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Amy, My Daughter
Candid, compelling, and heartbreaking--a father's story of a talent taken too soon and a legacy that will live on for generations
On July 23, 2011, Amy Winehouse's family, friends, and fans around the world mourned the tragedy that this remarkable, talented, and extraordinarily generous young woman was now gone. A legion of dedicated fans had lost their idol; a devastated family had lost their Amy. With this difficult news came an outpouring of love and grief from her fans, along with troubling questions about Amy's very public struggles with drugs and alcohol, as people tried to understand how such a soulful singer had been silenced so young.
Now, in this intimate and tender account, her father and confidant, Mitch, offers an inside view of Amy's life as she lived it, putting to rest once and for all the controversies that have long surrounded her. Sifting fact from fiction, he pre-sents a portrait of Amy unlike any other, detailing the events and the people that shaped her youth--from her mischievous childhood to her grandmother's Jazz Age stories, to her father singing Frank Sinatra around the house. Shedding light on Amy's musical coming-of-age, Mitch explores how she honed her distinctive sound, created her unforgettable look, and channeled her own life into hits such as "You Know I'm No Good," "Rehab," and "Back to Black"--some of the most memorable and personal pop music in years.
While her beehive hair, larger-than-life voice, and outrageous personality made her famous, her life offstage made her infamous. Here Mitch holds nothing back about Amy's addiction to drugs and alcohol, mixing the painful with the poignant as he describes the realities of her dependencies and the toll they took on the family and friends who refused to give up on her. Revealing the truth about Amy's substance abuse and dispelling many of the tabloid-fueled rumors about her tumultuous marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil, Mitch exposes the years of behind-the-scenes drama that consumed his life and explains how, for those who knew Amy in her last months, the greatest tragedy of all was that she finally appeared to be conquering her demons.
Filled with insights into Amy Winehouse's music, photographs from her life, and stories of the real woman behind the headlines, "Amy, My Daughter" is an emotional journey into music, addiction, and the unbreakable bond between a daughter and her father.
On July 23, 2011, Amy Winehouse's family, friends, and fans around the world mourned the tragedy that this remarkable, talented, and extraordinarily generous young woman was now gone. A legion of dedicated fans had lost their idol; a devastated family had lost their Amy. With this difficult news came an outpouring of love and grief from her fans, along with troubling questions about Amy's very public struggles with drugs and alcohol, as people tried to understand how such a soulful singer had been silenced so young.
Now, in this intimate and tender account, her father and confidant, Mitch, offers an inside view of Amy's life as she lived it, putting to rest once and for all the controversies that have long surrounded her. Sifting fact from fiction, he pre-sents a portrait of Amy unlike any other, detailing the events and the people that shaped her youth--from her mischievous childhood to her grandmother's Jazz Age stories, to her father singing Frank Sinatra around the house. Shedding light on Amy's musical coming-of-age, Mitch explores how she honed her distinctive sound, created her unforgettable look, and channeled her own life into hits such as "You Know I'm No Good," "Rehab," and "Back to Black"--some of the most memorable and personal pop music in years.
While her beehive hair, larger-than-life voice, and outrageous personality made her famous, her life offstage made her infamous. Here Mitch holds nothing back about Amy's addiction to drugs and alcohol, mixing the painful with the poignant as he describes the realities of her dependencies and the toll they took on the family and friends who refused to give up on her. Revealing the truth about Amy's substance abuse and dispelling many of the tabloid-fueled rumors about her tumultuous marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil, Mitch exposes the years of behind-the-scenes drama that consumed his life and explains how, for those who knew Amy in her last months, the greatest tragedy of all was that she finally appeared to be conquering her demons.
Filled with insights into Amy Winehouse's music, photographs from her life, and stories of the real woman behind the headlines, "Amy, My Daughter" is an emotional journey into music, addiction, and the unbreakable bond between a daughter and her father.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2012
220 people are currently reading
2924 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 533 reviews
June 10, 2023
A book where the blurb says that Mitch Winehouse, father of Amy and writer of this book is "bringing together the personal, the private and the public" to tell his daughter's story. A moving book, a sad book and a book where the moment Amy succumbs to alcohol and drug abuse it just becomes one ongoing struggle.
The book definitely has the voice of Mitch, but is it a real voice or a bit of PR? Who knows? What I struggle with is how this book so much focuses on the negativity and yes it's terrible story of falling in with the wrong crowd and addiction, but Amy Winehouse is a pop music legend, and I would have expected far more about her talent and music. One things for sure yet another story where a Rupert Murdock owned publications are just a nasty pieces of work messing with peoples' lives for profit. 7 out of 12, Three Stars from me overall. My tears when reading this were for Amy, and not for this book or her father.
2023 read
The book definitely has the voice of Mitch, but is it a real voice or a bit of PR? Who knows? What I struggle with is how this book so much focuses on the negativity and yes it's terrible story of falling in with the wrong crowd and addiction, but Amy Winehouse is a pop music legend, and I would have expected far more about her talent and music. One things for sure yet another story where a Rupert Murdock owned publications are just a nasty pieces of work messing with peoples' lives for profit. 7 out of 12, Three Stars from me overall. My tears when reading this were for Amy, and not for this book or her father.
2023 read
September 20, 2012
I had a lot of preconceptions before buying this book; none of them were true. I thought Mitch Winehouse must have been a neglectful parent, ignorant of his daughter's addiction. I thought Amy Winehouse went on a downward spiral with little if any progress toward recovery. After reading the length to which Mitch Winehouse went, and the dedication he had time and time again to rehabilitate his struggling daughter, I must admit I was very wrong. The media painted a picture of someone that many like me believed. Amy Winehouse was not a doomed Goddess who fell from glory; she was human. Her circumstances could have been anyone's. Yes, she had her problems, but she was at heart a generous woman with enormous talent, giving her money and time to anyone who needed it. I think many stars and celebrities could walk by someone struggling and put it out of their mind, but not Amy. Mitch tells a story of her seeing a sick man on vacation and not just giving him money or food but physically taking him to the hospital and paying his bill. That's something almost unheard of anymore. We fear each other, say we're busy and forget people struggle, but not Amy. This was not even the most incredible part of her journey: she did kick the drug addiction, contrary to popular belief. Amy Winehouse went three years without drugs. It was the alcohol that killed her. But, it is telling. Amy was not weak; she was strong. I only wish she had been strong enough.
