyar Kiya To Darna kya | ||||
1964 | Rajkumar | Sadhana | ||
Kashmir Ki Kali | Rajiv Lal | Sharmila Tagore | ||
1965 | Janwar | Sunder Srivastava / Sundaram Munderam / Sheikh Kalimullah | Rajshree | |
1966 | Teesri Manzil | Anil Kumar "Sona"/Rocky | Asha Parekh | |
Preet Na Jaane Reet | Ashok | Saroja Devi | ||
Budtameez | Shyam Kumar Saxena | Sadhana | ||
1967 | An Evening in Paris | Sharmila Tagore | ||
Laat Saheb | Nutan | |||
1968 | Brahmachari | Brahmachari | Rajshree | Won—Filmfare Award for Best Actor |
1969 | Prince | Vyjayanthimala | ||
Tum se Acchaa Kaun Hai | Ashok | Babita | ||
Sachchai | Sadhana | |||
1970 | Pagla Kahin Ka | Sujit | Asha Parekh & Helen | |
1971 | Andaz | Ravi | Hema Malini & Simi Garewal | Last film as lead actor |
Jawan Mohabbat | Asha Parekh | |||
Jaane Anjane | Leena Chandavarkar | |||
Preetam | Preetam | Vinod Khanna & Leena Chandavarkar | ||
1974 | Zameer | Maharaj Singh | Amitabh Bachchan | |
Manoranjan | Dhupu | Zeenat Aman | Director | |
Chhote Sarkar | Sadhana | |||
1975 | Salaakhen | Shashi Kapoor | ||
1976 | Bundal Baaz | Genie | Rajesh Khanna | Director |
1977 | Parvarish | |||
1978 | Shalimar | |||
1979 | Meera | Raja Vikramjeet Singh Sesodia | ||
1981 | Professor Pyarelal | Nadira, Dharmendra | ||
Rocky | (Himself) | Sanjay Dutt | ||
Naseeb | (Himself) | Cameo appearance | ||
1982 | Prem Rog | Bade Raja Thakur | Sushma Seth & Rishi Kapoor | |
Vidhaata | Dilip Kumar | Won—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor | ||
Desh Premee | Shamsher Singh | Amitabh Bachchan | ||
1983 | Hero | Jackie Shroff | ||
Betaab | Sardar Dinesh Singh Girji | Sunny Deol | ||
1984 | Sohni Mahiwal | |||
1986 | Allah Rakha | Karim Khan | ||
1987 | Hukumat | |||
1988 | Ijaazat | Mahender's grandfather | Naseeruddin Shah | Guest Appearance |
1991 | Ajooba | |||
1992 | Tahelka | |||
Chamatkar | Shahrukh Khan | |||
1993 | Aaja Meri Jaan | |||
1994 | Sukham Sukhakaram | Malayalam film | ||
1996 | Aur Pyar Ho Gaya | Dadaji | Bobby Deol | |
Prem Granth | Nandlal (Somen's uncle) | Rishi Kapoor | ||
1998 | Kareeb | Thakur Ranbir Singh | Bobby Deol | |
1999 | Jaanam Samjha Karo | Rahul's Dadaji | Salman Khan | |
East Is East | ||||
2002 | Yeh Hay Jalwa | |||
Waah! Tera Kya Kehna | Kishan Oberoi | Govinda | ||
2005 | Bhola in Bollywood | Producer | ||
2006 | Sandwich | Swami Trilokanand | ||
2011 | Rockstar | Ustad Jameel Khan | Ranbir Kapoor | Last film before death |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shammi Kapoor |
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Saira Banu | |
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Born | India |
23 August 1944
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1960–1986 |
Spouse | Dilip Kumar |
Saira Banu (Hindi: साइरा बानु, Urdu: سائرہ بانو, born 23 August 1944), also known as Saira Bano, is an Indian Bollywood actress and the wife of the film actor Dilip Kumar. She acted in many Bollywood films between 1960 and 1980.
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Saira Banu was born in India to actress of 30s-40s,[1] and the granddaughter of a courtesan Chamiyan Bai, also known as Shamshad Begum of Delhi (not to be confused with the famous playback singer of yesteryear Shamshad Begum who was from Amritsar, Punjab). Her father was film Producer Mian Ehsan-ul-Haq, who produced the film Phool in Bombay and film Wadah in Pakistan. She had spent a significant part of her childhood in London, and went to a finishing school. She was an actress at her school, winning many awards and bringing laurels to her parents.Her mother's name was Naseem Banu.
Saira Banu was 16 year old in 1960 when she made her debut in Bollywood films.[2] She said in show, that she had no talent and no dancing experience. Her peers all were classically trained, which was why she wasn't put in the top league. Saira started taking Kathak and bharatnatyam lessons. Soon she became a dancer and her films flaunted more of her dance. Banu made her acting debut at 17 years opposite Shammi Kapoor in the 1961 film Junglee for which she earned her first Filmfare nomination as Best Actress. The famous song from this movie "Yaahoo!! Chahe Koi Mujhe Junglee Kahe" sung by Mohammed Rafi was a big success. "Junglee" was written by Aghajani Kashmeri (aka Kashmiri and Agha Jani), who also coached her in Urdu dialogue delivery, given his background in Urdu literature and poetry from Lucknow. Junglee also instantly made her a successful actress throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. But it is said that the turning point of her career was the comedy and love story Padosan, which brought her to be one of the successful actresses.
Her valiant attempts to establish a reputation as an actress after Gopi, Sagina and Bairaag (all with Dilip Kumar) and films like Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Chaitali met with limited success. She did earn three additional Filmfare nominations as Best Actress for Shagird (1967), Diwana (1968), and Sagina (1974). In 1976, Saira chose to end her film career. Subsequently she weathered a storm in her marriage in 1980 which was quickly resolved. She then appeared in a cameo opposite her husband in Duniya (1984) and her last film Faisla released in 1988 which was completed in mid-70s.
