Amy Winehouse’s father Mitch is left in tears as he and the singer’s family visit her grave to mark a decade since her tragic death
Amy Winehouse’s father Mitch was seen brushing away tears as he arrived at Edgwarebury Lane Cemetery to visit his daughter’s grave.
The taxi driver, 70, was emotional as he and Amy’s family and friends went to the late singer’s gravestone on Friday to make a decade since her tragic death.
Amy sadly passed away at her Camden home on July 23 in 2011, an initial inquest reached a verdict of misadventure but a second concluded death by accidental alcohol poisoning.
Emotional: Amy Winehouse’s father Mitch was left in tears as he and the singer’s family visited her grave on Friday to mark a decade since the singer’s tragic death
As he arrived at the cemetery, Mitch was seen reaching up to adjust his glasses and wipe away tears before he greeted Amy’s family and friends.
Once the group arrived they stepped up to Amy’s gravestone, which is also dedicated to her grandmother Cynthia Levy she passed away five years prior to the singer and Amy had a tattoo dedicated to her.
They took a moment to stand in front of her gravestone together, before leaving notes and stones – a Jewish tradition- that they had painted in intricate colours.
Amy’s gravestone faces into a path with a bench opposite, where a number of Amy’s friends and family sat to have a quiet moment.
Loss: Amy (pictured with Mitch in 2006) sadly passed away at her Camden home on July 23, 2011, an inquest concluded she had died by accidental alcohol poisoning
Moved: As he arrived at the cemetery, Mitch greeted Amy’s family and friends
Memorial: Once the group arrived they stepped up to Amy’s gravestone, which is also dedicated to her grandmother Cynthia Levy
Comforting: Two of Amy’s family members were seen hugging each other in greeting
Amy was cremated shortly after her death, and her ashes were buried and marked with the pink and black headstone.
The stone reads: ‘In loving memory of Cynthia Levy … and her beloved granddaughter Amy Jade Winehouse.’
It adds: ‘Forever in the hearts of their devoted family, Mitch and Jane, Janis and Richar, Melody and Elliott Alex and Riva.’
A list of names are also seen and it includes the name Reg, likely to be her boyfriend at the time of her death Reg Traviss.
Remembering her: They took a moment to stand in front of her gravestone together
RIP: Amy was cremated shortly after her death, and her ashes were buried and marked with the pink and black headstone
Tradition: Amy’s family left notes, flowers and a number of stones – a Jewish tradition- that they had painted in intricate colours on her gravestone
A bird is also seen perched on a branch singing with notes emanating from its beak, the symbol is no doubt paying tribute to Amy’s musical talent and incredible voice.
Last week, Mitch revealed he wants his late daughter to be remembered for her successes, including the charity set up in her honour and the royalties which have helped out her family members.
Discussing his daughter’s legacy in an interview with The Sun, Mitch said his mission was to make sure people remember Amy for ‘her talent, her generosity and the love she showed us all’ and ‘not just her troubles with addiction.’
Since her untimely death, her parents, Mitch and mother Janis, set up the Amy Winehouse Foundation 2011 in their daughter’s memory.
Resting place: Amy’s gravestone faces into a path with a bench opposite, where a number of Amy’s friends and family sat to have a quiet moment
Poignant: One person was seen placing a stone on Amy’s grave
Reflection: Another person was seen sat at the bench in front of Amy’s gravestone
The organisation, one element Mitch is keen for the singer to be remembered for, helps to educate young people about substance abuse and was founded off the back of Amy’s ‘love for children and challenges she faced’.
It also set up Amy’s Place, a refuge which can house up to 16 young women at a time while they learn how to adapt to real life and maintain recovery after being in a rehabilitation facility.
In addition, Amy’s songs are still regularly played and admired, pouring in royalties to this day.
Discussing the money Amy’s music still brings to her family, Mitch said: ‘Amy’s mum Janis and I manage her estate, and yes of course her music still makes a lot of money, what she did has set her whole family up.
Hope: Last week, Mitch revealed he wants his late daughter to be remembered for her successes, including the charity set up in her honour
Legacy: Discussing his daughter’s legacy in an interview , Mitch said his mission was to make sure people remember Amy for ‘her talent, her generosity and the love she showed us all’
‘The thing is, though, and I can’t say this clearly enough, I would give back every penny just to have my daughter back
‘Ten years after her death, she is still looking after her loved ones — her family and many of her friends have been supported by her — and that’s typical of her. She was generous in life and in many ways she still is now.’
Mitch’s words come as Amy’s family prepare to air their BBC Two documentary, Reclaiming Amy, for the 10 year anniversary of her death on Friday.
In it, her loved ones described her as ‘the governor’ and ‘a feral cat’ as they revealed they were powerless to stop her drugs and alcohol addiction.
In scenes from the programme, Mitch explained, despite them all staging several interventions to help her, ‘you couldn’t tell her what to do’.
During the special programme, Mitch, reported by The Mirror, said: ‘You couldn’t tell her to do or not do something. If she was going to do it, she’d do it. Nobody controlled Amy. She was the governor.’
Amy’s friend and stylist Naomi Parry echoed Mitch’s sentiments: ‘She looked like you could put her over your shoulder and take her somewhere but it would be like picking up a feral cat. It’s going to scratch your eyes out.’