On the whole, I find this book very significant. I recommend it highly. If you or someone you know is going through the hell of addiction Mitch Winehouse's story will guide and comfort you. But, more importantly, the proceeds go to Charity. If you did not like Amy, the story is still worth learning from and you will help those struggling through the Amy Winehouse foundation with your purchase.
On the whole, I find this book very significant. I recommend it highly. If you or someone you know is going through the hell of addiction Mitch Winehouse's story will guide and comfort you. But, more importantly, the proceeds go to Charity. If you did not like Amy, the story is still worth learning from and you will help those struggling through the Amy Winehouse foundation with your purchase.
November 30, 2021
4 Stars for Amy, My Daughter (audiobook) by Mitch Winehouse read by Rupert Farley and the author.
I’ve had to wait a long time before I was ready to hear this story. I actually checked out this book earlier in the year and returned it because I wasn’t ready yet. Her story is so much harder to hear when you already know the ending.
Amy Winehouse had an amazing voice and style. I really didn’t follow the gossip about her but, listening to her lyrics, it would be hard to miss that she was troubled. This had to be a very hard book for her father to write. He definitely used it to help and try to set the record straight. It was good to hear to what lengths he and others would go to try and save her. I think it will be a while before I’m ready to listen to her music again.
I’ve had to wait a long time before I was ready to hear this story. I actually checked out this book earlier in the year and returned it because I wasn’t ready yet. Her story is so much harder to hear when you already know the ending.
Amy Winehouse had an amazing voice and style. I really didn’t follow the gossip about her but, listening to her lyrics, it would be hard to miss that she was troubled. This had to be a very hard book for her father to write. He definitely used it to help and try to set the record straight. It was good to hear to what lengths he and others would go to try and save her. I think it will be a while before I’m ready to listen to her music again.
May 2, 2013
I read this in a matter of hours because it is written in a very readable style and, being a huge fan of Amy, I was more than familiar with the narrative. I'm glad I read it because it did clear up some inaccuracies that had been reported in the press but Mitch does seem to contradict himself several times and the very fact that he's her father makes him an unreliable narrator.
I'd always felt that the people around Amy should have done more to help her and this book has convinced me that a lot was being done behind the scenes. With addiction, the bottom line is that if someone doesn't want to stop, they won't. She makes countless trips to the London Clinic to 'dry out' and escape 'temptation' in the book but what she really needed was intensive psychiatric care. Despite not knowing Amy personally, I still don't believe she was 'at her happiest' in the 18 months leading up to her passing, no matter how fervently Mitch insists she was. She was clearly not happy with her life and the footage from the June '11 Belgrade gig shows just how low she was. She obviously wanted to kick her drinking which was totally out of control and I don't believe that she committed suicide but her behaviour was suicidal. What makes it all the more heartbreaking was how incredibly talented she was. Not that the worth of a person's life equates with how talented they are, just that there was so much she could have done had she lived. I'm still angry that she's not here and I can't help feeling that more could have been done.
The interesting thing about having her father narrate the book is that he gives several accounts from Amy's childhood where she goes missing and creates dramas purely to get attention. I think her addictive behaviours were all ways of getting attention, particularly from her father whom she clearly idolised and who left the family when she was a child. Mitch claims Amy had seemed 'unaffected' by his divorce from her mother when Amy was young but her behaviour claims otherwise. Amy was a child at heart and wanted to be looked after and the fact that Mitch comes running every time she is in trouble just confirms that her behaviour is having the desired effect and gives her no reason to stop. I'm not blaming Mitch entirely for her problems because Amy was her own person and countless people deal with parental separation and family upheaval and not all of them end up dead from drink at 27. But he does seem incredibly naive about the motivations behind her behaviour.
When 'Frank' came out when Amy was nineteen, an interview mentioned the fact that she would sometimes sit in her room and bang her head against the wall for no reason. Mitch makes no mention of this early self-harm which shows how little he understood of Amy's psyche. I feel for him because his love for her is obvious and definitely comes through in the book but he should take more responsibility for his part in her downfall. He makes it seem like he was always on hand and like nothing more could have been done but I think it could have. There are so many moments when he could have taken charge of the situation but he always comes up with a reason not to; 'Amy wouldn't be controlled', 'we decided to give her another chance', 'I tried the supportive approach rather than tough love'. Amy said it best herself in 'Rehab' when she sang 'my daddy thinks I'm fine'. Daddy was wrong.
I'd always felt that the people around Amy should have done more to help her and this book has convinced me that a lot was being done behind the scenes. With addiction, the bottom line is that if someone doesn't want to stop, they won't. She makes countless trips to the London Clinic to 'dry out' and escape 'temptation' in the book but what she really needed was intensive psychiatric care. Despite not knowing Amy personally, I still don't believe she was 'at her happiest' in the 18 months leading up to her passing, no matter how fervently Mitch insists she was. She was clearly not happy with her life and the footage from the June '11 Belgrade gig shows just how low she was. She obviously wanted to kick her drinking which was totally out of control and I don't believe that she committed suicide but her behaviour was suicidal. What makes it all the more heartbreaking was how incredibly talented she was. Not that the worth of a person's life equates with how talented they are, just that there was so much she could have done had she lived. I'm still angry that she's not here and I can't help feeling that more could have been done.
The interesting thing about having her father narrate the book is that he gives several accounts from Amy's childhood where she goes missing and creates dramas purely to get attention. I think her addictive behaviours were all ways of getting attention, particularly from her father whom she clearly idolised and who left the family when she was a child. Mitch claims Amy had seemed 'unaffected' by his divorce from her mother when Amy was young but her behaviour claims otherwise. Amy was a child at heart and wanted to be looked after and the fact that Mitch comes running every time she is in trouble just confirms that her behaviour is having the desired effect and gives her no reason to stop. I'm not blaming Mitch entirely for her problems because Amy was her own person and countless people deal with parental separation and family upheaval and not all of them end up dead from drink at 27. But he does seem incredibly naive about the motivations behind her behaviour.
