Amy Winehouse had already been a huge name in the world of music for nearly half a decade
when her millions of fans heard the shocking news of her death at the age of 27 in July
2011. Her second album, "Back To Black," which was released in 2006, was an international
smash, spawned a clutch of hit singles including "Rehab," "Back To Black," and "You Know I'm
No Good," and won her countless awards including the Grammy for Best New Artist.
However, in the years following the album's success, the singer found her personal life
— including relationship problems and addiction, which badly affected her performances — increasingly
treated as a public spectacle. She was found dead at her London home by her bodyguard,
who claimed that in the last 24 hours of her life she had been in high spirits. Though
alone in her bedroom, she had reportedly been laughing, watching TV, and happily listening
to music. According to Metro, Winehouse's doctor revealed at the inquest into the singer's
death,
"She was looking forward to the future."
An initial toxicology report on Winehouse's body revealed that the singer had no illegal
substances in her system at the time of death, but she had consumed large quantities of alcohol.
Per The Guardian, the report explained,
"Results indicate that alcohol was present, but it cannot be determined as yet if it played
a role in her death. [...] The family would like to thank the police and coroner for their
continuing thorough investigations and for keeping them informed throughout the process."
Meanwhile, the coroner's report went as far as to describe the tragic events as, quote,
"death by misadventure." However, soon after the initial coroner's report was made public,
it was revealed that the coroner in question did not have the necessary qualifications,
and subsequently resigned from her post, per the Evening Standard. A second inquest into
the singer's death was then commissioned, in which the coroner's report reiterated the
finding of death by misadventure but went on to explain Winehouse's use of alcohol as
the cause, and that the death was a tragic accident.
Winehouse had struggled with both drug and alcohol addiction throughout her life, and
the coroner noted that two empty bottles of vodka were found on the floor in Winehouse's
residence. In a revelation that sadly revealed just how autobiographical the themes of Winehouse's
breakout single "Rehab" were, Winehouse's general practitioner spoke at the second inquest
and described how the singer had decided to avow any treatment for her alcohol addiction
in the belief that such treatments might rob her of her songwriting abilities.
"I write all the lyrics myself. I write on the guitar."
Winehouse had recently traveled to the island of St. Lucia, where, out of the glare of the
paparazzi's cameras, she made significant steps in her recovery from addiction to various
drugs. However, the singer's doctor outlined how Winehouse's abstaining from drugs was
accompanied by a new cyclical use of alcohol, in which, following weeks of sobriety, the
singer would regularly relapse.
The sad truth of Winehouse's final months is that her attempts to maintain sobriety
may in fact have been a contributing factor in her tragic and untimely death. The singer
had avoided drinking alcohol for a month before her relapse, which may have been fatal because
of Winehouse's diminished alcohol tolerance following her long period of abstinence. According
to The Guardian, the amount of alcohol found in her body was 416 milligrams per deciliter
of blood, which was enough to put her into a coma and affect her respiratory system.
Winehouse's older brother Alex later discussed how he believed that the singer's eating disorders
also played a part in her tragic death. He revealed to The Guardian,
"She suffered from bulimia very badly. That's not, like, a revelation – you knew just
by looking at her [...] She would have died eventually, the way she was going, but what
really killed her was the bulimia [...] Absolutely terrible. [...] I think that it left her weaker
and more susceptible. Had she not had an eating disorder, she would have been physically stronger."
Alex now chairs the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which combats drug and alcohol misuse in young
people.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's
National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
If you are struggling with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available.
Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at
1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).