Banu married actor Dilip Kumar in 1966.It is rumoured that she had an affair with actor Rajendar Kumar and that due to some reasons she married Yusuf Khan,[3] She was 22 and he was 44 at the time.[4]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Saira Banu |
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Amy Winehouse | |
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Amy Winehouse at the Eurockéennes festival in France (2007) |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Amy Jade Winehouse |
Born | Southgate, London, UK |
14 September 1983
Died | 23 July 2011 Camden, London, UK |
(aged 27)
Genres | Soul, R&B, jazz, blues |
Occupations | Singer, songwriter, composer, arranger |
Instruments | Vocals, guitar, drums |
Years active | 1993–2011 |
Labels | Island, Lioness, Universal Republic (U.S.) |
Associated acts | Dionne Bromfield, Mark Ronson, Tony Bennett, Nas, Zalon, Tyler James, Paul Weller, The Rolling Stones, Lily Allen |
Website | www.amywinehouse.com |
Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals[1] and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz.[2] Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Her 2006 follow-up album, Back to Black, led to six Grammy Award nominations and five wins, tying the then record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night, and made Winehouse the first British female to win five Grammys,[3][4] including three of the "Big Four": Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
In 2007 she won a Brit Award for Best British Female Artist; she had also been nominated for Best British Album. She won the Ivor Novello Award three times: once in 2004 for Best Contemporary Song (musically and lyrically) for "Stronger Than Me", once in 2007 for Best Contemporary Song for "Rehab", and once in 2008 for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Love Is a Losing Game".
Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning on 23 July 2011. Her album Back to Black subsequently became the UK's best selling album of the 21st century.[5] In 2012, Winehouse was listed at number 26 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women In Music.[6]
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Amy Winehouse was born in the Southgate area of North London to a Jewish family, with some Russian ancestry on her mother's side[7][8] who also influenced her interest in jazz.[9] Her father, Mitchell "Mitch" Winehouse, was a taxi driver, her mother, Janis Winehouse (née Seaton),[10] a pharmacist.[11] Her grandmother, Cynthia, was a singer[12] and she had an older brother, Alex (born 1979).[13] Mitch often sang Frank Sinatra songs to young Amy, who also took to a constant habit of singing to the point that teachers found it difficult keeping her quiet in class.[14] Winehouse's parents separated when she was nine.[15]
When Winehouse was nine years old, her grandmother Cynthia suggested she attend the Susi Earnshaw Theatre School for furthering her vocal education.[16] She attended the Earnshaw school for four years and founded a short-lived rap group called Sweet 'n' Sour with Juliette Ashby, her childhood friend[17] before seeking full-time training at Sylvia Young Theatre School; however, Winehouse was allegedly expelled at 14 for "not applying herself" and also for piercing her nose.[13][18] (Sylvia Young herself has denied this – "She changed schools at 15 – I've heard it said she was expelled; she wasn't. I'd never have expelled Amy.")[19] She also appeared in an episode of The Fast Show, 1997, with other children from the Sylvia Young School[20] and later attended The Mount School, Mill Hill, the BRIT School in Selhurst, Croydon, Southgate School and then Ashmole School.[21][22][23][24]
After toying around with her brother Alex's guitar, Winehouse received her first guitar when she was 13 and began writing music a year later. Soon after, she began working for a living, including, at one time, as an entertainment journalist for the World Entertainment News Network, in addition to singing with local group the Bolsha Band.[13][25] In July 2000 she became the featured female vocalist with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra; her influences were to include Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington.[26] Her boyfriend at the time, soul singer Tyler James, sent her demo tape to an A&R person.[9] Winehouse signed to Simon Fuller's 19 Management in 2002. While being developed by the management company, she was kept as a recording industry secret.[27] Her future A&R representative at Island/Universal, Darcus Beese, heard of her by accident when the manager of The Lewinson Brothers showed him some productions of his clients, which featured Winehouse as key vocalist. When he asked who the singer was, the manager told him he was not allowed to say. Having decided that he wanted to sign her, it took several months of asking around for Beese to eventually discover who the singer was. However, Winehouse had already recorded a number of songs and signed a publishing deal with EMI by this time. Incidentally, she formed a working relationship with producer Salaam Remi through these record publishers.[27]
Beese introduced Winehouse to his boss, Nick Gatfield, and the Island head shared his enthusiasm in signing the young artist. Winehouse was signed to Island/Universal, as rival interest in Winehouse had started to build to include representatives of EMI and Virgin starting to make moves. Beese told HitQuarters that he felt the reason behind the excitement, over an artist who was an atypical pop star for the time, was due to a backlash against reality TV music shows, which included audiences starved for fresh, genuine young talent.[27]
Winehouse's greatest love was 1960s girl groups.[28] Her stylist, Alex Foden, borrowed her "instantly recognisable" beehive hairdo (a weave[29][30]) and she borrowed her Cleopatra makeup from The Ronettes.[28] Her imitation was so successful, as the Village Voice reports: "Ronnie Spector—who, it could be argued, all but invented Winehouse's style in the first place when she took the stage at the Brooklyn Fox Theater with her fellow Ronettes more than 40 years ago—was so taken aback at a picture of Winehouse in the New York Post that she exclaimed, "I don't know her, I never met her, and when I saw that pic, I thought, 'That's me!' But then I found out, no, it's Amy! I didn't have on my glasses."[31]
New York Times reporter, Guy Trebay, discussed the multiplicity of influences on Winehouse's style. Trebay noted: "her stylish husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, may have influenced her look." Additionally, Trebay observes:
Winehouse's debut album, Frank, was released on 20 October 2003. Produced mainly by Salaam Remi, many songs were influenced by jazz and, apart from two covers, every song was co-written by Winehouse. The album received positive reviews[33][34] with compliments over the "cool, critical gaze" in its lyrics[2] and brought comparisons of her voice to Sarah Vaughan,[35] Macy Gray and others.[2]
The album entered the upper levels of the UK album chart in 2004 when it was nominated for BRIT Awards in the categories of "British Female Solo Artist" and "British Urban Act". It went on to achieve platinum sales.[36] Later in 2004 she won the Ivor Novello (songwriting) Award for Best Contemporary Song, alongside Salaam Remi, with her contribution to the first single, "Stronger Than Me".[37] The album also made the short list for the 2004 Mercury Music Prize. In the same year she performed at the Glastonbury Festival, the V Festival, the Montreal International Jazz Festival (7 July 2004, at the Club Soda), and on the Jazzworld stage. After the release of the album, Winehouse commented that she was "only 80 percent behind [the] album" because of the inclusion by her record label of certain songs and mixes she disliked.[9] Additional singles from the album were "Take the Box", "In My Bed"/"You Sent Me Flying" and "Pumps"/"Help Yourself".
