Home video of Amy Winehouse singing aged 14 confirms star's stunning natural talent
28 September 2020, 14:39 | Updated: 14 May 2021, 16:04
An old home video of a 14-year-old Amy Winehouse shows how spectacular her singing voice was from the very beginning.
Footage of a teenage Amy Winehouse from Southgate, north London shows the future star singing 'Happy Birthday' to her friends as they lark around with a camera.
The video shows four girls saying they are "the only ones left" at the end of a 14th birthday party and introducing themselves on camera, before they all start singing to birthday girl, named as Lauren Gilbert.
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The video then pans to Amy Winehouse, who stands up and blasts the final lines of 'Happy Birthday' in an incredibly powerful voice, one that would become so distinctive across the world in just a few years time.
Amy | Happy Birthday | Official Movie Clip HD | A24
The fascinating home video was first shown in Amy, a 2015 documentary charting the life and tragic death of the singer that was released to critical acclaim.
The film's trailer was released in February 2015, four years after the singer's death, and went on to receive 33 nominations and won a total of 30 film awards, including an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.
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Speaking at the time of the trailer's release CEO of Universal Music UK, David Joseph, said: "About two years ago we decided to make a movie about her—her career and her life.
"It's a very complicated and tender movie. It tackles lots of things about family and media, fame, addiction, but most importantly, it captures the very heart of what she was about, which is an amazing person and a true musical genius."
Amy Winehouse was tragically found dead on July 23, 2011 at the tender age of 27 in her home in Camden, north London.
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In an interview in 2013, her brother Alex Winehouse revealed that the superstar had never really let go of her Southgate roots or her days at primary school and high school in the north London suburb.
When he had the sad task of sorting through his sister's belongings after her death, Alex came across a child's navy jumper.
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It turned out to be from Amy's days at Osidge Primary School and that the star had kept it stowed away, unbeknownst to anyone, for all those years.
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"I couldn't believe she had that," Alex told The Guardian.
"I think it shows that it doesn't matter what happens in life, how famous you become, regardless of who you are, you're always from somewhere," he explained. "No matter what you do, you can't forget that because it makes you who you are. And she never forgot."
