Everyone has heard of Amy Winehouse – the British singer-songwriter known for her jazzy, soul and blues-influenced sound; and for the tragedies surrounding her premature death in 2011. But how well did we really know Amy?
Before you even enter the Design Museum’s ‘Amy: Beyond the Stage’ exhibition, you will be able to hear the deep and expressive vocals from outside. The exhibition features many of Winehouse’s different performances on video screens, including a mock-up recording studio where visitors can sit and observe a session. We find out about the origin of her unusual, cross-genre sound and how this was the result of all the music she listened to in her North London household growing up. As a teen, Winehouse and her family listened to a lot of hip-hop, soul and jazz – it was interesting to find out that her paternal grandmother briefly dated famous jazz musician Ronnie Scott.
‘Amy: Beyond the Stage’’ uses a variety of media to portray Winehouse’s day-to-day life and show what she was like as a person. There are over twenty of her iconic outfits displayed on mannequins and a number of her guitars hang on the wall. I loved all the personal objects in this exhibit including handwritten lyrics, a used mascara wand from her ‘Back To Black’ era and an acceptance letter from ‘The Brit School. There are even some of her diary entries featured – my favourite being one titled: “Things I can do to make my parents think I’m responsible.” These touches made the exhibit seem very intimate but were especially poignant as she was gone so soon.
“What I loved most about this exhibition,” said Susan Davey, who recently visited ‘Amy: Beyond the Stage’, “Is that it celebrates Winehouse’s life rather than focusing on her struggles.” Winehouse suffered from disordered eating and drug and alcohol misuse throughout her life, but while recognising this, the exhibition centres around her achievements and her personality, which shines through in TV interviews in sections of the exhibition. This is unlike various magazine articles and the 2015 film documentary ‘Amy’, which partly focuses on her downward spiral before her tragic death.
At the end of the exhibition, there is an immersive performance of Winehouse singing her 2006 hit ‘Tears Dry On Their Own’ at Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Amy is animated with brush-like visuals that jump around the semi-circular room. The sounds echoing around make you feel like she is there, performing and it leaves you with a sense of sadness because it makes you remember how young she was (27) when she died and how much talent she had – she is very much missed and will forever be remembered as a lost talent.
“Amy: Beyond The Stage is open until 10th April 2022. Book here: https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/amy-beyond-the-stage
https://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/19958931.amy-winehouse-design-museum-fresh-perspective—rosa-snow-kgs/
