'We'll solely ever have one Amy; nobody will have the ability to replicate what she had': 10 years on from Amy Winehouse’s dying, her goddaughter, Dionne Bromfield, reveals the Amy she knew

Amy Winehouse was one of many greatest, most proficient and profitable feminine British singer-songwriters of all time. And whereas her multi-award profitable 2006 album, Black to Black and her iconic beehived Sixties impressed look may need sky-rocketed her to international fame, in the direction of the tip of her life, she sadly turned simply as well-known for her erratic love life, substance-abuse points and consuming issues. This week it will likely be 10 years since Amy was discovered lifeless at her Camden house on July twenty third 2011. An inquest later dominated she had died from alcohol poisoning on the age of 27, thus becoming a member of the infamous "27 membership" of music legends together with Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix who all misplaced their lives at this younger age.

To mark the anniversary, Amy’s goddaughter and protege, the singer, Dionne Bromfield, 25, has made a transferring MTV documentary concerning the singer, by which she revisits these in Amy’s life who knew her greatest and divulges a softer, extra maternal aspect to the singer. She reveals how Amy mentored her and helped her profession, shares her fondest recollections of her time with Amy and expresses how she believes she was on the street to restoration within the months main as much as her premature dying. GLAMOUR sat down with Dionne to listen to about he life with Amy.

Why did you are feeling that this was the best time to revisit Amy's life and your relationship along with her and to make this documentary?

I feel 10 years is such an enormous quantity. I saved desirous about her for fairly a while…she simply saved popping in my mind somewhat bit extra the place I'd been doing job at not desirous about her for a strong eight years. After which I assumed there's such a tremendous aspect to Amy that I might love folks to see. I feel folks have considered my relationship along with her from afar or on floor degree, however it could be nice to permit folks to see how she actually was, which was simply the sort, loving, caring Amy.

One of the fascinating factors within the documentary is that you simply revealed that her life function was to be a mom and a spouse. Are you able to discuss a bit extra about that?

Music, that was her ardour, that was her love. She bled that out, actually, music, however she additionally simply wished to be a tremendous spouse and a superb mom. And I feel with me, I used to be the youngest individual that was actually round her in a world filled with adults that I form of gave her the motherly aspect that she wished. And, I beloved it, as a result of she was nice.

How did Amy come into your life and grow to be your godmother?

My Mum [Julie Din] and Amy had been buddies for some time and she or he was within the music business, doing PA work. However my mum knew Amy out of the music business too by way of family and friends, as she's Jewish as properly, [like Amy was]. After which I received launched at some point to Amy once I was six, and I feel the factor that drew me and Amy collectively was the truth that I used to be simply very harmless, and I used to be simply very trustworthy with what I might assume. After which the extra I began moving into music and having a liking for it, she was like, "Properly, hey, let me enable you to." To have the ability to study from one of the best is a tremendous factor. So when you’ve got one of the best there, you take up all of that in.

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What did she educate you?

I'd take heed to music or songs and I'd say to her, "Oh, did you hear this tune?" And he or she'd be like, "Yeah. How do you know about these items?" I'm like, "I simply discovered it on YouTube." And he or she'd be like, "Okay, properly, take heed to this tune." And it could be some Marvin Gaye tune, and she or he'd be like, "Research it." After which the subsequent time I'd see her, she'd be like, "So what did you find out about this tune? Give me three issues."…She was actually adamant on me getting singing classes.

And he or she received you into the Sylvia Younger Theatre faculty, whose previous pupils have included Adele and Dua Lipa?

Yeah, she did. So she went to Sylvia Younger faculty. Clearly not concurrently me, however she went there. And I actually didn’t wish to go to that college, as a result of I simply thought that it was going to be one thing out of Fame. All of those youngsters are simply going to be simply going to be pirouetting down the hallway, and that's not me. I used to be like, "No, no, no." We had an enormous battle, me, her, and my mum. I bear in mind crying and nearly screaming to not go to the college, as a result of I simply thought nobody's going to just accept me. Properly, I couldn't have been extra flawed. It was top-of-the-line faculties.