When 'Frank' came out when Amy was nineteen, an interview mentioned the fact that she would sometimes sit in her room and bang her head against the wall for no reason. Mitch makes no mention of this early self-harm which shows how little he understood of Amy's psyche. I feel for him because his love for her is obvious and definitely comes through in the book but he should take more responsibility for his part in her downfall. He makes it seem like he was always on hand and like nothing more could have been done but I think it could have. There are so many moments when he could have taken charge of the situation but he always comes up with a reason not to; 'Amy wouldn't be controlled', 'we decided to give her another chance', 'I tried the supportive approach rather than tough love'. Amy said it best herself in 'Rehab' when she sang 'my daddy thinks I'm fine'. Daddy was wrong.
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May 17, 2024From my blog: https://bookgirl1987thoughts.wordpres...
Well, this one is tough to review. I had high hopes for this memoir by Mitch Winehouse, and I was looking forward to writing a more positive review. I appreciate the heartfelt message that Winehouse was trying to convey in writing this book. It’s very clear that he loved his daughter and would stop at nothing to help her get sober (off alcohol) and stay clean (off drugs). However, the book was so exhaustingly written that I wanted it to end at the half-way point.
Without meaning to, Mitch painted a picture of a very selfish and spoiled daughter, even as an addict. I was upset that Amy put her family and friends through so much hell. She was very unfair to her older brother Alex who was deprived of his own father’s attention throughout those years. She was selfish with her father’s time, energy, and money. I feel so bad for Mitch: his quality of life admittedly went down during her sick years, and he didn’t have time to nurture his own emotional and mental health. The rest of her family and friends suffered needlessly and endlessly. I suspect that this knowledge might have been the catalyst for Amy’s possible suicide. (Regarding the possibility of suicide: Mitch acknowledges Amy’s awareness of her dangerous withdrawal game. She was stopping and starting alcohol, the most precarious thing she could do. The idea of her intentional demise is not far-fetched.)
Another complaint: Mitch revealed too much about the already not-so-private struggles of his (in)famous daughter, and the book should’ve been much shorter—like by 100 pages. Mitch was cataloguing the details and events of a severe addict’s life and I felt like I was in therapy with both of them. I know the book recounted his rollercoaster ride of emotions and frustrations in dealing with his troubled daughter, but the story got stale soon, and I almost lost interest in it. And Janis was hardly present throughout most of the book…why? Despite the divorce, she was still Amy’s mother. The exclusion of Janis made the story feel odd and one-sided. The book doesn’t provide much evidence of Janis being involved in her daughter’s life, and maybe this is unfair to Janis.
It took me almost a month to read this book, and that’s unusual because I usually eat anything up regarding Amy. I really enjoyed her music and wanted to learn more about her as a person. This is also where I feel Mitch could have done a better job. The chapters on young and teenage Amy were too brief. I wanted to know more about Amy as a child, youth, etc. and I think he jumped into her adulthood and adult problems prematurely. Thanks to the incessant tabloids during those most tumultuous years, I already knew how addicted and unstable Amy was during the height of her fame. I wanted to hear more evidence of what a sweet, caring daughter and friend she supposedly was. I already knew her father detested Blake (the book definitely provides Mitch’s unsavory opinions of Blake and his scum family) and really liked Reg. I already knew the background on the formulation of her two albums, and the people who worked with her professionally. Nothing new emerged, except about the Amy Winehouse Foundation—which is commendable, of course.
Okay, so here’s the verdict: my opinion of Amy changed for the worse with all this “insight” and I think the publication of this book will do nothing to keep the memory of her talents alive.
Were there ANY redeeming qualities about this book? Hmmm, I really can’t think of any other than the beautiful color pictures inside. Amy was a beautiful girl who didn’t realize her talent and faded away in the chaos and superficiality of celebrity. Her demise was predicated by the fact that she was a very troubled person with what I believe were serious underlying psychiatric problems (drug use, eating disorders—perhaps beyond the effects of her drug abuse, and her self-harming behaviors, for instance). But as for learning anything new about Amy and her life, the book did not provide that. Unfortunately for her legions of fans who will be expecting something wonderful and revelatory, it was a disappointment. Sorry, Mitch…this process might have been therapeutic for you personally, but it wasn’t a good idea if you wanted to keep the sympathy for your daughter alive.
Well, this one is tough to review. I had high hopes for this memoir by Mitch Winehouse, and I was looking forward to writing a more positive review. I appreciate the heartfelt message that Winehouse was trying to convey in writing this book. It’s very clear that he loved his daughter and would stop at nothing to help her get sober (off alcohol) and stay clean (off drugs). However, the book was so exhaustingly written that I wanted it to end at the half-way point.
Without meaning to, Mitch painted a picture of a very selfish and spoiled daughter, even as an addict. I was upset that Amy put her family and friends through so much hell. She was very unfair to her older brother Alex who was deprived of his own father’s attention throughout those years. She was selfish with her father’s time, energy, and money. I feel so bad for Mitch: his quality of life admittedly went down during her sick years, and he didn’t have time to nurture his own emotional and mental health. The rest of her family and friends suffered needlessly and endlessly. I suspect that this knowledge might have been the catalyst for Amy’s possible suicide. (Regarding the possibility of suicide: Mitch acknowledges Amy’s awareness of her dangerous withdrawal game. She was stopping and starting alcohol, the most precarious thing she could do. The idea of her intentional demise is not far-fetched.)
Another complaint: Mitch revealed too much about the already not-so-private struggles of his (in)famous daughter, and the book should’ve been much shorter—like by 100 pages. Mitch was cataloguing the details and events of a severe addict’s life and I felt like I was in therapy with both of them. I know the book recounted his rollercoaster ride of emotions and frustrations in dealing with his troubled daughter, but the story got stale soon, and I almost lost interest in it. And Janis was hardly present throughout most of the book…why? Despite the divorce, she was still Amy’s mother. The exclusion of Janis made the story feel odd and one-sided. The book doesn’t provide much evidence of Janis being involved in her daughter’s life, and maybe this is unfair to Janis.
