Amy Winehouse: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

Amy Winehouse grew up in a Jewish north London home where her father sang Sinatra and her brother's jazz records played constantly — she arrived at pop via Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan rather than the charts. Back to Black then fused that phrasing with 1960s girl-group melodrama and Brooklyn soul revivalism. This mix traces the jazz spine, the Camden scene around her, and the singers who came after.

The Kynda mix for Amy Winehouse

• Key Influence · Dinah Washington Sings the Blues by Dinah Washington (1957). Winehouse repeatedly named Dinah Washington her favourite singer, and the debt is audible: the hard, clipped consonants, the way a line is bitten off rather than sustained, the refusal to prettify a blues lyric. Washington's move between jazz standards, blues and R&B charts across the 1950s is the exact template Winehouse followed on Frank and Back to Black, where soul arrangements carry essentially jazz-schooled vocal phrasing.
• Influencia Obscura · Leader of the Pack by The Shangri-Las (1964). When Winehouse met Mark Ronson in New York in 2006, the Shangri-Las became their shared reference point — teenage doom, spoken asides, melodrama scored by orchestral pop. The girl-group architecture of Back to Black, from the funeral-march piano of the title track to the 'he left no time to regret' narration, descends directly from this Shadow Morton production rather than from any soul record.
• Local Roots · One Step Beyond... by Madness (1979). Madness were the definitive Camden band, and Winehouse's adopted patch — the Hawley Arms, Camden Market, the Roundhouse — was the same square mile. Their fusion of Jamaican ska with London music-hall comedy and north London Jewish and Irish street culture prefigures Winehouse's own mongrel approach, and the borough's statue and mural culture now commemorates both acts as its presiding spirits.
• Beyond the Medium · And God Created Woman by Roger Vadim (1956). Winehouse's visual signature — the piled beehive, the winged liner, the pout and the gingham — was assembled from 1950s and 60s screen sirens as much as from Ronnie Spector. Brigitte Bardot's look in Vadim's film is the clearest single source for the hair and eye makeup she developed with stylist Alex Foden, a persona so fixed it became the costume the tabloids photographed every day.
• Peer · 19 by Adele (2008). Adele emerged from the same BRIT School and XL-adjacent London pipeline two years behind Winehouse, and has said plainly that Frank and Back to Black made a British label willing to sign a young woman singing soul in her own accent. The two records share arranger and session personnel across the London scene, and 19's jazz-inflected torch songs sit directly in the lane Winehouse cleared.
• From the Canon · Frank by Amy Winehouse (2003). The debut is the Rosetta stone for everything after: largely co-written with Salaam Remi, it fuses hip-hop drum programming with genuine jazz harmony and a nineteen-year-old's acid wit on 'Stronger Than Me' and 'Fuck Me Pumps'. Named partly for Sinatra and for its own frankness, it shows the jazz singer she trained as before the girl-group production of Back to Black reframed her for a mass audience.
• Key Collaborator · Version by Mark Ronson (2007). Ronson produced roughly half of Back to Black, including 'Rehab', after a first meeting in New York where they discovered a shared obsession with 1960s girl groups. Version is his own record made in the same room with the same Dap-Kings horn charts, and its hit cover of the Zutons' 'Valerie' with Winehouse on vocals is the single clearest surviving document of how their partnership actually worked.
• Legacy · In the Lonely Hour by Sam Smith (2014). Smith has repeatedly described Winehouse as the artist who made a British soul voice singing frankly about their own heartbreak commercially viable, and their early career ran through the same London jazz and session circuit. The album's Grammy sweep in 2015 followed the exact template Back to Black established: intimate confessional lyrics in period-literate arrangements, exported successfully to America.

