When I heard the sad news of Amy Winehouse's death the report mentioned that her father Mitch Winehouse heard the news when he landed in New York where he was meant to be making his debut at The Blue Note. I didn't follow her life closely, but I enjoyed her two albums very much and remembered hearing that her dad was a cabbie in London. Turns out he worked as a cab driver to support his family, putting his dreams of being a singer on the back burner. It's obvious when you listen to Amy's catalogue that she had not just an appreciation for, but an innate understanding of soul, R&B and jazz. Seems to me that Mitch did a wonderful job instilling a love of music in his daughter.
Her success allowed her to help her dad get another shot at his dream and he has released what I think is a very pleasant collection of standards. It's obvious that Mitch has listened to a lot of Sinatra and that unlike his talented and troubled daughter who brought something completely new to the table, he is happy simply recreating and paying tribute to the music he loves.
I found this video of him live at Ronnie Scott's quite enjoyable. I hope he's able to get through his tragic loss and have the career he's always wanted. I'm sure there are people who will say he is simply riding on Amy's coattails, but I can't help but think that she'd be nothing but pleased for any success he might find in the future.
Here's my favourite track of Amy's from Back to Black. Her effortlessness and authenticity are almost shocking. It's a crying shame that her death wasn't.
Thank you for this post - it was nice to get to hear Amy's father. She has been one of my favorites for a few years now. I imagine that, had she lived, he would have always been accused of riding her coattails. Still, it is clear that her love for music was genuine and shared with her father. May they both be at peace.
ReplyDeleteYou can pass along a love of music to your children, but you can't live their lives for them. I hope Mitch continues singing. It's a sound of joy.
ReplyDeleteMy old blog is over. I have a new home. Same mental issues though. Drop by some time.
ReplyDeletehttp://brandnewchaos.blogspot.com/
I'd been wondering how he sounded. Quite lovely. Thanks for that.
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