It took me almost a month to read this book, and that’s unusual because I usually eat anything up regarding Amy. I really enjoyed her music and wanted to learn more about her as a person. This is also where I feel Mitch could have done a better job. The chapters on young and teenage Amy were too brief. I wanted to know more about Amy as a child, youth, etc. and I think he jumped into her adulthood and adult problems prematurely. Thanks to the incessant tabloids during those most tumultuous years, I already knew how addicted and unstable Amy was during the height of her fame. I wanted to hear more evidence of what a sweet, caring daughter and friend she supposedly was. I already knew her father detested Blake (the book definitely provides Mitch’s unsavory opinions of Blake and his scum family) and really liked Reg. I already knew the background on the formulation of her two albums, and the people who worked with her professionally. Nothing new emerged, except about the Amy Winehouse Foundation—which is commendable, of course.
Okay, so here’s the verdict: my opinion of Amy changed for the worse with all this “insight” and I think the publication of this book will do nothing to keep the memory of her talents alive.
Were there ANY redeeming qualities about this book? Hmmm, I really can’t think of any other than the beautiful color pictures inside. Amy was a beautiful girl who didn’t realize her talent and faded away in the chaos and superficiality of celebrity. Her demise was predicated by the fact that she was a very troubled person with what I believe were serious underlying psychiatric problems (drug use, eating disorders—perhaps beyond the effects of her drug abuse, and her self-harming behaviors, for instance). But as for learning anything new about Amy and her life, the book did not provide that. Unfortunately for her legions of fans who will be expecting something wonderful and revelatory, it was a disappointment. Sorry, Mitch…this process might have been therapeutic for you personally, but it wasn’t a good idea if you wanted to keep the sympathy for your daughter alive.
January 8, 2014
It was not well written, but this probably made it more authentic as the book was written by her father who is a cab driver. I had hoped that there would be more about her talent as an artist, but most of the book was about Amy's drinking and bad behavior. It became tedious about half way through the book and I couldn't wait for it to end. "Amy is drunk/she's sober/she's checked in to the London clinic/she's late/she's drunk/she's sober" etc. It's clear that she was close to her father.
June 13, 2013
I rarely tend to seek out biographies, however in the past years I've become borderline obsessed with this voice -- this voice that was/is capable of breaking any emotionally stable person down within seconds. Never do I follow those in the entertainment industry, but I became so mesmerized with, not only the voice of this angel, but ,also, the punch-in-your-face of raw, beautiful--yet, sometimes ugly--emotions she revealed and shared with the world through her amazing gift of a voice. Was she considered the best singer in the world based on conventional standards? Probably not, but the gut-wrenching candidness of her emotions in combination with a very distinctive voice is one that will continue to haunt many of us for years to come.
This story is narrated simply, yet powerfully, through Amy's father. It's told in, pretty much, chronological order, starting from her childhood, living through moments up until after her death. Of course, it includes a private collection of photos and even hand-written greeting cards Amy gifted her dad with. A lovely side of her for the rest of the world to discover is that despite her being a tortured soul (cliché, I know), she really enjoyed joking around and making others laugh. This is revealed through shared anecdotes, as well as the greeting cards. Very touching.
I'm still greatly disturbed by Amy's death. People come and go. It's the "cycle of life", blah, blah, blah. I understand this, but losing her was -- and will forever be -- a tremendous loss to not only the music industry, but to those of us who loved her. No, many of us didn't know her personally, but we "knew her" through her music.
Definitely recommend this book, not only for AW fans, but for those who are curious to get to know the real Amy behind the ugly persona that was created by the media and the God-awful tabloid photos. You'll get to know the funny, loving, tender and naive Amy...the way that she should be known.
This story is narrated simply, yet powerfully, through Amy's father. It's told in, pretty much, chronological order, starting from her childhood, living through moments up until after her death. Of course, it includes a private collection of photos and even hand-written greeting cards Amy gifted her dad with. A lovely side of her for the rest of the world to discover is that despite her being a tortured soul (cliché, I know), she really enjoyed joking around and making others laugh. This is revealed through shared anecdotes, as well as the greeting cards. Very touching.
I'm still greatly disturbed by Amy's death. People come and go. It's the "cycle of life", blah, blah, blah. I understand this, but losing her was -- and will forever be -- a tremendous loss to not only the music industry, but to those of us who loved her. No, many of us didn't know her personally, but we "knew her" through her music.
Definitely recommend this book, not only for AW fans, but for those who are curious to get to know the real Amy behind the ugly persona that was created by the media and the God-awful tabloid photos. You'll get to know the funny, loving, tender and naive Amy...the way that she should be known.
May 19, 2017
Though I would like to think of myself as an Amy Winehouse fan I borderline hated this book. It's not so much an Amy biography as it is her father, Mitch Winehouse's, memoir about her life. I have to give him some leeway because obviously, he isn't a professional author or biographer but his descriptions are vague and repetitive and half-way through the book I began questioning his veracity. He contradicts himself numerous times throughout the text and at other times seems totally oblivious or just plain clueless. All of the wit, intelligence, insight and soul found in Amy's lyrics are completely lost in the flat character Mitch paints of his daughter. He insists that she is strong and independent but writes her as a perpetual victim. He seems hasty to state that Amy was, good, kind, and misunderstood without allowing her any of the volition he claims are responsible for her positive attributes to account for the negative ones as well. Overall this is a heavily biased account of Amy Winehouse's life and I hope that one day a more balanced version is published that explores the complexity of her life, relationships and music.
August 9, 2012
Well, I will start this review out by saying that I am an avowed Amy fan. Since the moment I laid eyes and ears on her she's been a part of my life. Her music speaks to me as does her style and her love of mixing retro with current music/fashion--I've been a fan all the way through her life. I was extremely eager to read this book, knowing it would have the most truth having come from her beloved father and friend. I received the book as a gift the night before last. I knew I would have to wait until no one was around due to being emotional and not wanting to be interrupted..(lol) . So I chose last night while the boyfriend was having a boys night out and I had finished my baseball game. As my team won (go Giants) I figured I was about as cheerful as I was gonna get so time to dive in.