In contrast to her jazz-influenced former album, Winehouse's focus shifted to the girl groups of the 1950s and 1960s. Winehouse hired New York singer Sharon Jones's longtime band, the Dap-Kings to back her up in the studio and on tour.[38] In May 2006 Winehouse's demonstration tracks such as "You Know I'm No Good" and "Rehab" appeared on Mark Ronson's New York radio show on East Village Radio. These were some of the first new songs played on the radio after the release of "Pumps" and both were slated to appear on her second album. The 11-track album was produced entirely by Salaam Remi and Ronson, with the production credits being split between them. Ronson said in a 2010 interview that he liked working with Winehouse because she was blunt when she did not like his work.[39] Promotion of Back to Black soon began and, in early October 2006 Winehouse's official website was relaunched with a new layout and clips of previously unreleased songs.[36] Back to Black was released in the UK on 30 October 2006. It went to number one on the UK Albums Chart numerous times, and entered at number seven on the Billboard 200 in the US. It was the best-selling album in the UK of 2007, selling 1.85 million copies over the course of the year.[40]
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25-second audio sample from one of the standout tracks on "Back to Black" album
Originally performed by The Shirelles in the 1960s, this version slows the tempo down and features a jazz arrangement.
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Problems listening to these files? See media help. |
The album spawned a number of singles. The first single released from the album was the Ronson-produced "Rehab". The song reached the top ten in the UK and the US.[41] Time magazine named "Rehab" the Best Song of 2007. Writer Josh Tyrangiel praised Winehouse for her confidence, saying, "What she is is mouthy, funny, sultry, and quite possibly crazy" and "It's impossible not to be seduced by her originality. Combine it with production by Mark Ronson that references four decades worth of soul music without once ripping it off, and you've got the best song of 2007."[42] The album's second single and lead single in the US, "You Know I'm No Good", was released in January 2007 with a remix featuring rap vocals by Ghostface Killah. It ultimately reached number 18 on the UK singles chart. The title track, "Back to Black", was released in the UK in April 2007 and peaked at number 25, but was more successful across mainland Europe.[43] "Tears Dry on Their Own", "Love Is a Losing Game" and "Just Friends" were also released as singles, but failed to achieve the same level of success.[44]
A deluxe edition of Back to Black was also released on 5 November 2007 in the UK. The bonus disc features B-sides, rare, and live tracks, as well as "Valerie". Winehouse's debut DVD I Told You I Was Trouble: Live in London was released the same day in the UK and 13 November in the US. It includes a live set recorded at London's Shepherds Bush Empire and a 50-minute documentary charting the singer's career over the previous four years.[45] Frank was released in the United States on 20 November 2007 to positive reviews.[46][47] The album debuted at number 61 on the Billboard 200 chart.[48]
In addition to her own album she collaborated with other artists on singles. Winehouse was a vocalist on the song "Valerie" on Ronson's solo album Version. The song peaked at number two in the UK, upon its October single release. The song was nominated for a 2008 Brit Award for "Best British Single".[49][50][51] Her work with ex-Sugababe Mutya Buena, "B Boy Baby", was released on 17 December 2007. It served as the fourth single from Buena's solo debut album, Real Girl.[52]
By year's end Winehouse had garnered numerous accolades and awards. The singer won 2008 Grammy Awards in the categories of Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the single "Rehab", while her album Back to Black was nominated for Album of the Year and won the Best Pop Vocal Album award.[53][54] Producer Mark Ronson's work with her won the award in the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical category.[55] The singer also earned a Grammy in the Best New Artist category. This earned Winehouse an entry in the 2009 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records for Most Grammy Awards won by a British Female Act.[56] She performed "You Know I’m No Good" and "Rehab" at the awards ceremony via satellite, as her visa approval came through too late for her to travel to the US. She said "This is for London because Camden town ain't burning down", in reference to the Camden Market fire.[57] After the Grammy Awards, the album's sales increased catapulting Back to Black to number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 after initially peaking at number seven.[58] On 13 January 2008, Back to Black held the number one position on the Billboard Pan European charts for the third straight week.[59] In January 2008 Universal Music International said it believed that there was a correlation between number of albums sold and the extensive media coverage the singer had received.[60]
A special deluxe edition of Back to Black topped the UK album charts on 2 March 2008. The original edition of the album resided at the number 30 position, in its 68th week on the charts, while "Frank" charted at number 35.[61] By 12 March the album had sold a total of 2,467,575 copies, 318,350 of those in the previous 10 weeks, putting the album on the UK's top 10 best-selling albums of the 21st century for the first time.[62] On 7 April, Back to Black was residing at the top position on the pan-European charts for the sixth consecutive and thirteenth aggregate week.[63] Back to Black was the world's seventh biggest selling album for 2008.[64] These sales helped keep Universal Music's recorded music division from dropping to levels experienced by the overall music market.[65]
At the 2008 Ivor Novello Awards, Winehouse became the first artist to receive two nominations for the top award, best song, musically and lyrically. She won the award for "Love Is a Losing Game" and was nominated for "You Know I'm No Good".[66] "Rehab", a Novello winner for best contemporary song in 2006, also received a 2008 nomination for best-selling British song.[67] Winehouse was nominated for a MTV Europe Award in the Act of The Year category.[68] Amy Winehouse – The Girl Done Good: A Documentary Review, a 78-minute DVD, was released on 14 April 2008. The documentary features interviews with those who knew her at a young age, helped her gain success, jazz music experts, as well as music and pop culture specialists.[69][70] A clip of Winehouse's music was included in the "Roots and Influences" area that looked at connections between different artists at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC, which opened in December 2008. One thread started with Billie Holiday continued with Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige and finished with Winehouse.[71] In a poll of United States residents conducted for VisitBritain by Harris Interactive that was released in March 2009, one fifth of those polled indicated they had listened to Winehouse's music during the previous year.[72] Winehouse performed with Rhythms del Mundo on their cover of the Sam Cooke song "Cupid" for an Artists Project Earth benefit album that was released on 13 July 2009.[73][74]
