I, like millions of others, was a big Winehouse fan when Back to Black came out. I was probably more enamored with her band, The Dap Kings (who I learned later was Sharon Jones' band, as well as a great band in their own right) and producer Mark Ronson, as I gravitate more toward the sound and feel of the music than the lyrics or even the voice. But once the music moved me, I got into the lyrics, and her songwriting really impressed me. I also enjoyed her take on other classics, like Moody's Mood for Love, Cupid, and Monkey Man.
Her influence helped make it possible for other retro women to make it on a bigger scale, like Duffy, Adele, Lily Allen, and even Sharon Jones. I think even Imelda May's career probably got a bit of a boost from people who saw additional promise in marketing retro sounds. Whether it was her actual talent, or the Dap-Tone sound, or the brilliance of Mark Ronson's production, the music she released in her brief career will endure, and the idea that we will never hear from her again (save for a duet with Tony Bennett coming in September) is truly sad.
Sometimes you just can't save people from their own self-destructive tendencies.
No, no, no-a-billy
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Subject: Amy Winehouse died 
Sat Jul 23, 2011 10:19 am
So, I preferred not to make a mistake ;-)