What a beautifully written book. By turns heartbreaking and funny and above all so very honest. I don't think anyone has ever fought so hard for another person's life--and yet never giving in to the martyr syndrome--the sympathy you feel for Amy and her family is real and honest--Mitch writes of being exhausted by the constant attention needed to protect Amy from bad influences and users and eventually herself. He writes of his frustration and anger at Amy's inability to stop drinking, her fight to drop hard drugs and get her life back on track.
I went into this book wanting to know specifically of Amy's life as well as her family and friends---and I walked out with so much more. I learned all I could ask and at the same time learned even more about addiction than I already know (my ex-long term partner of almost 10 years was an alcoholic and has only gotten clean in the last year--so I am familiar with addiction and the terrible strain it causes and how badly it warps the soul.)
I also learned so many wonderful things about Amy--her generosity, her humor, her wits (she was brilliant at math:) and despite losing her battle, her strength to keep fighting on. I think the very last part of the book where Mitch is reading through some of Amy's notebooks and finds at the end of one of them the phrase "I love to live and I live to love"(written when she was 12) --that sums Amy up so beautifully. I truly wish that all the hateful people (especially on the web) would read this book--maybe they would think twice about judging other people, blaming other people and acting holier than thou.
We are all humans and can fall--we have no right to high horse it and say someone "chose" to self-medicate ---but there are probably no families in the U.S. without at least one hard core alcoholic in them. No one can truly feel another's pain (we can empathize) but those who judge should be ashamed--reading this really gives you a bird's eye view into the world of addiction and how much it can take and how easily it can slip in. My heart goes out to Amy's family and everyone who loved her, as it always has, but now I feel even more qualified to defend my girl (and boy have I--that's a daily chore on the net) and to find out who has the empathy and kindness to be included in my life--anyone who wants to stand in judgment of someone else's life and pain, does not belong in my life.
Interestingly when I awoke this morning and began reading the news, I found that Amy's ex-husband Blake (who introduced her to hard drugs--don't let anyone tell you differently--he admits it himself)was in a coma after an overdose of heroin and alcohol. There's a very good chance he will brain damaged and may even die. Her father, who has no love for this waste, still took to Twitter to ask for prayers because "Amy loved him..." and that rather sums up his character. Highly recommend this book to fans of Amy, as well as those who have family members or even are struggling with addiction themselves.
What a beautifully written book. By turns heartbreaking and funny and above all so very honest. I don't think anyone has ever fought so hard for another person's life--and yet never giving in to the martyr syndrome--the sympathy you feel for Amy and her family is real and honest--Mitch writes of being exhausted by the constant attention needed to protect Amy from bad influences and users and eventually herself. He writes of his frustration and anger at Amy's inability to stop drinking, her fight to drop hard drugs and get her life back on track.
I went into this book wanting to know specifically of Amy's life as well as her family and friends---and I walked out with so much more. I learned all I could ask and at the same time learned even more about addiction than I already know (my ex-long term partner of almost 10 years was an alcoholic and has only gotten clean in the last year--so I am familiar with addiction and the terrible strain it causes and how badly it warps the soul.)
I also learned so many wonderful things about Amy--her generosity, her humor, her wits (she was brilliant at math:) and despite losing her battle, her strength to keep fighting on. I think the very last part of the book where Mitch is reading through some of Amy's notebooks and finds at the end of one of them the phrase "I love to live and I live to love"(written when she was 12) --that sums Amy up so beautifully. I truly wish that all the hateful people (especially on the web) would read this book--maybe they would think twice about judging other people, blaming other people and acting holier than thou.
We are all humans and can fall--we have no right to high horse it and say someone "chose" to self-medicate ---but there are probably no families in the U.S. without at least one hard core alcoholic in them. No one can truly feel another's pain (we can empathize) but those who judge should be ashamed--reading this really gives you a bird's eye view into the world of addiction and how much it can take and how easily it can slip in. My heart goes out to Amy's family and everyone who loved her, as it always has, but now I feel even more qualified to defend my girl (and boy have I--that's a daily chore on the net) and to find out who has the empathy and kindness to be included in my life--anyone who wants to stand in judgment of someone else's life and pain, does not belong in my life.
Interestingly when I awoke this morning and began reading the news, I found that Amy's ex-husband Blake (who introduced her to hard drugs--don't let anyone tell you differently--he admits it himself)was in a coma after an overdose of heroin and alcohol. There's a very good chance he will brain damaged and may even die. Her father, who has no love for this waste, still took to Twitter to ask for prayers because "Amy loved him..." and that rather sums up his character. Highly recommend this book to fans of Amy, as well as those who have family members or even are struggling with addiction themselves.
June 17, 2020
In Amy, My Daughter, Mitch Winehouse tells a heartbreaking story of family, fame, talent and tragedy. The book really allows you to get to know the girl behind the high beehive and the thick eyeliner.
The book details the memorable moments from Amy's childhood, her constant changes of schools, her rise to stardom with Frank , her introduction to future-husband Blake Fielder-Civil and, subsequently, her introduction to Class-A drugs. And this is where the majority of the book lies... Less of a music biography and more of a story of addiction.
The technical writing leaves a lot to be desired but, for the most part, this will be read by Amy's fans to get to know the girl they all felt they knew and knew they loved. As in any story of addiction, there are bright moments, and in those moments you smile and promise yourself, just as her family did, that that is what you will remember about Amy.
The end of the book comes much too soon and, though you already know how it ends, it is gut-wrenching. You spend the majority of the book forgetting reality and rooting for her to overcome her demons, but she does not. Prepare yourself. This is emotional.
All in all Amy, My Daughter is a quick book that all fans should read. It should also be read if you or someone you know has struggled with addiction, if you like celebrity biographies, or if you simply like stories of a family that truly always sticks together.
The book details the memorable moments from Amy's childhood, her constant changes of schools, her rise to stardom with Frank , her introduction to future-husband Blake Fielder-Civil and, subsequently, her introduction to Class-A drugs. And this is where the majority of the book lies... Less of a music biography and more of a story of addiction.
The technical writing leaves a lot to be desired but, for the most part, this will be read by Amy's fans to get to know the girl they all felt they knew and knew they loved. As in any story of addiction, there are bright moments, and in those moments you smile and promise yourself, just as her family did, that that is what you will remember about Amy.
