The Blues as sung in English – and extraordinarily some of the songs began here in London before they crossed the Atlantic. Jules Holland: London Calling, BBC 2012
One of the many British Blues bands formed in Sixties London was Manfred Mann fronted by singer Paul Jones. ibid.
I’m Amy. I write lyrics. I write songs. And I sing. Reclaiming Amy, interview, BBC 2021
My daughter Amy died when she was just 27 years old. ibid. mum
But there was so much more. She resonated at a different frequency to everyone else. ibid.
After she died her dad and I were accused of failing Amy. ibid.
The incredible woman that she was. ibid.
She was 19 when she wrote here first album Frank. ibid.
She was bulimic. She had that struggle the whole time. ibid. friend
My name is Dionne Bromfield, and Amy Winehouse was my godmother. We had a special bond and our relationship was unique. Amy’s support inspired my to follow my dream of becoming a singer. And she signed me to her label Lioness when I was just 13 years old. Amy Winehouse & Me: Dionne’s Story, MTV 2021
Amy was born in North London in 1983, her Dad Mitch a taxi driver and mum Janice a pharmacist. Amy Winehouse: A Life in Ten Pictures, BBC 2021
When this photo was taken, 14 year old Amy had left mainstream education and was now attending the Sylvia Young Theatre School. ibid.
Now a global superstar, Amy spent most of 2007 touring and performing to sell-out audiences across the world. ibid.
‘Five Grammys, wow. What a night. ibid. dad
After Amy’s death her family and friends set up the Amy Whitehouse foundation. Much of its focus is helping young women overcome addiction. ibid.
In the weeks after Amy’s death Back to Black became the UK’s best-selling album of the 21st century. ibid.
Soul is heart, is guts, I guess … It’s something that controls you … To sing soul, I think you have to have grit. Amy Winehouse in Her Own Words, caption, BBC 2021
The music that speak to me the most has always been jazz … and that emotional connection to it to you know that so many great singers had. ibid.
In the early hours of February 6th 1978, the body of a young journalist was discovered on a street in Washington DC. Her name was Linda Lipnack Kuehl. For the past decade, she’d devoted her life to uncovering the true story of legendary singer Billie Holiday. Billie: In Search of Billie Holiday, BBC 2021
She was the queen bee. Without even trying, she was the most sensuous of all the lady singers. ibid. Sylvia Syms, friend & singer
It was her voice allowed her to escape. ibid.
‘It was Billie’s interpretation of Strange Fruit not the song itself that changed the direction of American music. But not everyone stood to applaud her primal howl against the bloody history of white America.’ ibid. critic
‘She consumed more stimulants … she was an extremist.’ ibid. observer
Canvey Island is a great place really but it’s strange even today. Oil City Confidential: The Dr Feelgood Story, Wilko, Sky Arts 2022
It wasn’t until I heard Blues that I really started to become obsessive about it and wanted to collect records and subscribe … ibid.
Howlin’ Wolf: When I saw him perform live in Romford at a pub called The Kings Head and he was absolutely superb. ibid.
Canvey Island doesn’t sound very American; let’s call it Oil City. ibid. Lee
Feeling Good With The Oil City Hitmen. ibid. NME front page
I don’t understand any of it. ibid. Lee’s mum
It was all an act. It seemed to go over all right, didn’t it? ibid.
All of a sudden it just went bang … The morning came and the band had broken up. ibid. Wilko
The Rolling Stones are the ultimate rock-n-roll band. A product of their time they have helped to define ours. And Mick Jagger has been out front for 60 years. They set the benchmark for what a rock band should sound like, look like, feel like. Mick Jagger: My Life as a Rolling Stone I, BBC 2022
It’s songwriting that turns the Stones into global superstars. ibid.
Reluctantly, Mick becomes the poster boy for a troubled era. ibid.
The sheer scale of their live performances grows ever larger. ibid.
Keith Richards has led a life wreathed in legend. His attitude and legacy underpin the whole idea of the guitar hero. More than just a musician, he’s a defiant hedonist and a poster boy for sheer survival. Keith Richards: My Life as a Rolling Stone II
Life in the spotlight has not always been easy for Keith. ibid.
‘The thing about the blues is that it felt like it was coming from some other place. It’s much more raucous, it’s much more heartfelt, it’s much more vivacious. It’s not been filtered through all these things.’ ibid. Mick Jagger
The Rolling Stones connect with a post-war generation eager for new music. But the key to their success is a reverence for a blues sound steeped in history. ibid.
‘The holy grail was to make records.’ ibid.
Keith’s talent drives the band’s success. But he’s a reluctant star. ibid.
I was lured just into the atmosphere. And that was it, it changed my life. Ronnie Wood: My Life as a Rolling Stone III
He watched them become the greatest rock-n-roll band in the world. ibid.
Ronnie is announced as the new guitarist at a press event in Manhattan, the launch of the Rolling Stones’ tour of the Americas. ibid.
Ronnie finally gets clean – aged 63. ibid.
In September 2021 the Rolling Stones did something they hadn’t done since 1963 – perform without their drummer Charlie Watts. Charlie Watts: My Life as a Rolling Stone IV
Charlie Watts was the driving force behind everything the Stones did – their heartbeat. ibid.
The best drummer England has ever produced. ibid. Keith Richards
Jazz is Charlie’s first and enduring love. ibid.
He remains the accidental rock star. ibid.
‘The singer Amy Winehouse has been found dead in her north London flat just 27 years old … The singer has had well-documented problems with drink and drugs …’ The Death of Amy Winehouse: 13 Reasons Why aka 13 Moments that Killed Amy Winehouse, Sky News, Channel 5 2019
This is the story of a towering but troubled talent. ibid.
The parents were to split when she was only nine years old. ibid.
‘ … that basically is bulimia.’ ibid. mother
It’s thought that Amy may have been suffering from an underlying mental health issue called Borderline Personality Disorder. ibid.
Amy signed to Island records in 2002 … So she moved to a flat in the music capital of London – Camden Town. ibid.
Amy meets the wrong man … and Amy has a lost summer. ibid. captions
Bulimia or drugs or both … her health had started to decline … Boyfriend Blake walked out on her. ibid.
Back to Black: But it was impossible to imagine the scale of the album’s success and the colossal impact it would have on Amy’s life. ibid.
Amy herself was becoming the story. ibid.
Her relationship with Blake grew ever more insular, co-dependant and drug-reliant. ibid.