Amy Jade Winehouse (born 14 September 1983 in Southgate, London, died 23 July 2011 in Camden, London) was an English singer and composer, known for her eclectic mix of various musical genres including
soul,
jazz,
rock 'n' roll and
rhythm and blues. Her musical formation went through listening to such jazz divas as
Ella Fitzgerald,
Billie Holiday and
Sarah Vaughan; she was later influenced by contemporary metropolitan popular music as well. She represented a union of these aesthetics: a happy fusion of '40s jazz, '60s soul and hard texts inspired by daily life.