The end of the book comes much too soon and, though you already know how it ends, it is gut-wrenching. You spend the majority of the book forgetting reality and rooting for her to overcome her demons, but she does not. Prepare yourself. This is emotional.
All in all Amy, My Daughter is a quick book that all fans should read. It should also be read if you or someone you know has struggled with addiction, if you like celebrity biographies, or if you simply like stories of a family that truly always sticks together.
January 8, 2013
Dear god, I wouldn't have been able to get through this book if I weren't so obsessed with Amy Winehouse right now. Her dad is an atrocious writer, he's very unperceptive, and I have a feeling he's a bit of a fame-whore. Not a good book, but the only one that's out right now, unfortunately.
December 4, 2012
You question why someone would even write such a book, but as a grieving parent (with many fingers pointed at him over time,) I suppose he wanted to set the record straight on what he did or did not do, based on his own perceptions. I still say, given the severity of this woman's addictions he could have gone to court, declared her incompetent and locked her down. If you read her history, as you will in this book, I didn't get the sense the parents ever put checks on her behavior, even as a small, disruptive child. I also think the parents divorce played some role in Winehouse's later actions. My own memories of her in her last years were people taking bets when she would die, her always appearing in public in disarray, dirty looking (even her skin,) that rats nest of fake hair, all of those nasty tattoos--you just wanted to scrub her down with Clorox. As for talent. Short and too fast. She never had to pay any dues by doing the small gigs and learning experiences. Rather thrust out into the public eye, and it was a hard one. The mess of a marriage with an equally disreptuable person. I really haven't got one nice thing to say about her. I didn't even like her music. I think she was overindulged, spoiled, and had way too many leeches, including her family, clinging to the dollar teet. She also blew through volumes of money--buying strangers watches for half a million dollars. Paying off allegedly friends drug debts. If her parents loved her, they did a lousy job in their parenting.
September 28, 2012
To me, Amy Winehouse was just a singer. I loved her music, but all I really knew was that she had a ton of tattoos, was a drug addict, an alcoholic, and a British Jew. When I was wandering through the shelves of Barnes & Noble, I caught a glimpse of the cover. It was a beautiful photograph of her. She seemed so...her. I bought it, and started it immediately. My mother and father told me it wasn't age appropriate, so I decided to continue reading it discreetly. It was so intriguing. The best part was, it was from someone who actually knew her. It wasn't one of those biographies that was written by a crazed fans that wrote the book to convert all the readers to "Amy Winehouse-ism", or the type of novel that was written by an anti-Amy Winehouse-ist, that just wanted to show the bad side of her. But this was written by her father, Mitch Winehouse. Mitch Winehouse showed how difficult life really was for her. I highly recommend this book. I couldn't put it down! Phenomenal work!!!
Want to read
January 17, 2016Ayer vi Amy y me acordé de cuánto amo y extraño a Amy Winehouse y de lo necesaria que es una artista como ella en ésta época musical.
Todavía no termino de leer este libro en particular- llegué hasta donde empieza a hablar de Blake y paré. Mucho me hace acordar a la desesperación de Deborah Spungen con su hija Nancy en And I don't want to live this life. (Que tu hijo/a se meta en una relación destructiva tiene que ser una de las peores pesadillas de un padre/madre)
Por ahora, prefiero dejar un link para que la escuchen acá (nunca es tarde para conocerla)
Todavía no termino de leer este libro en particular- llegué hasta donde empieza a hablar de Blake y paré. Mucho me hace acordar a la desesperación de Deborah Spungen con su hija Nancy en And I don't want to live this life. (Que tu hijo/a se meta en una relación destructiva tiene que ser una de las peores pesadillas de un padre/madre)
Por ahora, prefiero dejar un link para que la escuchen acá (nunca es tarde para conocerla)
July 22, 2015
SO SAD!!
Reading about Amy's life is a both sad and highly frustrating.
First, this book is written by Amy's dad, and as such, I looked at it in two ways: 1. He was the closest person to Amy, and therefor, very reliable source of information about anything regarding Amy.
2. Mitch Winehouse was such a loving and devoted dad, that I don't know how true his perspective is.
Amy had a, mostly, happy childhood. She was clever, friendly, lovable, and highly talented.
Her family was close, like a lot of Jewish families are, and they always encouraged and supported her.
This might be where they also failed to help her in the early stages of her 'way down the rabbit hole'.
The sentence in her song 'Rehab'- "My daddy thinks I'm fine' is a fitting and true to the situation.
It's easy to judge some of Amy's dad actions, or lack of them, but I couldn't do it!
Mitch was there for Amy almost every single day of her life, struggling with every bad thing that happened to her, and was her strength and her shoulder. He took care of her, and did everything with best intentions.
Yes, in retrospect, it's easy to look back and say: why did you not do it differently!??!
I won't be doing it!
I know better!
In difficult situations, especially when you are dealing with your own kid, you need to choose your way of action out of the few options that are in front of you.
Amy's dad chose (mostly) the way that said- the addiction will stop when the addict will decide to put an end to the addiction.
It made you want to scream so loud at times, made you want to shake Mitch and tell him to do something about Blake, to take Amy and lock her in a room until she sees what is happening and to just put an end to it!!
But, Mitch chose his way, not without questioning himself all the time, and we will never know if it was one that helped Amy to overcome some deep lows (and she bravely did!), or one that did the very opposite.
I adore Mitch devotion and dedication to his daughter, it was amazing and heart breaking to see how he almost put his own life aside for years, and just lived to support Amy.
She was lucky to have him, and the best thing is that she knew it!
Some things in the book I did not get.
-The mystery of Blake and his low-life, blood-sucking, trash of a family.
-Amy's mom absence from her life (Mitch was kindly stating that Janis was always an amazing mom, yet she was NEVER there!)
-Some of Amy's close friends actions (or lack of).
The book is written in a way that makes you feel like you are listening to Mitch, sitting in front of you and simply telling you Amy's sad story, without any excuses for Amy or for himself.
As an Amy fan, I was reading this book with hope that maybe, somehow, the bitter, sad end, will not come after all.
It did.
I was crying like a baby through out the last 10% of the book.
You can't not cry!
I miss Amy and her talent so much.
Xox
Reading about Amy's life is a both sad and highly frustrating.