In the documentary tribute to the late singer, Amy’s mother also explained she was not able to physically deal with her daughter’s addictions because she was suffering with multiple sclerosis.
It comes after Janis shared the heartbreaking final words to her daughter while her step-dad choked back tears over her passing as they discussed the late singer on Thursday’s Lorraine.
In her memory: Since her untimely death, her parents, Mitch and mother Janis (pictured 2008 with the singer), set up the Amy Winehouse Foundation 2011 in their daughter’s memory
Janis and her husband Richard Collins spoke with Lorraine Kelly in the studio about the upcoming documentary.
Speaking with Lorraine in an exclusive interview, the grieving pair recalled their memories of Amy and told how they had tried to help her through her addictions, but insisted that ‘Amy did what Amy wanted to do’.
During the chat, Janis, 66, sadly remembered the last words she said to her daughter before her tragic death.
She said: ‘I remember exactly. I said to her, ‘Amy I love you’and she said, ‘I love you too mummy.’
Making a difference: The organisation helps to educate young people about substance abuse and was founded off the back of Amy’s ‘love for children and challenges she faced’
‘But that’s how we were and I could express my love to her, always. She was very protective of me.’
Meanwhile, things took a very emotional turn as Richard recounted the agonising moment he was forced to tell his wife that her daughter had died.
He explained: ‘It was the worst day of my life. I got the phone call to say that Amy had gone. It was actually her cousin, Martin that phoned.
‘I said, ‘Don’t be silly, we were with her yesterday.’ And he said, ‘No, I’m being absolutely serious.’
‘And then I had to tell Janis. I said, ‘Janis, I don’t know what to say, she’s gone.’ She looked at me and she thought I was talking about my mum, because my mum died a month after Amy – my mum was seriously ill.’
Powerless: Amy’s family are preparing to air their BBC Two documentary Reclaiming Amy, for the 10 year anniversary of her death on Friday (pictured: Amy at Glastonbury in 2007)
Choking back tears at the memory, he went on: ‘She [Janis] said, ‘It’s just your mum’ and I said, ‘No, no. Your baby, she’s really gone.’ And Jan just stood there.’
Janis then went on to tell of her shock at the heart-breaking news, telling Lorraine: ‘It took time for me, disbelief.’
Meanwhile, Janis and Richard opened up about trying to help Amy battle her demons, but there was only so much they could do as Janis suffers with Multiple sclerosis (MS).
The past: In the film, the star’s mother Janis will tell the story of one of the UK’s greatest musical icons through new parts of her life that the public have never heard about (pictured together on holiday)
Janis explained: ‘I was limited by what I could do. I live with it. I’m very good, I’ve got it… and? I’m very nonplussed about it.’
Richard then shared: ‘She [Amy] did try, it’s a misrepresentation. The family bent over backwards, but what people seem to forget is that she was a married woman, she was 27, she was living independently, she was wealthy.
‘People tried to help her, from her management to Mitch to Janis, the family.’
He added: ‘Amy did what Amy wanted to do and that was the bottom line of it. People think she was a very weak character, but she wasn’t. Far from it. She was very, very strong.’
Going on to discussed the foundation set up in the Rehab singer’s memory, Richard said: ‘That’s very, very important to the family. Mitch, his wife Jane – who’s our CEO – work so hard. Unfortunately, because of Janis’ condition we can’t be as involved in it as we’d like…
‘I think we’ve reached out on our drug resilience programme to over 200,000 children around the country with reformed addicts going into schools rather than the policeman or the local teacher. [They say] ‘This is what happened to me.’ The intervention, it’s wonderful.’
While Janis added: ‘It’s done so much good for people. And that’s what it’s about.’
In the film, the star’s mother Janis will tell the story of one of the UK’s greatest musical icons through new parts of her life that the public have never heard about.
Janis said: ‘I don’t feel the world knew the true Amy, the one that I brought up, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to offer an understanding of her roots and a deeper insight into the real Amy.’
Tragic: Amy soared to fame upon the release of Frank in 2003, but her career was plighted by her demons after she fell into the clutches of drink and drug addiction (pictured in 2007)
She says in the documentary: ‘You think you know my daughter. The drugs, the drink, the addiction, the destructive relationships. But there was so much more.’
Amy’s parents Janis and Mitch set up the Amy Winehouse Foundation in honour of the late singer on what would have been her 28th birthday on the 14 September 2011.
Amy soared to fame upon the release of Frank in 2003, as she gained both critical and commercial success with the debut as her jazz-inspired vocals won fans all over before her second album Back To Black’s introduction three years later.
In a heartbreaking turn of fate, the London-born icon’s dazzling career was plighted by her demons after she fell into the clutches of drink and drug addiction.
As she ascended higher on the fame ladder she discovered her demons – in drink, drugs and also eating disorders, which her brother Alex insists contributed to her death.
In July 2011, Amy passed away following a vodka binge alone in her bedroom, where she was found by her security guard.
At the time, an inquest gave a verdict of misadventure after finding that she had 416mg of alcohol per decilitre in her blood. A second inquest in 2013 confirmed that she died of accidental alcohol poisoning.
Reclaiming Amy airs on BBC Two at 9pm on Friday 23rd July.
For confidential help and support call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org
Radiant: In July 2011, Amy passed away following a vodka binge alone in her bedroom, where she was found by her security guard (pictured as a teenager)
Source: Read Full Article
