How Amy Winehouse's life and death inspired a beautiful country song by Lady A

20 July 2021, 16:57

For all the music genres that Amy Winehouse had an influence on, country is probably not near the top of the list.

However, this was very much the case for Lady A in 2017, when they recorded a stunning song that was heavily inspired by the British singer, who's output was largely tinged with soul and jazz.

Then called Lady Antebellum, thee country trio released the song 'Famous' on their seventh studio album Heart Break.

Read more: The story of Amy Winehouse's tragic death at the age of 27, 10 years later

'Famous' is the final song on the album, and it sees singer Hillary Scott lament about a famous woman who clearly had it tough.

Listen to it below:

Lady Antebellum - Famous (Audio)

Lady A’s Hillary Scott told People that Amy Winehouse’s troubled life and death in the spotlight was a story that the band couldn't personally relate to.

“We were very intrigued by that level of fame, which we’ve never really had to carry,” she said. “There’s a lot more anonymity being a band.”

When the trio were in California writing for their next album with collaborator Eric Paslay, they began talking about the British singer, who died of alcohol poisoning in 2011 at the age of 27.

Read more: Home video of Amy Winehouse singing aged 14 confirms star's stunning natural talent

Having recently watched the Oscar-winning documentary Amy, they discussed the nature of fame and the role the media and the public play in watching a troubled life.

“We are so fascinated by people who are famous and what it does to them, that we forget that they are people. And I say ‘we’ because it’s all of us!” Scott said.

“As much as we three want our privacy, we’re just as guilty of looking at our socials or looking at the magazines in the grocery store. What makes us do that?”

The song’s chorus goes:

• Kinda breaks your heart when you think about
• Everything she gave and the life they stole away
• You can’t blame her
• Everybody’s drawn to the danger
• Lookin’ through the lens of make believe, ain’t a mystery
• Why a star goes down in flames

Lady A Smooth Country Interview

“The song is also an examination of, why do so many artistic people have so many demons?” Charles Kelley added. “We started talking about Marilyn Monroe, Whitney Houston, all these artists who feel so lonely in their level of fame.

"They have everything they thought they wanted and it makes them unhappy.”

"This is an interesting departure for us,” Dave Haywood said of the song. “It’s a really heavy song but we felt it was important to include because it closes out the record and makes you think.”