On the week of July 26, after Winehouse's death, Frank, Back To Black, and the Back To Black EP re-entered the Billboard 200 at number 57, number 9, and number 152 respectively with the album climbing to number 4 the following week.[75][76] Back To Black also topped the Billboard Digital Albums chart on the same week and was the second best seller at iTunes.[77] "Rehab" re-entered and topped the Billboard Digital Songs chart as well, selling up to 38,000 more digital downloads.[78] As of August 2011 "Back to Black" was the best selling album in the United Kingdom in the 21st Century.[79]
Winehouse and Mark Ronson contributed a cover of Lesley Gore's "It's My Party" to the Quincy Jones tribute album Q Soul Bossa Nostra released 9 November 2010.[80] Winehouse and drummer ?uestlove of the Roots had agreed to form a group. Winehouse's problems obtaining a visa delayed the still unnamed group from working together. Producer Salaam Remi had already created some material with Winehouse as part of the project.[81] According to a newspaper report, Universal Music pressed her regarding new material in 2008. According to that same report Winehouse as of 2 September had not been near a recording studio. It was noted that she had touring obligations during the summer and also that if an album was quickly recorded, it would be at least a year before an album could be released.[65] In late October Winehouse's spokesman was quoted as saying that Winehouse had not been given a deadline to complete her third album, for which she was learning to play drums.[82]
During her 2009 stay in Saint Lucia, Winehouse worked on new music with producer Salaam Remi. Island claimed that a new album would be due in 2010; Island co-president Darcus Beese said, "I've heard a couple of song demos that have absolutely floored me".[83] In July 2010 Winehouse was quoted as saying her next album would be released no later than January 2011, saying "It’s going to be very much the same as my second album, where there's a lot of jukebox stuff and songs that are... just jukebox, really." Mark Ronson said in July 2010 that he had not started to record the album.[84]
Winehouse's last recording was a duet with American singer Tony Bennett for his latest album, Duets II, which was released on 20 September 2011.[85] Their single from the album, "Body and Soul," was released on 14 September 2011 on MTV and VH1 to commemorate what would have been her 28th birthday. Her father, Mitch Winehouse, launched The Amy Winehouse Foundation with the goal of raising awareness and support for organizations that help vulnerable, young adults with problems such as addiction. Proceeds from "Body and Soul" will benefit The Amy Winehouse Foundation.[86] The song received the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 54th Grammy Awards on 12 February 2012.[87] Winehouse's father, Mitch Winehouse, picked up the award at the awards ceremony with his wife Janis, saying, "We shouldn't be here. Our darling daughter should be here. These are the cards that we're dealt."[88]
When interviewed by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show on 29 September 2011, Bennett stated that in hindsight, he believed Amy:
An album of previously unreleased material, entitled Lioness: Hidden Treasures, was released on 6 December 2011.[90]
British singer Adele has credited Winehouse's success in the United States for making her and fellow British singer Duffy's journey to the United States "a bit smoother".[91] American singer Lady Gaga credited Winehouse with paving the way for her rise to the top of the charts. She appeared to be using a metaphorical analogy to explain that Winehouse made it easier for unconventional women to have mainstream pop success.[92] Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton, and John Legend said "Amy Winehouse was produced by people who wanted to create a marketing coup. The positive side is that it reacquainted an audience with this music and played an introductory role for others. This reinvigorated the genre by overcoming the vintage aspect".[93]
After the release of Back to Black, record companies sought out female artists with a similar sound and fearless and experimental female musicians in general. Adele and Duffy were the second wave of artists with a sound similar to Winehouse's. A third wave of female musicians that has emerged since the album was released are led by VV Brown, Florence and the Machine, La Roux and Little Boots.[94] In February 2010 rapper Jay-Z credited Winehouse with revitalising British music, saying, "There's a strong push coming out of London right now, which is great. It's been coming ever since I guess Amy (Winehouse). I mean always, but I think Amy, this resurgence was ushered in by Amy."[95] In March 2011 the New York Daily News ran an article attributing the continuing wave of British female artists that have been successful in the United States to Winehouse and her absence. Spin magazine music editor Charles Aaron was quoted as saying "Amy Winehouse was the Nirvana moment for all these women," "They can all be traced back to her in terms of attitude, musical styles or fashion". According to Keith Caulfield, chart manager for Billboard, "Because of Amy, or the lack thereof, the marketplace was able to get singers like Adele and Duffy," "Now those ladies have brought on the new ones, like Eliza Doolittle, Rumer and Ellie."[96]
Winehouse toured in conjunction with the Back to Black album's release. She performed headlining gigs in September and November 2006, including one of the Little Noise Sessions charity concerts at the Union Chapel, Islington. On 31 December 2006, Winehouse appeared on Jools Holland's Annual Hootenanny and performed a cover of Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" along with Paul Weller and Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. She also performed Toots & the Maytals' "Monkey Man". She began a run of another 14 gigs beginning in February 2007. At his request, Bruce Willis introduced Winehouse before her performance of "Rehab" at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. Winehouse made awards organizers nervous when she went on a Las Vegas jaunt in the hours before the show.[97] During the summer of 2007, Winehouse performed at various festivals, including UK's Glastonbury Festival,[98] Chicago's Lollapalooza festival, Rock Werchter and Baltimore's Virgin Music Festival.
