Entertainment
Amy Winehouse tribute act recalls surreal moment late star’s ex-boyfriend surprised her at performance
Amy Winehouse is being remembered on the 10th anniversary of her death (Picture: Katie Wilson/Getty)
One of the saddest aspects of Amy Winehouse’s death is that fans old and new will never get to see her perform on-stage again.
However for some, watching a tribute act is the closest thing they can do to enjoy the Rehab star’s music live.
Winehouse died 10 years ago today on July 23, 2011 as the result of alcohol poisoning.
At the time, tribute act Katie Wilson was just 14 years old but loved her music enough to want to pursue one of the most quirky jobs in the live music industry.
‘It’s so upsetting because I loved how unique she was and her songs are just so good, she was so talented,’ she reflected.
Wilson, now 24, has performed as an Amy Winehouse tribute act, under the name Amy Alive, full-time for four years. She admits that while she doesn’t bear an exact resemblance to the late singer, she sounds a whole lot like her which is no easy feat given the magnitude of Winehouse’s talents.
Recalling how she began the unique job, Wilson told Metro.co.uk: ‘I was at a singing lesson and was singing Back To Black or Rehab and my singing teacher went, “Have you ever thought about doing a tribute for her as you sound a lot like her”.
Katie Wilson managed to find a replica of Winehouse’s iconic blue dress (Picture: Katie Wilson)
Amy wearing the dress in her Tears Dry On Their Own music video (Picture: YouTube)
‘Then I looked into getting the costumes with the wigs, tattoos, got a gig, went out there and never looked back.’
Since then, Wilson has performed at all kinds of venues from casinos to restaurants and seaside resorts like Butlins.
It doesn’t take the singer too long to transform into Winehouse, as she revealed: ‘First of all before I leave for the gig, I sit there and put all the tattoos on, which only takes around five minutes. Then the make-up’s done, I of course just put on my eyeliner.
‘I’ve got one of the dresses she wore in London one time, the blue dress. For Amy’s beehive, I put a hair piece in and one of the donuts to boost it then I grip it and go.’
Wilson continues to spend hours upon hours watching Winehouse’s live performances but admitted: ‘I could watch her once and I’d be acting and moving like her.’
She finds Winehouse’s 2007 single Tears Dry On Their Own the most challenging to sing because ‘it’s quite low and fast. There are certain parts to sing that come quite low and I can just about get there’.
No one said singing like Amy Winehouse was an easy job.
However, her favourite song to perform is perhaps one of Winehouse’s most poignant, the haunting Back To Black.
‘I feel absolutely amazing that I get to do that for people, it’s so overwhelming. Some people have cried when I sing Back To Black, even at a funeral once,’ Wilson explained.
The entertainer continued: ‘I’ve always had at least one person per gig saying, “I’ve seen many Amy tributes and you’re by far the best”, so those are the lovely compliments I get from people. It’s just amazing, I hope to do her justice.’
The one thing Wilson absolutely refuses to do is perform the version of Winehouse when she was at her lowest points, battling addiction problems. Instead, she wants her audiences – which mostly consists of ‘older mums and dads in their 40s and 50s’ – to remember Winehouse the right way.
‘I don’t do her in a drunk way like you may have seen Amy. I like to keep her classy in the performances. I just try to do it the best I can and try to copy exact moves,’ she said.
‘Some other tribute acts act like the drunk Amy and I don’t know if I’d want to do that. There are a few of her concerts where she was healthy.’
Wilson is honoured to help keep Winehouse’s legacy alive (Picture: Katie Wilson)
Music lost a legend 10 years ago today (Picture: Getty Images)
Wilson’s had some very surprising guests in the audience over the four years, bringing her the closest to Winehouse she’ll ever get.
The performer revealed: ‘I’ve met one of her ex-boyfriends, before Blake, at one of my gigs. He came and said hi which was nice.
‘I’ve met an old neighbour and the undertaker of Amy who was in [Asif Kapadia’s 2015] documentary [Amy]. I think they actually came to see me, it wasn’t coincidental. That was so good, it’s a small world.’
The Covid pandemic has, naturally, put an unfortunate stop to Wilson’s career but she’ll be picking up again at the Rock The Moat festival in Maidstone on August 7, which she hopes will be a nice tribute to the late icon.
More: Amy Winehouse
‘I hope I don’t lose my touch,’ Wilson admitted cautiously.
However the singer added: ‘It’s just so lovely to see people listening to her music live once again – obviously it’s not her – but I try to be as close to her as I possibly can.
‘We lost an absolute icon.’
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