Will Amy Winehouse designs for Fred Perry be released?

Amy Winehouse for Fred Perry © Bryan Perry

There's talk of a posthumous album, because Amy was working off and on on songs for the past three years. However, something that definitely is ready is Amy's fashion line for Fred Perry.

Amy had a successful collaboration with British label Fred Perry and she told Harper's Bazaar last year, that she had already completed work on future collections up until the autumn/winter 2012 season.

The label released a statement today, "We had a great working and personal relationship with Amy during the design and development of the collaboration. Amy's unique sense of style and attitude pervaded the entire collection. She was a pleasure to work with and will be deeply missed by the entire Fred Perry team." A spokesperson did not confirm if future collections of Amy will make it to the highstreet, merely saying that the company will abide the wishes of Amy's family.


Amy's first range, launched in October 2010, clearly showed her love of the Fifties and referenced her personal, signature style. It featured herringbone miniskirts, tight-fitting polo shirts, gingham skinny trousers and deck-style loafers. When the collaboration was announced, Fred Perry's marketing director Richard Martin said, "She has a unique sense of style that reflects the brand's own historical reference points." Even the promo photos

Amy Winehouse's funeral service was held today

Amy Winehouse

This afternoon, in a private service, around 200 family members and friends of Amy Winehouse paid their respects to the singer, who died unexpectedly last Saturday. The short time between her death and funeral is explained by Jewish law, that says that a funeral needs to take place as soon as possible after death.

Amy's father, Mitch Winehouse, spoke at her funeral. According to The Sun a spokesperson of the family said, "Mitch was funny, he told some great stories from her childhood about how head-strong she was, and clearly the family and friends recognised the stories and laughed along. He stressed so many times she was happier now than she had ever been and he spoke about her boyfriend and paid tribute to a lot of people in her life." Mitch reportedly ended his eulogy with the words, "Goodnight, my angel, sleep tight. Mummy and daddy love you ever so much." After his eulogy Mitch and Amy's mother Janis sang Carole King's 1971 song So Far Away.

Family friend Alfie Ezekiel is quoted by The Sun as saying, "Mitch gave a very good eulogy and he managed to get through it very well, considering. It was very moving." According to Alfie the funeral was "joyful" and a celebration of Amy's life.

Mitch, Janis and brother Alex Winehouse were joined by guests such as Regg Travis - Amy's boyfriend -, Dionne Bromfield - Amy's goddaughter -,Kelly Osbourne, DJ Mark Ronson, singer Bryan Adams, Amy's bandmates Zalon and Heshima Thompson, and singer Remi Nicole. Kelly, 26, wore her hair in a beehive, a nod to Amy's most famous hairdo. Who didn't attend? Ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil wasn't granted compassionate leave from prison. He is currently serving a 32-month sentence for burglary and a firearm offence.

After the service fans lined the roads outside the cemetery, as Amy's body was transported to a crematorium. The Sun reports that Amy's ashes will be mixed with those of her grandmother Cynthia, who passed away in 2006, after battling lung cancer.

Amy Winehouse to be buried tomorrow, July 26th

Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse will be laid to rest tomorrow, July 26th. The funeral service will be held privately. Her rep tells US Weekly.

Amy was found dead at her Camden home last Saturday. An autopsy was done today, Monday July 25th, at St. Pancras Mortuary, however, a formal cause of death could not be established. A Metropolitan Police statement is quoted by US Weekly as reading, "We are awaiting the results of further toxicology tests," these results can take up to four weeks. An inquest was opened at St. Pancras Coroner's Court this afternoon, it was adjourned until the 26th of October.

Amy's parents Mitch and Janis Winehouse met with mourning fans outside Amy's Camden home this morning. The mourning people decorated the property with flowers, candles, vodka bottles and wine glasses, drawings and handwritten cards. Mitch said, "I can't tell you what this means to us. It really is making this a lot easier for us. We're devastated and I'm speechless, but thanks for coming."

Amy Winehouse album to be released posthumously?

Amy Winehouse

When news broke that Amy Winehouse had sadly passed away, her album Back to Black went straight to the top of the iTunes chart in mere hours, and her most famous single, Rehab, was downloaded countless times. This, of course, has sparked rumours about a new Amy Winehouse album.During the past two years Amy worked sporadically on her third album. Sources tell the Telegraph that the songs were still in their demo phase, but that "a lot of material" is available. Amy's parents, Mitch and Janis Winehouse, have the final say regarding a posthumous release of the material. However, already the unknown material is said to outsell Back to Black's five million copies.

According to industry experts there will be a massive demand for such a posthumous album. Phil Alexander, editor-in-chief or Mojo magazine, said, "It is inevitable that her death will elevate her reputation and that there will be a third record released.It's difficult to place her in the pantheon of greats now because the truth is that her career was still in its early days. That's the tragedy of the situation. She was a wonderful writer. The thing that's very sad about this is that there was so much more to come." Regarding the comparison that's often been drawn between Amy and Billie Holiday, Phil says, "Billie Holiday had an extensive body of work, whereas Amy's body of work is two albums. I don't think you can say she's one of the great singers of the modern age but she had the potential to be that. She established a vocal style that was very much her own. She really did influence a lot of people that came after her, and genuinely won the respect of her peers as well as her elders."

Amy Winehouse

When Phil first met Amy in 2004, she was "a gobby 20-year-old" who was full of fun. He always believed that she would come out a winner in her struggles with drugs and alcohol, "I always thought she would pull through, that she had a strength of character that would allow her to finally escape it." He praises Amy as a strong lyricist, saying "You can absolutely separate her popularity from her personal life. It's not about her wobbling up Parkway out of her brain. It's about the songs."

