While we most typically associate Amy Winehouse with her more pop-sensible tracks like “Rehab” and “Back to Black,” the British singer’s musical legacy was rooted far more deeply in jazz than her charting hits might lead a listener to believe. Jazz was the first music Winehouse ever fell deeply in love with, using it to find her own inimitable voice and style.
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The “You Know That I’m No Good” singer’s favorite styles of jazz were typically midcentury offerings from the 1940s to 1970s. One singer from this era stood out among the rest, creating a lasting impact on Winehouse’s approach to her instrument. (We have her brother to thank, too.)
The Singer We Have To Thank For Amy Winehouse’s Musical Legacy
Amy Winehouse released her studio debut, Frank, in 2003, but her career reached new heights several years later after the release of her sophomore record, Back to Black. Her sharp wit, gritty retro style, and distinct vocal style made for an ultra-appealing, commercially successful British soul music career that helped pave the way for other artists like Adele and Estelle. However, before she began inspiring others, Winehouse was taking inspiration from her own collection of favorite singers.
“Sarah Vaughan is one of my favorite singers of all time,” Winehouse once revealed. “She was an instrument. I’ve heard one record. It’s like a humming solo, and she sounds like a reed instrument—like a clarinet. I came to Sarah Vaughan later. I was about 18. And I learned to sing from Dinah Washington and from stuff like Thelonious Monk. It wasn’t just the vocal jazz. I learned from everything, really.”
Winehouse modeled her own singing after Vaughan’s diverse and expansive color palette. Just like Vaughan, Winehouse’s voice was unmistakable. There were plenty of singers cutting their teeth in the early 2000s who had lovely tones and musicalities. But when you heard Winehouse, you knew. Even when critics and listeners would compare Winehouse to these older jazz singers, she never took offense. “They are my idols,” Winehouse said about people comparing her to Vaughan and Billie Holiday in a 2003 interview. “In some ways, it is the highest form of flattery, yeah.”
How A Nearby Sibling Helped Forge Her Musical Taste
As is often the case in some of music history’s most iconic artists, all of the stars seemed to align just right for Amy Winehouse’s tragically short-lived career to take off. She had to discover jazz first. Then, she had to land a spot with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. But before either twist of fate could happen, Winehouse also needed to be within earshot of the music her brother was playing in the other room when she was a teenager.
“He started listening to jazz when he was about 18, and I was 14,” Winehouse said. “I just remember the first time I ever heard “Round Midnight” through the wall. Like, ‘What is that?’ It was life-changing. I remember the first time I heard Ray Charles. It was “Unchain My Heart.” I remember walking into my brother’s room. I always used to knock because he would throw stuff at you if you didn’t. But I opened the door, and he goes, ‘What?’ He looked at me as if I was about to go, ‘Mum’s dead’ or something. He goes, ‘What’s wrong?’ And I went, ‘Who is this?’ And he went, ‘It’s Ray Charles.’ Then, I just listened to Ray Charles for three months, exclusively.”
Photo by Mark Holloway/Redferns
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