First, this book is written by Amy's dad, and as such, I looked at it in two ways: 1. He was the closest person to Amy, and therefor, very reliable source of information about anything regarding Amy.
2. Mitch Winehouse was such a loving and devoted dad, that I don't know how true his perspective is.
Amy had a, mostly, happy childhood. She was clever, friendly, lovable, and highly talented.
Her family was close, like a lot of Jewish families are, and they always encouraged and supported her.
This might be where they also failed to help her in the early stages of her 'way down the rabbit hole'.
The sentence in her song 'Rehab'- "My daddy thinks I'm fine' is a fitting and true to the situation.
It's easy to judge some of Amy's dad actions, or lack of them, but I couldn't do it!
Mitch was there for Amy almost every single day of her life, struggling with every bad thing that happened to her, and was her strength and her shoulder. He took care of her, and did everything with best intentions.
Yes, in retrospect, it's easy to look back and say: why did you not do it differently!??!
I won't be doing it!
I know better!
In difficult situations, especially when you are dealing with your own kid, you need to choose your way of action out of the few options that are in front of you.
Amy's dad chose (mostly) the way that said- the addiction will stop when the addict will decide to put an end to the addiction.
It made you want to scream so loud at times, made you want to shake Mitch and tell him to do something about Blake, to take Amy and lock her in a room until she sees what is happening and to just put an end to it!!
But, Mitch chose his way, not without questioning himself all the time, and we will never know if it was one that helped Amy to overcome some deep lows (and she bravely did!), or one that did the very opposite.
I adore Mitch devotion and dedication to his daughter, it was amazing and heart breaking to see how he almost put his own life aside for years, and just lived to support Amy.
She was lucky to have him, and the best thing is that she knew it!
Some things in the book I did not get.
-The mystery of Blake and his low-life, blood-sucking, trash of a family.
-Amy's mom absence from her life (Mitch was kindly stating that Janis was always an amazing mom, yet she was NEVER there!)
-Some of Amy's close friends actions (or lack of).
The book is written in a way that makes you feel like you are listening to Mitch, sitting in front of you and simply telling you Amy's sad story, without any excuses for Amy or for himself.
As an Amy fan, I was reading this book with hope that maybe, somehow, the bitter, sad end, will not come after all.
It did.
I was crying like a baby through out the last 10% of the book.
You can't not cry!
I miss Amy and her talent so much.
Xox
September 8, 2014
I felt this book was written more as a therapeutic release for her Father Mitch than for his daughter, or indeed putting the record straight, which isn't a bad thing.
I must thank Mitch for allowing us an insight to Amy that we never would have seen. I can see she was a spoilt 'Daddies" girl, and as hard as her Father tried to steer her in the right course of her life, she never made it.
Amy is one of the tragic celebrity stars that are lost to this world too early, ones that can give so much, but never make it, but leave us so much.
Many similar cases have been written about, this one unique of course to Mitch as its his daughter. I remember reading another story some time back like this.
Apart from Amy's struggles within herself, she has left a legacy of her superb music, each one with lyrics to really listen to and adhere.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, Nonfiction/Collins vi Net Galley for allowing me to read and have a chance to review this book.
I do have to say, that yes, in some places the book is repetitive, but this just enhances the books authenticity more I feel.
No one can sit on judgement of another family, unless they have a perfect family themselves.
I must thank Mitch for allowing us an insight to Amy that we never would have seen. I can see she was a spoilt 'Daddies" girl, and as hard as her Father tried to steer her in the right course of her life, she never made it.
Amy is one of the tragic celebrity stars that are lost to this world too early, ones that can give so much, but never make it, but leave us so much.
Many similar cases have been written about, this one unique of course to Mitch as its his daughter. I remember reading another story some time back like this.
Apart from Amy's struggles within herself, she has left a legacy of her superb music, each one with lyrics to really listen to and adhere.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, Nonfiction/Collins vi Net Galley for allowing me to read and have a chance to review this book.
I do have to say, that yes, in some places the book is repetitive, but this just enhances the books authenticity more I feel.
No one can sit on judgement of another family, unless they have a perfect family themselves.
October 28, 2015
Love Amy Winehouse's music; didn't love this biography/memoir. Boring and poorly written. I only finished it because my students are reading memoirs/biographies/autobiographies, and I needed a similar sample to model with for them.
January 10, 2016
This book adds little to understanding the woman who changed contemporary music with her voice and phrasing. I think the only true insight I got out of the book was that she could only write music when she was unhappy. Repetitive and one note throughout.
August 30, 2012
Geez, I thought this would be about Amy not her egomaniac father. RIP Amy.
September 26, 2024
2011 yılında öldüğünde çok üzüldüğüm kişiydi Amy Winehouse. Merak edip okudum ve bilmediğim çok detayı öğrendim isminin nereden geldiği kişiliği vb detayları. Bir önceki Eroin kitabı gibi çok edebi değeri yok ama güzel akıcı bir kitap. Buraya kitap hakkında yorum yazmasam Amy Winehouse hakkında çok şey yazarım o dönemi hala dün gibi hatırladığım ve hala şarkılarını dinlediğim için. Birçok süperstar gibi ışık hızıyla yükselip çabuk aramızdan göçmüştü Amy sevgilisi yüzünden.
February 24, 2016
This book was pretty terrible. I hardly ever give a book 1 star but Oy vey what a bunch of crap.
A weird dichotomy of TMI re-sexy underwear purchasing and period details from a father about his daughter (creepy) and repetitive non information like "Amy was acting tipsy" or whatever.
Can you say co-dependent?
A weird dichotomy of TMI re-sexy underwear purchasing and period details from a father about his daughter (creepy) and repetitive non information like "Amy was acting tipsy" or whatever.
Can you say co-dependent?
August 4, 2012
I couldn't finish this book. It was badly written and I was very disappointed in it! I was disappointed that I could not get into it!
November 17, 2012
I have been intrigued with Amy Winehouse ever since her father talked about her generosity after she passed away last year. He was giving away Amy's belongings to fans that had thronged outside her London home after her death. He said that "Amy would want it that way."
