Amy Winehouse: 10 years after death, father says singer should be remembered ‘not just for addiction troubles’

‘I would give back every penny just to have my daughter back,’ says Mitch Winehouse

Amy Winehouse’s father Mitch wants his daughter to be remembered for her successes instead of her troubles with alcohol addiction.

The 27-year-old singer died on 23 July 2011 at her Camden home due to alcohol poisoning.

Speaking ahead of the 10-year anniversary of her death, Winehouse told The Sun of the mission he has been on in the past several years. He said he tries to make people remember the “Back To Black” singer for “her talent, her generosity and the love she showed us all” and “not just her troubles with addiction.”

After the singer’s death, her family set up the Amy Winehouse Foundation in her memory.

The foundation’s main goal is to inspire children and young people to build their self-esteem and resilience so they can flourish.

The work is inspired by Winehouse’s spirit, her love of children and the challenges she faced in her own life, the foundation says.

Her family also set up the singer’s home as a shelter that can accommodate up to 16 women who live there to maintain their recovery after being in a rehabilitation facility.

Discussing her music, Mitch Winehouse 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.

“The thing is, though, and I can’t say this clearly enough, I would give back every penny just to have my daughter back,” he said. “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.”

The comments from Winehouse come ahead of the release of a new BBC documentary Amy Winehouse: 10 Years On.

“I don’t feel the world knew the true Amy, the one I brought up,” Janis Winehouse said in a press release. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to offer an understanding of her roots and a deeper insight into the real Amy.”

The film will feature friends, family, and loved ones sharing their memories of the late icon, alongside previously unseen material provided by the Winehouse family.

It “promises to be a celebratory and intimate portrayal of one of the brightest musical talents the UK has ever seen”, said commissioning editors Max Gogarty and Rachel Davies.

“Whilst being a celebration of her musical genius and featuring rare and unheard performances, it will also offer a reinterpretation of the prevailing narrative around her rise and fall, told by those closest to her,” they said.

The documentary is expected to air on BBC Two later this month.