Winehouse's tour, however, did not go as well. In November 2007 the opening night of a 17-date tour was marred by booing and walkouts at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. A music critic for the Birmingham Mail said it was "one of the saddest nights of my life...I saw a supremely talented artist reduced to tears, stumbling around the stage and, unforgivably, swearing at the audience."[99] Other concerts ended similarly, with, for example, fans at her Hammersmith Apollo performance saying that she "looked highly intoxicated throughout",[100] until she announced on 27 November 2007, that her performances and public appearances were cancelled for the remainder of 2007, citing doctor advice to take a complete rest. A statement issued by concert promoter Live Nation blamed "the rigours involved in touring and the intense emotional strain that Amy has been under in recent weeks" for the decision.[101]
On 20 February 2008, Winehouse performed at the 2008 BRIT Awards, performing "Valerie" with Mark Ronson, followed by "Love Is a Losing Game". She urged the crowd to "make some noise for my Blake."[102] In Paris she performed what was described as a "well-executed 40 minute" set at the opening of a Fendi boutique.[103] Although her father, manager and various members of her touring team reportedly tried to dissuade her, Winehouse performed at the Rock in Rio Lisboa festival in Portugal in May 2008.[16] Although the set was plagued by a late arrival and problems with her voice, the crowd warmed to her. In addition to her own material she performed two Specials covers.[104] Winehouse performed at Nelson Mandela's 90th Birthday Party concert at London's Hyde Park on the 27 June,[105] and the next day at the Glastonbury Festival.[106] On 12 July at the Oxegen Festival she performed a well-received 50 minute set[107] which was followed the next day by a 14 song set at T in the Park.[108] On 16 August she played at the Staffordshire leg of the V Festival, and the following day played the Chelmsford leg of the festival. Organizers said that Winehouse attracted the biggest crowds of the festival. Audience reaction was reported as mixed.[109] On 6 September she was the headliner at Bestival. She performed what was described as a polished set which ended with her storming off the stage. Her hour late arrival caused her set to be cut off at the halfway point due to a curfew.[110]
In May 2009 Winehouse returned to performing at a jazz festival in Saint Lucia amid torrential downpours and technical difficulties. During her hour long set it was reported she was unsteady on her feet and had trouble remembering lyrics. She apologised to the crowd for being "bored" and ended her set by walking off the stage in the middle of a song.[111][112] To a cheering crowd on 23 August at the V festival, Winehouse sang with The Specials on their songs "You're Wondering Now" and "Ghost Town".[113]
In July 2010 she performed "Valerie" with Mark Ronson at a movie premiere. She sang lead but forgot some of the song's lyrics.[84] In October Winehouse performed a four song set to promote her fashion line. In December 2010 Winehouse played a 40 minute concert at a Russian oligarch's party in Moscow. Guests included other Russian tycoons and Russian show business stars. The tycoon hand picked the songs she played.[114]
During January 2011, she played five dates in Brazil, with opening acts of Janelle Monáe and Mayer Hawthorne.[115][116] On 11 February 2011, Winehouse cut short a performance in Dubai following booing from the audience. Winehouse was reported to be tired, distracted and "tipsy" during the performance.[117]
On 18 June 2011, Winehouse started her 12-leg 2011 European tour in Belgrade. Local media described her performance as a scandal and disaster, and she was booed off the stage due to her apparently being too drunk to perform. It was reported that she was unable to remember the city she was in, the lyrics of her songs or – when trying to introduce them – the names of the members of her band.[118][119] The local press also claimed that Winehouse was forced to perform by her bodyguards, who didn't allow her to leave the stage when she tried to do so.[120] She then pulled out of performances in Istanbul and Athens which had been scheduled for the following week.[121] On 21 June it was announced that she had cancelled all shows of her European tour and would be given "as long as it takes" to sort herself out.[122]
Winehouse's last public appearance took place at Camden's Roundhouse, London on 20 July 2011, when she made a surprise guest appearance on stage to support her goddaughter, Dionne Bromfield, who was singing "Mama Said" with The Wanted.[123]
On 10 July 2008, Winehouse launched her own club night, Snakehips at the Monarch, in the Camden Monarch venue in London. Although billed as a DJ battle between her and another DJ, she stayed behind the decks swaying as another person actually played 1960s music.[124] She appeared at another Snakehips event at the Monarch on the night of 11 September. After reportedly arriving two hours late, she spun music and played a short acoustic set.[125]
Winehouse joined a campaign to stop a block of flats being built beside the George Tavern, a famous London East End music venue. Campaign supporters feared the residential development would end the spot's lucrative sideline as a film and photo location, on which it relies to survive.[126] As part of a breast cancer awareness campaign, Winehouse appeared in a revealing photograph for the April 2008 issue of Easy Living magazine.[127] Winehouse had an estimated £10m fortune, tying her for tenth place in the 2008 Sunday Times listing of the wealth of musicians under age 30.[128] The following year her fortune had dropped to an estimated £5m.[129] Her finances are run by Mitch and Janis Winehouse.[130] It was reported she earned about £1m singing at two private parties during Paris Fashion Week.[131] as well as another £1m to perform at a Moscow Art Gallery for Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.[132] Winehouse loaned a vintage dress used in her video for "Tears Dry on Their Own" as well as a DVD to the British Music Experience, a new museum dedicated to the history of British pop music.[133] The museum, located in The O2, opened on 9 March 2009.[134][135]
In January 2009, Winehouse announced that she was launching her own record label. The first act on her Lioness Records is Winehouse's 13-year-old goddaughter, Dionne Bromfield. Her first album, featuring covers of classic soul records, was released on 12 October 2009.[136] Winehouse is the backing singer on several tracks on the album and she performed backing vocals for Bromfield on the television programme Strictly Come Dancing on 10 October.[137]
Winehouse and her family are the subject of a 2009 documentary shot by Daphne Barak titled Saving Amy.[138] Winehouse entered into a joint venture in 2009 with EMI to launch a range of wrapping paper and gift cards containing song lyrics from her album Back to Black.[139] On 8 January 2010, a television documentary, My Daughter Amy, aired on Channel 4.[140] Saving Amy was released as a paperback book in January 2010.[141]
Winehouse collaborated on a 17 piece fashion collection with the Fred Perry label. It was released for sale in October 2010. According to Fred Perry's marketing director "We had three major design meetings where she was closely involved in product style selection and the application of fabric, colour and styling details,” and gave "crucial input on proportion, colour and fit”. The collection consists of "vintage-inspired looks including Capri pants, a bowling dress, a trench coat, pencil skirts, a longline argyle sweater and a pink-and-black checkerboard-printed collared shirt".[142][143] At the behest her family three forthcoming collections up to and including autumn/winter 2012 that she had designed prior to her death will be released.[144]
