Amy Winehouse biography

She was arrested in May 2008 for questioning, but wasn't formally charged in the case after police said they could not officially determine what the singer was smoking. After publicly admitting to illegal substance abuse, Winehouse was denied a U.S. visa due to her "use and abuse of narcotics." The visa prevented her from performing live at the 2008 Grammy Awards. Instead, the she performed in London via satellite. During the evening's ceremony, Winehouse won five Grammy Awards,

including for best new artist, record of the year and song of the year—becoming the first British singer to win five Grammy Awards, as well as tying with singer Beyoncé Knowles for the record of the most Grammy wins by a female artist in a single night. (Knowles broke that record in 2010, when she won six Grammy Awards in one night; and Adele tied that record with six Grammy wins in 2012.)

Personal Setbacks

Despite her musical success, Winehouse's health and personal life began to quickly deteriorate. Her erratic behavior continued in June 2008, when she appeared to punch a fan during a performance at the Glastonbury Music Festival in England. Londoner James Gostelow, 25, told BBC News that Winehouse elbowed him in the forehead after someone in the crowd behind him threw a hat at her. In a widely circulated video of the incident, Winehouse was seen throwing a series of punches into the crowd. Gostelow said he had no intention of making a complaint to police, and Winehouse escaped criminal proceedings.

After the concert, Winehouse returned to a London clinic, where she had been receiving treatment for "traces of emphysema" and an irregular heartbeat caused by smoking crack cocaine and cigarettes. Winehouse's father told reporters that his daughter was warned that she would have to wear an oxygen mask if she didn't stop abusing drugs. That same month, Fielder-Civil and his three co-defendants pleaded guilty to assault and obstruction charges. The courts released Fielder-Civil from jail time on the condition that he stay in a drug rehabilitation center for long-term treatment.

By the end of 2008, the singer's marriage had dissolved. During Fielder-Civil's court appeal to leave rehab, Winehouse spotted German model Sophie Schandorff mouthing "I love you" to the singer's husband. Sources say that Winehouse's spouse later told his wife that he wanted to end their relationship. "It's over," Winehouse told reporters. "There's no way back for us now. It was never going to last." In January 2009, Winehouse's spokesperson confirmed that divorce proceedings had begun between Fielder-Civil and Winehouse, claiming adultery as the reason for the split.

Attempted Comeback

Regardless of personal setbacks, 2009 proved to be another strong year for Winehouse. In 2008, her album Back to Black was declared the second-highest selling album in the world, and in 2009, she earned entry into the Guinness Book of World Records for "Most Grammy Awards Won by a British Female Act."

Additionally, Winehouse announced that she was starting her own record label, Lioness Records, later signing her 13-year-old goddaughter, Dionne Bromfield, as the first musician on the label.