Amy Winehouse would have turned 43 on September 14, 2026, with the British singer's signature songs "Rehab", "Back to Black" and "Valerie" still heard widely nearly two decades after they first came out.
Winehouse was known for her deep, unmistakable voice, her love of jazz, her passion for reading and a sharp sense of humour. She built much of her songwriting around a single idea: taking her own experiences and turning them into songs.
How 'Rehab' Was Born
In 2005, while Google and YouTube were launching Google Earth and YouTube's own video platform respectively, Winehouse was already working on new material in the United Kingdom.
During a studio session with producer Mark Ronson, Winehouse told him about a conversation with her manager at the time, Nick Shymansky, who had suggested she go to rehabilitation. The English word for that, "rehab", became the seed of the song.
The chorus, "They tried to make me go to rehab, but I said no, no, no," was taken directly from Winehouse's own words in that conversation. The song, entirely autobiographical, went on to become one of the biggest hits of her career and paid tribute to two of her musical influences, Ray Charles and Donny Hathaway, both referenced in the lyrics.
'Back to Black' Sweeps the Grammys
"Back to Black" is not just a song but the album that defined Winehouse's sound and career. Released in 2006, it blended her voice with 1960s soul and R&B influences and turned her into an international star. The title track reached number one.
Winehouse made the record with Mark Ronson, and the pair moved from a formal introduction straight into the studio together. Ronson has said on several occasions that after meeting Winehouse, he wrote a first demo of "Back to Black" overnight, played it for her the next day, and she loved it immediately.
The result was historic. At the 2008 Grammy Awards, Winehouse won five awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Rehab", plus Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album for "Back to Black". The two songs were released just days apart, with "Rehab" coming out on October 23 and "Back to Black" following four days later, on October 27.
'Valerie', Another Number One With Mark Ronson
The third song completing Winehouse's best-known trio was "Valerie", a cover of the track originally by British band The Zutons. The song went through more than one version. Mark Ronson recorded a version featuring Winehouse on vocals, included on his 2007 album "Version".
A separate recording, known as the "Valerie '68 Version" and featuring only Winehouse's voice, went on to top the charts in the United Kingdom.
Winehouse died in 2011, but her catalogue, built on songs that turned her own life into music, continues to be widely streamed and played on radio stations across the world.