With the paparazzi taking photographs of her wherever they could, Winehouse obtained an injunction against a leading paparazzi agency (Big Pictures) under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, the resultant court order banning them from following her.[145] Photographers were also banned from following her within 100 metres of her home and photographing Winehouse in her home or the home of her friends and family. According to a newspaper report, sources close to the singer said legal action was taken out of concern for the safety of Winehouse and those close to her.[145]
Winehouse dated chef-musician Alex Clare (sometimes referred to as Alex Claire) in 2006, while on the outs with her on-off boyfriend and future husband, Blake Fielder-Civil. Clare famously sold his story to the News of the World, which published it under the headline “Bondage Crazed Amy Just Can’t Beehive in Bed”.[146][147]
She married Fielder-Civil (born August 1978), a former video production assistant,[148][149] on 18 May 2007, in Miami Beach, Florida. Fielder-Civil was a "dropout" of Bourne Grammar School, who moved to London at aged 16 from his native Lincolnshire.[16] In a June 2007 interview, Winehouse admitted she could sometimes be violent toward him after she had been drinking, saying "if he says one thing I don't like then I'll chin him".[150] In August 2007, they were photographed, bloodied and bruised, in the streets of London after an alleged fight, although she contended her injuries were self-inflicted.[151] American men's campaigner Glenn Sacks condemned Winehouse for what he called her "bragging" about abusing her husband, saying that "a male abuser would have been locked up, stigmatised, and vilified".[152]
Winehouse's parents and in-laws publicly reported their numerous concerns, citing fears that the two might commit suicide, with Fielder-Civil's father encouraging fans to boycott her music.[153] Fielder-Civil was quoted in a British tabloid as saying he introduced her to crack cocaine and heroin.[154] During a visit with Mitch Winehouse at the prison in July 2008, Fielder-Civil reportedly said that they would cut themselves to ease the pain of withdrawal.[16]
From 21 July 2008 to 25 February 2009, Fielder-Civil was imprisoned following his guilty plea on charges of trying to pervert the course of justice as well as a charge of grievous bodily harm with intent.[155][156][157] The incident, in July 2007, involved an assault on a pub landlord that resulted in a broken cheek.[158] According to the prosecution the landlord accepted £200,000 as part of a deal to "effectively throw the [court] case and not turn up". The prosecution testified that the money used to pay off the landlord belonged to Winehouse,[159] but that Winehouse pulled out of a meeting with the men involved in the plot, because she had to attend an awards ceremony.[160]
Winehouse was spotted with aspiring actor Josh Bowman on holiday in Saint Lucia in early January 2009, saying she was "in love again, and I don't need drugs."[161] She commented that the "whole marriage was based on doing drugs" and that "for the time being I've just forgotten I'm even married."[161] On 12 January, Winehouse's spokesman confirmed that "papers have been received" for what Fielder-Civil's solicitor has said are divorce proceedings based on a claim of adultery.[162][163] On 25 February, Blake Fielder-Civil was quoted as saying that he planned to continue divorce proceedings to give himself a drug-free fresh start.[157] In March, Winehouse was quoted in a magazine as saying, "I still love Blake and I want him to move into my new house with me – that was my plan all along ... I won't let him divorce me. He's the male version of me and we're perfect for each other."[164] Uncontested,[165] the divorce was granted on 16 July 2009 and became final on 28 August 2009.[165] Upon his request Fielder-Civil received no money in the settlement.[166] She dated director Reg Traviss for approximately two years before her death.[167]
Winehouse's battles with substance abuse were the subject of much media attention. In 2005, she went through a period of drinking, heavy drug use, violent mood swings and weight loss.[16] People who saw her during the end of that year and early 2006 reported a rebound that coincided with the writing of Back to Black.[16] Her family believes that the mid-2006 death of her grandmother, who was a stabilising influence, set her off into addiction.[16] In August 2007, Winehouse cancelled a number of shows in the UK and Europe, citing exhaustion and ill health. She was hospitalised during this period for what was reported as an overdose of heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and alcohol.[168] In various interviews, she admitted to having such problems with self-harm, depression and eating disorders.[13][169]
Winehouse told a magazine that the drugs were to blame for her hospitalisation and that "I really thought that it was over for me then."[170] Soon after, Winehouse's father commented that when he had made public statements regarding her problems, he was using the media because it seemed the only way to get through to her.[171] In an interview with The Album Chart Show on British television, Winehouse said she was manic depressive and not alcoholic, adding that that sounded like "an alcoholic in denial".[172] A U.S. reporter writes that Winehouse was a "victim of mental illness in a society that doesn't understand or respond to mental illness with great effectiveness".[173]
On 2 December 2007, images of the singer outside her home in the early morning hours, barefoot and wearing only a bra and jeans, appeared on the internet and in tabloid newspapers. In a statement, her spokesman blamed paparazzi harassment for the incident.[174] The spokesman reported that the singer was in a physician-supervised programme and was channelling her difficulties by writing a lot of music.[175] The British tabloid The Sun posted a video of a woman, alleged to be Winehouse, apparently smoking crack cocaine and speaking of having taken ecstasy and valium. Winehouse's father moved in with her,[176] and Island Records, her record label, announced the abandonment of plans for an American promotion campaign on her behalf.[177] In late January 2008, Winehouse reportedly entered a rehabilitation facility for a two-week treatment program.[178]
On 23 January 2008, the video was passed on to the Metropolitan Police,[177] who questioned her on 5 February.[179] No charges were brought. On 26 March 2008, Winehouse's spokesman said she was "doing well" and denied a published report in a British tabloid that consideration was being given to having her return to rehab.[180] Her record company reportedly believed that her recovery remained fragile.[181] By late April 2008, her erratic behaviour, including an allegation of assault, caused fear that her drug rehabilitation efforts have been unsuccessful,[182] leading to efforts by Winehouse's father and manager to seek assistance in having her sectioned.[183] Her dishevelled appearance during and after a scheduled club night in September sparked new rumours of a relapse. Photographers were quoted as saying she appeared to have cuts on her legs and arms.[125]
According to Winehouse's physician Winehouse quit illegal substances in 2008.[184] In an October 2010 interview, Winehouse speaking of her decision to quit drugs said "I literally woke up one day and was like, 'I don’t want to do this any more”.[185] Drinking alcohol emerged as a problem with Winehouse abstaining for a few weeks then lapsing.[184] The physician said that Winehouse was treated with Librium for alcohol withdrawal and anxiety, and underwent psychologist and a psychiatrist reviews in 2010, but refused psychological therapy.[184]
In 2006, Winehouse admitted punching a fan in the face for criticising her having taken Blake Fielder-Civil as a husband. She then attacked her spouse as he attempted to calm her down, kneeing him in the crotch.[186]
In October 2007, Winehouse and her then-husband were arrested in Bergen, Norway for possession of seven grams of marijuana. The couple were later released and fined 3850 kroner (around £350).[187] Winehouse first appealed the fines, claiming she was "duped" into confessing,[187][188] but later dropped the appeal.[189]