Within the documentary, you discuss how the media and public notion of Amy, with all of the chaos and the demons was not the Amy you knew or ever noticed. How did she protect you from that type of darkish aspect of her life?

She was all the time eager to be on 10 out of 10 when she was round me. I imply, I'm not silly, however on the identical time I used to be very very similar to, "No, I can see this as anyone who’s eager to get higher and making an attempt to get higher, so I'm not going so as to add gasoline to the hearth and maintain placing them down…So my approach of serving to was by being like, if she'd been placing on weight, I'd be like, "You've placed on good weight at the moment. You look actually good." Or if she'd carried out her hair very nice, I’d say “your hair appears actually excessive at the moment.” Simply making her really feel assured in herself.

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And also you went to St. Lucia within the Caribbean along with her in 2009, when she was detoxing from medicine? How was that have?

I used to be 12 on the time. However, she was nice. That's one in all my fondest locations that I bear in mind Amy in, as a result of I all the time name it the rebirth. And, yeah, it was the turning level. She was positively probably the most I'd say safe in life. That was a girl that was getting herself higher, in the end.

And had been you conscious then of points that had been happening in her life, like her marriage breakdown with Blake Fielder Civil?

It was by no means one thing you talked about. It was private. Like I mentioned earlier than, I'm not going to concentrate on the detrimental. I used to be younger. It's in all probability a fortunate factor that I used to be younger, so I wasn't proven that aspect.

It was additionally actually courageous of you within the documentary while you went to see Jevan, her former private assistant. And that was the primary time that the 2 of you had received collectively and talked about that second that you simply came upon about her dying, while you had been on tour supporting The Wantedand then you definately went on stage to carry out. How was that?

I received advised, after which [management] had been like, "Hear, let's return to London. You don't have to do that." However I knew and I mentioned, "Properly, we're right here now. We're in the course of Wales, there's no level simply going again to London." Actually it was about quarter-hour till I needed to be on the stage, and the promoters had been actually taking into account what occurred and I mentioned, "No, Amy would need me to do that. She wouldn't need me to be moping round."

And this was simply three days after you'd final seen her, she'd come on stage at The Roundhouse in Camden with you?

It was the primary time she'd seen me carry out as an viewers member publicly. So, yeah, she was on the aspect of the stage…after which she got here out and she or he danced and it was actually, actually nice. And he or she was actually good. There have been lots of positives. And I all the time say if that's the final time you possibly can see somebody, I hope it's like that, as a result of it was an awesome ultimate second for me.

What have you ever realized about Amy that you simply didn't know earlier than making this documentary?

I knew she was good, however simply by speaking to different folks, I form of was reintroduced to how good she was. Only a very, very intelligent woman, or lady. Oh, she was extremely humorous and extremely good. Folks that I spoke to knew her very properly as properly, so it was good to have that reassurance that I'm not the one one which felt like this for Amy.

What classes do you assume have been realized from Amy's life and dying?

Simply to be kinder. I feel that's an enormous factor, to be kinder and I feel that's one thing that ought to actually be taught from the second you're born. I positively assume we’re as a technology being a bit extra conscious of individuals's emotions.

If Amy had been nonetheless alive at the moment, what do you assume she can be doing now in 2021?

I'm certain there would have been music. I'm certain she would nonetheless be performing. Possibly she would have been a mom herself.

What do you assume her legacy is?

We'll solely ever have one Amy. I don't assume anybody will have the ability to imitate or replicate [what she had] in any respect. However I feel her legacy is simply actually being true to herself. I feel anybody that actually ever met her or watched interviews or something like that noticed that she was simply an trustworthy, genuine particular person. And that's why I feel in all probability haven't seen anybody like that since, as a result of it's very uncommon.

And what subsequent for you, Dionne?

I've simply launched a single known as "Foolish Love". It's the primary single from my EP that can come out afterward this yr. There's going to be a couple of extra singles as properly, however I'm actually enthusiastic about that. For some time I hadn't been actually eager to make music, so I felt actually strongly connected to this venture. So I'm actually excited for folks to be re-introduced to me musically as properly.

Amy Winehouse and Me: Dionne’s Story airs on MTV UK Monday twenty sixth July at 10pm.

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