A lost Amy Winehouse interview has resurfaced after nearly 20 years, and it sees her open up about how her “biggest fear” was the “thought of dying without ever making my mark”.
The interview was held with the Sunday Times back in May 2007, just days after the singer married Blake Fielder-Civil. It also came on the heels of her releasing her second album ‘Back To Black’ the year prior, which quickly became certified gold in the US and sold over a million copies in the UK.
Held in the Mondrian Hotel on Sunset Boulevard, when Winehouse was aged just 23, the Times interview was shelved before it was even written up by journalist Ariel Leve. It has only just been completed and published, after nearly two decades.
In the interview, Winehouse looked back at how she was discovered when performing at a jazz club in London at age 16, and asked if – had she not found success as a singer so early on – she could “handle obscurity”.
“Yes. I’m just a musician, you know. I love looking after people,” she said, admitting that the thought of not being successful was a lot more daunting to her in the past. “When I was younger, yeah. The thought of dying without ever making my mark, that was my biggest fear. Dying without making a stamp on things. I know I’m only 23 but…”
In Los Angeles in 2007, the newly married singer bared all to The Sunday Times Magazine about family, fame, her future — and her love of housework. The story was never published. Until now https://t.co/JlvzESPBA0 pic.twitter.com/JsbIKV5iRG
— The Times and Sunday Times (@thetimes) October 10, 2026
She also spoke about the huge response to ‘Back To Black’, saying that she was “really proud” of herself and just wanting “other people around me to do well” too.
“I’ve done well, you know what I mean? I’ve just done an album that I’m really proud of. If I die tomorrow then cool,” she said, before sharing that she wasn’t thinking about trying to reach new heights, but instead “happiest when I’m cleaning my house and cooking for my friends.”
Also in the newly published interview, Winehouse spoke about the impulsive decision to marry Fielder-Civil in Miami, saying that she had a gut feeling that they were “going to die together”. She also said that she was in awe of “his imagination” and was always convinced that she was going to “ruin stuff” because she saw herself as “quite thick”.
“[Blake] hates it when I say I’m stupid. He says, ‘Why do you say stuff like that?’ and I say, ‘’Cos I’m thick.’ And he says, ‘Oh shut up. If you’re thick, then I’m a fucking idiot for marrying you’,” she recalled.
Winehouse and Fielder-Civil separated in July 2009, and Winehouse died from an accidental alcohol overdose two years later, aged 27.
In other Amy Winehouse news, later this month an anniversary edition of ‘Back To Black’ is being released to celebrate 20 years since the initial release, and it features previously unreleased demos, rare B-sides, never-before-seen photos and more.
The album has sold more than 25million copies worldwide since it dropped in October 2006. It also saw Winehouse win five Grammy Awards in 2007, including Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year.
Earlier this summer, The Rolling Stones reflected on their friendship with Winehouse ahead of releasing a cover of ‘You Know I’m No Good’ on their latest album, ‘Foreign Tongues’. Ronnie Wood recalled trying to help the singer during her struggles with alcohol, and pushing her to “get it together” before she went on stage.
The late singer’s mother Janis also led tributes to Amy on the 15th anniversary of her death, and her former band have announced a special London show celebrating 20 years of ‘Back To Black’ on October 21, with Mark Ronson, FLO, Jorja Smith and more taking part.
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