On 26 April 2008, Winehouse was cautioned after she admitted to police she slapped a 38 year-old man in the face, a "common assault" offence. She voluntarily turned herself in and was held overnight. Police said, at her arrival she was "in no fit state" to be interviewed.[190] Winehouse was arrested on 7 May 2008 on suspicion of possessing drugs after a video of her apparently smoking crack cocaine was passed to the police in January,[191] but was released on bail a few hours later because they could not confirm, from the video, what she was smoking.[168][192] The Crown Prosecution Service considered charging her with possessing a controlled drug and allowing her premises to be used for the supply by others of a controlled drug, but she was cleared when the service could not establish that the substance in the video was a controlled drug.[193] In reaction to the decision, former police commander John O’Connor said it is an "absolute scandal that nothing could be done" about Winehouse "cocking a snook at the law".[194] Some members of Parliament also reacted negatively.[194][195] Two London residents were subsequently charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and ecstasy to Winehouse.[196] One of the pair was sentenced to two years in prison on 13 December 2008, while the other received a two-year community order.[197]
On 5 March 2009, Winehouse was arrested and charged with common assault following a claim by a woman that Winehouse hit her in the eye at a September 2008 Prince's Trust charity ball.[198] At the same time, she was reported to have spat at the English socialite Pippa Middleton and to have headbutted a photographer.[199] Winehouse's spokesperson announced the singer cancelled a scheduled United States Coachella Festival appearance in "light of current legal issues".[200] Swearing in under her legal name of Amy Jade Civil, Winehouse appeared in court on 17 March to enter her plea of not guilty.[201] On 23 July her assault trial began with prosecutor Lyall Thompson charging that Winehouse acted with "deliberate and unjustifiable violence" while appearing to be under the influence of alcohol or another substance. The woman, Sharene Flash, testified that Winehouse "punched me forcefully in my right eye. She used a fist, her right one.” Winehouse testified that she did not punch Flash, but tried to push Flash away from her because she was scared of Flash. Winehouse cited her worry that Flash would sell her story to a tabloid, Flash's height advantage, and Flash's "rude" behaviour as reasons for her fear of Flash.[202][203] On the 24 July, District Judge Timothy Workman ruled that Winehouse was not guilty of the charge. Workman cited the facts that all but two of the witnesses were intoxicated at the time of the incident and that medical evidence did not show "the sort of injury that often occurs when there is a forceful punch to the eye".[204]
On 19 December 2009, Winehouse was arrested again on charges of common assault, plus another charge of public order offence. Winehouse assaulted the front-of-house manager of the Milton Keynes Theatre after he asked her to move from her seat.[205] On 20 January 2010, she admitted common assault and disorderly behaviour. She was given a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £85 court costs and £100 compensation to the man she attacked.[206]
On 23 June 2008, Winehouse's publicist corrected earlier misstatements by Mitch Winehouse that his daughter had early stage emphysema, instead claiming she had signs of what could lead to early-stage emphysema.[207] Mitch Winehouse had also stated that his daughter's lungs were operating at 70 percent capacity and that she had an irregular heartbeat. Mitch Winehouse said that these problems had been caused by her chain smoking crack cocaine. The singer’s father also reported that doctors had warned Winehouse that, if she continued smoking crack cocaine, she would have to wear an oxygen mask and would eventually die.[208] In a radio interview, Mitch Winehouse said the singer was responding "fabulously" to treatment, which included being covered with nicotine patches.[209] British Lung Foundation spokesman Keith Prowse noted this type of condition could be managed with treatment. Prowse also said the condition was not normal for a person her age but "heavy smoking and inhaling other substances like drugs can age the lungs prematurely".[210] Norman H. Edelman of the American Lung Association explained that if she stopped smoking, her lung functions would decline at the rate of a normal person, but continued smoking would lead to a more rapid decline in lung function.[211] Photographs of the singer with a cigarette in her mouth, taken 23 June 2008, were widely published.[212]
Winehouse was released from The London Clinic 24 hours after returning from a temporary leave to perform at Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday and at a concert in Glastonbury, and continued receiving treatment as an outpatient.[213] In July 2008, Winehouse stated that she had been diagnosed with "some areas of emphysema" and said she is getting herself together by "eating loads of healthy food, sleeping loads, playing my guitar, making music and writing letters to my husband every day".[214] She also kept a vertical tanning bed in her apartment.[30] Winehouse began precautionary testing on her lungs and chest on 25 October 2008[215] at the London Clinic for what was reported as a chest infection. Winehouse was in and out of the facility and was granted permission to set her own schedule regarding home leave.[82] She returned to the hospital on 23 November 2008 for a reported reaction to her medication.[216]
Winehouse's bodyguard said that he arrived at her residence three days before her death and felt she was somewhat intoxicated. He observed moderate drinking over the next few days. He observed her "laughing, listening to music and watching TV at 2 am the day of her death". According to the bodyguard at 10 am he observed her lying on her bed and tried unsuccessfully to rouse her. This did not raise much suspicion because she usually slept late after a night out. According to the bodyguard shortly after 3 pm he checked on her again and observed her lying in the same position as before leading to a further check in which he concluded she was not breathing and had no pulse. He claimed he subsequently called emergency services.[184] At 3:54 pm BST on 23 July 2011, two ambulances were called to Winehouse's home in Camden, London.[217][218] Winehouse was pronounced dead at the scene.[219] Shortly afterwards, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that she had died.[220][221] After her death was announced, media and camera crews appeared, as crowds gathered near Winehouse’s residence to pay their respects. Forensic investigators entered the flat as police cordoned off the street outside. Police recovered one small and two large bottles of vodka from her room.[184]
A coroner's inquest reached a verdict of misadventure. The report released on 26 October 2011 explained that Winehouse's blood alcohol content was 416 mg per decilitre at the time of her death, more than five times the legal drink-drive limit. According to the coroner, "The unintended consequences of such potentially fatal levels was her sudden death."[184][222]