This is a heartbreaking read about Amy's life and her battle with drugs and alcohol. Told from her father's perspective, you watch him go from through hell and back trying to help her through different bouts of rehab, detoxing, hope that this time the addiction is beat for good, and then crushing despair when she falls to the chains of drugs and alcohol again.
What most impresses me about this wrenching journey of Mitch Winehouse is his steadfastness and decision to never give up on his daughter no matter how many times she failed in her attempts to get clean. He was always there for her even when his heart was breaking or he could see where she was headed. His love and dedication is a real inspiration to me with my own children. Hopefully I will never have to go through the horrors of drug and alcohol abuse but his example of sticking with her in the bad times and encouraging her in hopeful times gives me a template for what to do when my children are being difficult or frustrating and I just feel like giving up on them. I know that I need to keep loving them, keep patience and keep positive. I appreciate Mr. Winehouse sharing this difficult and sad story.
This is a heartbreaking read about Amy's life and her battle with drugs and alcohol. Told from her father's perspective, you watch him go from through hell and back trying to help her through different bouts of rehab, detoxing, hope that this time the addiction is beat for good, and then crushing despair when she falls to the chains of drugs and alcohol again.
What most impresses me about this wrenching journey of Mitch Winehouse is his steadfastness and decision to never give up on his daughter no matter how many times she failed in her attempts to get clean. He was always there for her even when his heart was breaking or he could see where she was headed. His love and dedication is a real inspiration to me with my own children. Hopefully I will never have to go through the horrors of drug and alcohol abuse but his example of sticking with her in the bad times and encouraging her in hopeful times gives me a template for what to do when my children are being difficult or frustrating and I just feel like giving up on them. I know that I need to keep loving them, keep patience and keep positive. I appreciate Mr. Winehouse sharing this difficult and sad story.
March 8, 2013
This is a father's description of how his daughter's addictions spun her out of control. No amount of love or caring could stop it. The story behind the narrative is that addiction saps the life of the addict and everyone else around. There is no normal in this - only the near futile attempts to stop the addict.
While the public knows of her exceptional talent, they might not have known of her generosity. Amy committed to an operation for a stranger in St. Lucia and unlimited horse to rides for kids. Her father (who was wise to hold the purse strings) was pleased to indulge this as long as she was free of booze and drugs.
The father-daughter relationship is beautiful. Here is a father who can relate to his daughter. They are friends and loving pals. This doesn't stop Amy from her addiction to Blake, who had no discernible commonality with her father.
Due to a big project at work I didn't have time to read it as a whole. I had to put it down and pick it up weeks later, so I read it in two segments. An index would have helped. I had to back track to remember people, like "American Blake" and places like the hospitals and neighborhoods. The book, while a narrative, needs an index.
While fans may be interested in this book, families suffering through the addictions of their members will be more so.
While the public knows of her exceptional talent, they might not have known of her generosity. Amy committed to an operation for a stranger in St. Lucia and unlimited horse to rides for kids. Her father (who was wise to hold the purse strings) was pleased to indulge this as long as she was free of booze and drugs.
The father-daughter relationship is beautiful. Here is a father who can relate to his daughter. They are friends and loving pals. This doesn't stop Amy from her addiction to Blake, who had no discernible commonality with her father.
Due to a big project at work I didn't have time to read it as a whole. I had to put it down and pick it up weeks later, so I read it in two segments. An index would have helped. I had to back track to remember people, like "American Blake" and places like the hospitals and neighborhoods. The book, while a narrative, needs an index.
While fans may be interested in this book, families suffering through the addictions of their members will be more so.
August 16, 2012
After reading this book, I have developed a whole new sense of respect for artists. What I had to keep reminding myself throughout the book, was that her father wrote the book. Incredibly inspiring. Especially as a parent who witnesses first-hand substance abuse, the incredible strength Mitch must have had to endure all this under the public eye. I'm not a very good reviewer so I'll go straight to the point, it may seem that some chapters go in circles. You'll know what I mean around the time she has met Blake. But I think that's what makes this book so authentic as a biography, so real. There's no sugar coating it.
As a family member affected by substance abuse and self-harm, it's not what you can do for your loved one, it's what you can't do, and that's the battle Amy tragically lost. I was incredibly moved that Mitch created a foundation for people in similar situations and get the word out there that there is help, if you ask for i
Before, I just thought of Amy as she was portrayed in the media. But now when her songs come on the radio, I understand where her songs come from, and how she came to write the lyrics.
Brilliant artist, brilliant book.
As a family member affected by substance abuse and self-harm, it's not what you can do for your loved one, it's what you can't do, and that's the battle Amy tragically lost. I was incredibly moved that Mitch created a foundation for people in similar situations and get the word out there that there is help, if you ask for i
Before, I just thought of Amy as she was portrayed in the media. But now when her songs come on the radio, I understand where her songs come from, and how she came to write the lyrics.
Brilliant artist, brilliant book.
March 6, 2016
I liked this story by Amy Winehouse's father, Mitch Winehouse. Even though I knew the sad outcome, it helped me get to know her, at least from her dad's perspective some, and he shared the heartbreak of loving a family member whose life is in the throes of drug and/or alcohol addiction, and how it affects the addict along with everyone around them. I feel he really wanted to show that Amy had been doing lots better before she died, and it was important to him to get that point out, which I feel he more than accomplished. It tells the story of Amy at work and at play, married and single, in love and out. Gives a much broader picture of her than most of us got from the news and makes her more real. And yet she still seems a mystery.
September 19, 2015
Yeah, I could not do it. It's good for the pictures and some of the stories of her childhood are cute but this book is like a run on sentence. There are no connections between one paragraph to another. It seems like he just typed the thoughts that came into his head and no one arranged it to make it flow better. The editor or ghost writer failed.
September 25, 2013
Very tragic story. But too repetitive and exhausting.. The drunkalog could have been summed up in far fewer pages. My heart breaks for Amy's dad and family, but this book is far too one-sided. Mostly disturbing to hear that so many "friends" were around her that were so incredibly toxic.
July 20, 2013
This was a DNF for me. It just felt all over the place, like his it was just a jumble of memories and nothing focused or driven that would give me any insight to Amy's life.
December 2, 2014
Fascinating & Insightful! A Beautiful & Bittersweet Story!
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