What influenced Amy Winehouse

• Tony Bennett by Tony Bennett (1926). Her father's playing of Tony Bennett influenced her early jazz immersion; she later recorded a duet with him. (also via Duets II) “Mitch would frequently sing and play songs by musicians such as Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett around the house.” (Wikipedia)
• Sarah Vaughan. Critics compared Winehouse's voice to Sarah Vaughan. (also via Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown) “Winehouse's voice was compared with those of Sarah Vaughan and Macy Gray , among others.” (Wikipedia)
• Frank Sinatra (1915). Her father's playing of Frank Sinatra influenced her early jazz immersion. (also via Songs for Swingin' Lovers!) “Mitch would frequently sing and play songs by musicians such as Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett around the house.” (Wikipedia)
• Dinah Washington. Critic notes Winehouse's idolisation of Dinah Washington as a key influence. (also via Dinah Washington Sings the Blues) “her idolisation of Dinah Washington and the Ronettes distinguished her from almost all newly minted pop singers of the early 2000s” (Wikipedia)
• Yasiin Bey. The article identifies Bey as an influence on Amy Winehouse. “He has also directly influenced artists outside of hip-hop, including English singer-songwriters Adele and Amy Winehouse .” (Wikipedia)
• Ronnie Spector. Village Voice argues Ronnie Spector originated the style Winehouse adopted. “Ronnie Spector —who, it could be argued, all but invented Winehouse's style in the first place when she took the stage at the Brooklyn Fox Theater with her fellow Ronettes more than 40 years ago” (Wikipedia)
• Bettie Page. Levy identifies Bettie Page as a style reference mixed into Winehouse's look. “mixing Bettie Page with Brigitte Bardot and adding that little bit of Ronnie Spector.” (Wikipedia)
• Mari Wilson. Trebay identifies Mari Wilson as a visual reference for Winehouse's style. “also to the white British soul singer Mari Wilson , less famous for her sound than her beehive” (Wikipedia)
• Ronettes. Winehouse's image was directly influenced by the Ronettes. “Winehouse was influenced by soul girl groups such as the Ronettes , whose look she imitated.” (Wikipedia)
• Salt-n-Pepa. Trebay includes Salt-n-Pepa in Winehouse's lineage of 'bad girl' image. “to a lineage of bad girls, extending from Cleopatra to Louise Brooks 's Lulu and including Salt-n-Pepa” (Wikipedia)
• Songs for Swingin' Lovers! by Frank Sinatra. Songs for Swingin' Lovers! (Frank Sinatra) — titan for Amy Winehouse “Mitch would frequently sing and play songs by musicians such as Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett around the house.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Louise Brooks. Trebay traces Winehouse's image lineage to Louise Brooks's Lulu persona. “to a lineage of bad girls, extending from Cleopatra to Louise Brooks 's Lulu and including Salt-n-Pepa” (Wikipedia)
• Johnny Thunders. Trebay identifies Johnny Thunders as a visual reference for Winehouse's style. “to the punk god Johnny Thunders ...” (Wikipedia)
• Macy Gray. Critics compared Winehouse's voice to Macy Gray. “Winehouse's voice was compared with those of Sarah Vaughan and Macy Gray , among others.” (Wikipedia)
• Brigitte Bardot (1934). Levy identifies Brigitte Bardot as a style reference mixed into Winehouse's look. “mixing Bettie Page with Brigitte Bardot and adding that little bit of Ronnie Spector.” (Wikipedia)
• Ronnie Scott. Family connection to jazz saxophonist Ronnie Scott nurtured her early jazz interest. “Her paternal grandmother, Cynthia, had been a singer and dated the jazz saxophonist Ronnie Scott .” (Wikipedia)
• Quincy Jones. Winehouse contributed to a Quincy Jones tribute album. “Winehouse and Ronson contributed a cover of Lesley Gore 's " It's My Party " to the Quincy Jones tribute album Q Soul Bossa Nostra , released in November 2010.” (Wikipedia)
• Dinah Washington Sings the Blues by Dinah Washington (1957). Dinah Washington Sings the Blues (Dinah Washington) — titan for Amy Winehouse “In The Guardian, Caroline Sullivan later wrote that "her idolisation of Dinah Washington and the Ronettes distinguished her from almost all newly minted pop singers of the early 2000s, and her exceptionally-susceptible-to-heartbreak voic…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Leader of the Pack by The Shangri-Las (1964). Leader of the Pack (The Shangri-Las) — ghost for Amy Winehouse “Noteworthy B-sides included "Heaven Only Knows", "The Train from Kansas City", "Dressed in Black" (featured in the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black) and "Paradise" (written by Harry Nilsson, Phil Spector, Perry Botkin Jr.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• And God Created Woman by Roger Vadim (1956). And God Created Woman (Roger Vadim) — culture for Amy Winehouse (themoviedb.org)
• Ariel by Sylvia Plath (1965). Ariel (Sylvia Plath) — culture for Amy Winehouse (openlibrary.org)
• Cleopatra by Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1963). Cleopatra (Joseph L. Mankiewicz) — culture for Amy Winehouse (themoviedb.org)
• Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown by Sarah Vaughan (1954). Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown (Sarah Vaughan) — titan for Amy Winehouse “Winehouse's voice was compared with those of Sarah Vaughan and Macy Gray, among others.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Monkey Man by Toots and the Maytals (1969). Monkey Man (Toots and the Maytals) — ghost for Amy Winehouse “She also performed Toots and the Maytals' "Monkey Man".” (en.wikipedia.org)