Whereas Phil Alexander says that Amy isn't in the pantheon of the greats (yet), Adam Liversage of the British Phonographic Industry holds a different opinion, saying "You might argue that Amy Winehouse was already in the pantheon of greats. Her songs have become standards.Already there has been a lot of anticipation for a new album and if it was released posthumously that will only increase the interest in her."

Posthumous album or not, we will definitely be able to enjoy a new track of Amy Winehouse: a duet she recorded last March with Tony Bennett. It will be featured on Tony's soon-to-be-released album. Reportedly, it was a revived Amy that recorded that song. Tony said, "She was an extraordinary musician with a rare intuition as a vocalist and I am truly devastated that her exceptional talent has come to such an early end."

Back To Black: Reflections On The Exit Of Amy Winehouse From Center Stage

Back to Black is a very nearly perfect piece of pop. It is the very last album that I bought in CD format & the very last album that I listened to as an album, songs in the order chosen by the artists & producer. This album was on continual repeat on the stereo system at Post Apocalyptic Bohemia for most of 2006, one of the best years of my considerable life. Rehab was my anthem that summer.

"They tried to make me go to rehab," wails Amy Winehouse on the opening track & first single from her 2nd & final album Back to Black. It's not typical pop song pablum, but Winehouse was not a typical pop singer. Winehouse held a reluctance to embrace the monotonous realities of overproduced, hip-hop inspired 21st century pop music. I thought of Winehouse as the new Dinah Washington. She sang about her problems, but she won't give a shit what you think of them. I appreciate that.

Winehouse, was soul, jazz, & blues with a bottle of booze. She gave tribute to their influences, with Winehouse's lyrics featuring shout-outs to Ray Charles, Donny Hathaway, & her producer, Mark Ronson.

Winehouse's sound was soul, girl group, jazz music & grownup, she imbued her music with a surprisingly genuine soulfulness.

Ronson's production provides a lot of Back In Black's wit: The old school sound of Me & Mr. Jones  juxtapositioned with the lyric:"What kind of fuckery is this?", another of my mantras from summer 2006. How could I ever resist her perfect pop sound coupled with profane interjections like: "He left no time to regret/ Kept his dick wet" are only an occasional thing as she travels a well-worn lyrical path to both clinical & romantic rehabilitation.

Songs like Love Is a Losing Game are full of regret, even if Winehouse won't wallow in self-pity. In Wake Up Alone, she lets a former boyfriend know delicately that her the night sweats:"make me drip for him tonight".

Winehouse was blessed a brassy voice that transformed mundane sentiments into powerful statements. She was heartbroken, but she used the ache like the ruthless recipient of resentful hurt.

Her talent stopped me dead in my listening tracks. I wasn't surprised by her passing, but I was sad. I would have wished for another Winehouse opus... just one more.

 

He left no time to regret

Kept his dick wet

With his same old safe bet

Me & my head high

& my tears dry

Get on without my guy

You went back to what you knew

So far removed from all that we went through

& I tread a troubled track

My odds are stacked

I'll go back to black

We only said good-bye with words

I died a hundred times

You go back to her

& I go back to...

I go back to us

I love you much

It's not enough

You love blow & I love puff
& life is like a pipe

& I'm a tiny penny rolling up the walls inside

We only said goodbye with words 

I died a hundred times

You go back to her

& I go back to

Black, black, black, black, black, black, black,

I go back to

I go back to

We only said good-bye with words

I died a hundred times

You go back to her

& I go back to

& I go back to black

Winehouse

2006

Amy Winehouse found dead at her London apartment

Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse has died. The singer, struggling with alcohol and drug addiction, was found dead at her London apartment today.

Her US record label released a statement, that read "We are deeply saddened at the sudden loss of such a gifted musician, artist and performer. Our prayers go out to Amy's family, friends and fans at this difficult time."

The London Metropolitan Police also released a statement, although they didn't confirm that the "woman found deceased" was Amy. According to the Daily Mail their statement reads,
"Police were called by London Ambulance Service to an address in Camden Square NW1 shortly before 16.05hrs today, Saturday 23 July, following reports of a woman found deceased. On arrival officers found the body of a 27-year-old female who was pronounced dead at the scene. Inquiries continue into the circumstances of the death. At this early stage it is being treated as unexplained."

The Daily Mail also quotes sources saying that it's a probable drug overdose. However, a spokesperson of the Metropolitan Police is also quoted as saying, "I am aware of reports of a suspected drugs overdose, but I would like to [emphasise] that no post-mortem has yet taken place and it would be inappropriate to speculate on the cause of death. The death of any person is a sad time [for] friends and family, especially for someone known nationally and internationally like Amy Winehouse. My sympathy extends not only to her family, but also to her millions of fans across the world."

Amy age 2

A spokesperson for Amy herself has said, "Everyone involved with Amy is shocked and devastated. Our thoughts are with her family and friends. The family will issue a statement when ready."

Amy Winehouse has publicly struggled with addiction, her big break-through hit was Rehab a place she didn't want to go to. However, as recently as May she spent time in a rehab facility. Her album Back to Black, that featured Rehab won five trophies at the 2008 Grammy Awards. Awards she took home that night where for record of the year, song of the year, and best new artist. She performed at the Grammy awards via satellite.

In 2007 she married Blake Fielder-Civil, they had a troubled on-again, off-again relationship and officially divorced in 2009.

Amy Winehouse was 27 years old. May she rest in peace.

And the Beat Goes On

Live and learn: the wrong husband, or the wrong hairdresser, can have disastrous results.