23 July 2011; with her gravelly voice and eclectic style, Amy Winehouse, 27, who was found dead in London, won comparison with some of the great female singers such as Sarah Vaughn and Nina Simone. But like another great singer, Janis Joplin, she had a talent for self destruction, and fought a long battle against substance abuse. Amy Jade Winehouse was born on 14 September 1983 in the well-to-do area of Southgate, north London. Her taxi driver father, Mitchell, was a jazz enthusiast and often sang songs to his daughter as she grew up. She trained at the Susi Earnshaw Theatre School from the age of eight and, by the time she was 10, had formed a rap group with one of her best friends.