Peers and kindred spirits

• Dionne Bromfield by Dionne Bromfield. Bromfield recalls Winehouse singing backing vocals for her live performance. “Then they added, “Amy’s going to do backing vocals.” And I was like, “Okay, this is going to be interesting. Let’s see how this goes.”” (PAPER)
• Sylvia Young Theatre School by Sylvia Young. Winehouse attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School. “Winehouse later enrolled at the Sylvia Young Theatre School .” (Wikipedia)
• Mark Ronson. Ronson co-produced Back to Black with Winehouse. (also via Version) “Ronson said in a 2010 interview that he liked working with Winehouse because she was blunt when she did not like his work.” (Wikipedia)
• Billie Holiday by Billie Holiday (1915). Rock and Roll Hall of Fame exhibit traced a lineage from Billie Holiday to Winehouse. (also via Amy Winehouse: Frank) “One thread started with Billie Holiday , continued with Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blige , and then finished with Winehouse.” (Wikipedia)
• The Wanted by The Wanted. A member of The Wanted recalls meeting Winehouse, not collaborating musically with her. “‘We were the last band to have our picture taken with Amy. ‘You could tell she loved Dionne so much, it’s just so sad.” (Metro)
• Aretha Franklin. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame exhibit traced a lineage including Aretha Franklin to Winehouse. (also via Back to Black) “One thread started with Billie Holiday , continued with Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blige , and then finished with Winehouse.” (Wikipedia)
• Version by Mark Ronson (2007). Version (Mark Ronson) — collaborator for Amy Winehouse “Winehouse was a vocalist on the song "Valerie" on Ronson's solo album Version .” (Wikipedia)
• BRIT School. Winehouse briefly attended the BRIT School. “Neither we nor the Brit School really know what to do with her” (London Jazz News)
• National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Winehouse was a member of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. “In June of that year, I invited her to sing one song and the following month, I rang her early Sunday morning, “Can you sing with us today, we haven’t got a singer?”” (London Jazz News)
• Toots and the Maytals. Winehouse covered a Toots and the Maytals song. (also via Monkey Man) “She also performed Toots and the Maytals ' " Monkey Man ".” (Wikipedia)
• God's Son by Nas (2002). God's Son (Nas) — collaborator for Amy Winehouse “He is most known for producing material for close associates Nas, Amy Winehouse, and Jazmine Sullivan, but has also produced for other mainstream acts including Alicia Keys, the Fugees, Doja Cat, Miguel, Fergie, Alessia Cara, Nelly Furta…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Lesley Gore. Winehouse covered Lesley Gore's song for a Quincy Jones tribute album. “Winehouse and Ronson contributed a cover of Lesley Gore 's " It's My Party " to the Quincy Jones tribute album Q Soul Bossa Nostra” (Wikipedia)
• 19 by Adele (2008). 19 (Adele) — peer for Amy Winehouse “But Winehouse was a fine shepherd of the past." Artists who have credited Winehouse as an influence or for paving the way for them include Adele, Duffy, Lady Gaga, Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton, John Legend, Bruno Mars, Tove Lo, Jessi…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Rockferry by Duffy (2008). Rockferry (Duffy) — peer for Amy Winehouse “But Winehouse was a fine shepherd of the past." Artists who have credited Winehouse as an influence or for paving the way for them include Adele, Duffy, Lady Gaga, Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton, John Legend, Bruno Mars, Tove Lo, Jessi…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Questlove. Winehouse planned a musical group collaboration with Questlove. “She had agreed to form a group with Questlove of the Roots , but her problems obtaining a visa delayed their working together.” (Wikipedia)
• Sam Cooke. Winehouse covered Sam Cooke's 'Cupid'. “She performed with Rhythms del Mundo on their cover of the Sam Cooke song " Cupid " for an Artists Project Earth benefit album” (Wikipedia)
• Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Diana Ross. Amy Winehouse has covered the song associated here with Ross. “The song has also been covered live and on albums by Jennifer Lopez and Amy Winehouse .” (Wikipedia)
• Missy Elliott. Winehouse was reportedly in talks to collaborate with Missy Elliott. “Winehouse was also in talks of working with Missy Elliott for her album Block Party .” (Wikipedia)
• Marvin Gaye (1939). Winehouse covered Marvin Gaye's song live. “Winehouse appeared on Jools Holland 's Annual Hootenanny and performed a cover of Marvin Gaye 's " I Heard It Through the Grapevine "” (Wikipedia)
• Alright, Still by Lily Allen (2006). Alright, Still (Lily Allen) — peer for Amy Winehouse “If you don't cover it, you're insulting young licence fee payers." In The Scotsman, English singer and songwriter Lily Allen was quoted to have said – "I know Amy Winehouse very well.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Specials. Winehouse performed cover songs by The Specials. “In addition to her own material she performed two Specials covers.” (Wikipedia)
• Mary J. Blige. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame exhibit traced a lineage including Mary J. Blige to Winehouse. “One thread started with Billie Holiday , continued with Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blige , and then finished with Winehouse.” (Wikipedia)
• Ghostface Killah by Ghostface Killah. Winehouse explains that she had not met Ghostface Killah while their version of ‘You Know I’m No Good’ was assembled. ““We were on opposite sides of the Atlantic when it was being put together”” (Hot Press)
• Duets II by Tony Bennett. Winehouse's last recording was a duet for Tony Bennett's album. “Her last recording was a duet with American singer Tony Bennett for his album Duets II , released on 20 September 2011.” (Wikipedia)
• Salaam Remi. Salaam Remi produced Winehouse's debut album Frank. “She worked with producer Salaam Remi for her debut studio album, Frank (2003)” (Wikipedia)
• The Rolling Stones. Winehouse performed live with the Rolling Stones. “she sang " Ain't Too Proud to Beg " with the Rolling Stones on 10 June 2007.” (Wikipedia)
• Mutya Buena. Winehouse collaborated with Mutya Buena on a single. “Her work with ex- Sugababe Mutya Buena , " B Boy Baby ", was released on 17 December 2007.” (Wikipedia)
• Dap-Kings. Winehouse hired the Dap-Kings as her backing band. “Winehouse hired New York singer Sharon Jones 's longtime band, the Dap-Kings , to back her up in the studio and on tour.” (Wikipedia)
• Lioness Records. Winehouse founded her own record label, Lioness Records. “The first act on her Lioness Records was her 13-year-old goddaughter Dionne Bromfield.” (Wikipedia)
• Down in Albion by Babyshambles (2005). Down in Albion (Babyshambles) — geography for Amy Winehouse (musicbrainz.org)
• London Calling by The Clash (1979). London Calling (The Clash) — geography for Amy Winehouse (musicbrainz.org)
• 100 Days, 100 Nights by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings (2007). 100 Days, 100 Nights (Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings) — collaborator for Amy Winehouse “The Dap-Kings, the Daptone house band, are notable for their collaborations with Mark Ronson, including their contributions to Amy Winehouse's Back to Black.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Pete Doherty by Pete Doherty. Winehouse expresses interest in working with Doherty but says the collaboration had not happened.
• One Step Beyond... by Madness (1979). One Step Beyond... (Madness) — geography for Amy Winehouse