Winehouse's record label, Universal Republic, released a statement that read in part: "We are deeply saddened at the sudden loss of such a gifted musician, artist and performer."[223][224] Many musical artists have since paid tribute to Winehouse including U2, M.I.A., Lady Gaga, Mutya Buena, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj, Keisha Buchanan, Rihanna, George Michael, Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Courtney Love,[225] and the American punk rock band Green Day, who wrote a song in her tribute titled "Amy."[226] Family and friends attended Winehouse's funeral on 26 July 2011 at Edgwarebury Lane cemetery in north London.[227][228][229] Her mother and father, Janis and Mitch Winehouse, close friend Kelly Osbourne, producer Mark Ronson and her boyfriend Reg Traviss were among those in attendance at the private service led by Rabbi Frank Hellner.[227][228] Her father delivered the eulogy, saying "Goodnight, my angel, sleep tight. Mummy and Daddy love you ever so much."[227] Carole King's "So Far Away" closed the service with mourners singing along.[230] She was later cremated at Golders Green Crematorium.[231] The family planned to sit a two-day shiva.[231] Winehouse's parents set up a foundation in her name, to help those affected by drug addiction.[232]
Winehouse's dichotomous public image of critical and commercial success versus personal turmoil proved to be controversial. The New Statesman called Winehouse "a filthy-mouthed, down-to-earth diva,"[233] while Newsweek called her "a perfect storm of sex kitten, raw talent and poor impulse control."[234] Karen Heller with The Philadelphia Inquirer summarised the maelstrom this way:
She's only 24 with six Grammy nods, crashing headfirst into success and despair, with a codependent husband in jail, exhibitionist parents with questionable judgement, and the paparazzi documenting her emotional and physical distress. Meanwhile, a haute designer Karl Lagerfeld appropriates her dishevelled style and eating issues to market to the elite while proclaiming her the new Bardot.[235]
By 2008, her continued drug problems threatened her career. Even as Nick Gatfield, the president of Island Records, toyed with the idea of releasing Winehouse "to deal with her problems", he remarked on her talent, saying, "It’s a reflection of her status [in the U.S.] that when you flick through the TV coverage [of the Grammys] it’s her image they use."[177] Post-Grammys, some questioned whether Winehouse should have been honoured with the awards given her recent personal and drug problems,[236][237][238] including Natalie Cole, who introduced Winehouse at the ceremony. Cole (who battled her own substance-abuse problems while winning a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1975[239]) remarked, "I think the girl is talented, gifted, but it's not right for her to be able to have her cake and eat it too. She needs to get herself together."[239] In an opinion newspaper commentary, Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, said that the alleged drug habits of Winehouse and other celebrities send a bad message "to others who are vulnerable to addiction" and undermine the efforts of other celebrities trying to raise awareness of problems in Africa, now that more cocaine used in Europe passes through Africa.[240] Winehouse's spokesperson called Costa a "ludicrous man" and noted that "Amy has never given a quote about drugs or flaunted it in any way. She's had some problems and is trying to get better. The U.N. should get its own house in order."[241] Following Winehouse's death William Bennett a former director of the United States Office of National Drug Control Policy criticised the Grammy Awards nominating committee along similar lines.[242] Graeme Pearson, the former head of Scotland's drug enforcement agency, criticised Winehouse and Kate Moss for making going to rehab a badge of honour, thus giving the false impression that quitting drugs is easy, because many cannot afford to go to clinics.[243]
Winehouse became a staple in popularity polls due not to her musical contributions, but her lifestyle. The 2008 NME Awards nominated Winehouse in the categories of "Villain of the Year", "Best Solo Artist", and "Best Music DVD"; Winehouse won for "Worst Dressed Performer".[244][245] In its third annual list, Glamour magazine named Winehouse the third worst dressed British Woman.[246] Winehouse was ranked number two on Richard Blackwell's 48th annual "Ten Worst Dressed Women" list, behind Victoria Beckham.[247] In an April 2008 poll conducted by Sky News, Winehouse was named the second greatest "ultimate heroine" by the UK population at large, topping the voting for that category of those polled under 25 years old.[248] Psychologist Donna Dawson commented that the results demonstrate women like Winehouse who have "a certain sense of vulnerability or have had to fight against some adversity in their lives” receive recognition.[248] Winehouse was voted the second most hated personality in the United Kingdom in a poll conducted one month later by Marketing magazine.[249]
Speaking at a discussion entitled Winehouse or White House?: Do we go too big on showbiz news? Jeff Zycinski, head of BBC Radio Scotland, said the BBC and media in general were complicit in the destruction of celebrities like Winehouse. He said that public interest in the singer's lifestyle does not make her lifestyle newsworthy. Rod McKenzie editor of the BBC Radio One program Newsbeat replied that "If you play [Amy Winehouse's] music to a certain demographic, those same people want to know what's happening in her private life. If you don't cover it, you're insulting young license fee payers."[250] The British artist M.I.A. was quoted in The Guardian in 2007 as saying she found Winehouse "really interesting", saying "I once saw her in the street and she was really out of it, so I guess she is really living it out. I think Amy's thing is feeling really weird about what she does and dealing with that."[251] British singer and songwriter Lily Allen was quoted in a Scottish newspaper as saying
I know Amy Winehouse very well. And she is very different to what people portray her as being. Yes, she does get out of her mind on drugs sometimes, but she is also a very clever, intelligent, witty, funny person who can hold it together. You just don't see that side.[252]
London's Mall Galleries opened an exhibition in May 2008 that included a sculpture of Winehouse, entitled Excess. The piece, created by Guy Portelli, had a miniature of the singer lying on top of a cracked champagne bottle, with a pool of spilled liquid underneath. The body was covered with what appeared to be tiny pills, while one outstretched hand held a glass.[253] Another piece, a print entitled "Celebrity 1" by artist Charlotte Suckling, was exhibited in the same exhibition.[253] A wax sculpture of Winehouse went on display at the London Madame Tussauds on 23 July 2008. The singer did not attend the unveiling, although her parents did.[254] A sculpture by Marco Perego, entitled "The Only Good Rock Star Is a Dead Rock Star", that depicts Winehouse lying in a pool of blood with an apple and a bullet hole in her head after being shot by American novelist and beat poet William S. Burroughs (in a recreation of the accidental killing of his wife Joan Vollmer),[255] was scheduled to go on display in New York’s Half Gallery on 14 November 2008. The sale price for the sculpture is listed at US $100,000. Perego said of the sculpture "Rock stars are the sacrificial animals of society." Winehouse’s spokesperson said "It’s a funny kind of tribute. The artist seems in thrall to a tabloid persona that is not the real Amy. People often use her image to sell their work."[255]
Among the awards and recognitions for Frank, Winehouse earned an Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song ("Stronger Than Me"),[256] a BRIT Award nomination for Best Female Solo Artist,[257] and an inclusion in Robert Dimery's 2006 book, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[258] Back to Black produced numerous nominations, including two BRIT Awards (Best Female Solo Artist and Best British Album), six Grammy Awards (including five wins),[3] four Ivor Novello Awards, four MTV Europe Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, three World Music Awards, and was nominated for the Mercury Prize (Album of the Year) and a MOBO Awards (Best UK Female). During her career, Winehouse received 23 awards from 60 nominations. In February 2012, Winehouse was listed at number 26 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women In Music.[6]
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