Who Amy Winehouse influenced

• The Fame. The Fame (Lady Gaga) — legacy for Amy Winehouse “But Winehouse was a fine shepherd of the past." Artists who have credited Winehouse as an influence or for paving the way for them include Adele, Duffy, Lady Gaga, Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton, John Legend, Bruno Mars, Tove Lo, Jessi…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Lost & Found by Jorja Smith (2018). Lost & Found (Jorja Smith) — legacy for Amy Winehouse “But Winehouse was a fine shepherd of the past." Artists who have credited Winehouse as an influence or for paving the way for them include Adele, Duffy, Lady Gaga, Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton, John Legend, Bruno Mars, Tove Lo, Jessi…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• In the Lonely Hour by Sam Smith (2014). In the Lonely Hour (Sam Smith) — legacy for Amy Winehouse “But Winehouse was a fine shepherd of the past." Artists who have credited Winehouse as an influence or for paving the way for them include Adele, Duffy, Lady Gaga, Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton, John Legend, Bruno Mars, Tove Lo, Jessi…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Tove Lo (1987). Article states Lo models her singing on Amy Winehouse. “She models her singing on the vocal stylings of Amy Winehouse, Jeff Buckley, and Mikky Ekko” (Wikipedia)
• Beyoncé. Amy Winehouse — Influence (Covered artist) for Beyoncé · hand-labeled by Tony Brancato, 2022