One of Amy Winehouse’s most famous songs is ‘Valerie’, a 2006 hit that was a fan favourite. But did you know that the song is actually about a real person?
There have been many theories about what or who the song is about, but we finally have an answer, as the real Valerie has been found.
Not many people know that Winehouse’s song is actually a cover written and performed by British band The Zutons.
One Valerie – Valerie Star, a celebrity makeup artist based in New York – has revealed that she used to date the band’s lead singer, Dave McCabe, and has said that the song is actually about her.
Speaking to Vice, McCabe confirmed this by saying: “Oh yes, that’s her.”
“She was in the States and I was at home, and it was like a postcard,” he added.

McCabe even revealed exactly what inspired the story of the song. From Star almost going to jail after a number of driving offences – remember Winehouse asking, ‘do you need a good lawyer?’ – this prevented her from coming to the UK. And that’s why she couldn’t ‘come’ in the song.
The song really took off when Mark Ronson and Winehouse got involved, but the inspiration for the song also speaks to her connection to the hit.
“I remember him telling me about the song. It was like, ‘I wrote a song about you. And they picked it up as a single.’” And he didn’t tell me any details. He was really shy about it. And I was like, oh my gosh Valerie, what does this song sound like? ” Star admits.
The pair originally met at a show in Florida, where The Zutons were the opening act.
“They had a unique sound and I had never heard anything like it before. Just the explosion they had on stage together as a band was amazing,” Star says.
“One glass of wine turned into many glasses. A lot. We didn’t stay. We all went to another bar. And then another. And then we all went back to Erin’s and drank champagne on the terrace until the sun came up. And that was the first time we met,” she adds.
Imagine if they had never met that fateful evening!
When asked if she had a favorite line in the song, she liked the part where he calls her red hair “ginger.”
Star continued, “I used to dress really ridiculously back then, too, in the line (“I miss your red hair / and the way you like to dress”).”
Star was heartbroken to see the song become such a huge hit at a time when Winehouse was struggling with addiction.
“She was such a talented artist. She was so far beyond her time. It’s sad and tragic, in so many ways. Even the video—she couldn’t be in it because she was in her world,” she said.
While you may be singing along to the song in your head as you read this, Star doesn’t have it on her playlist.
“It’s not narcissistic, but I feel like it comes out at the most awkward times. Like, hey, just listen to a song about yourself—don’t mind me. ”
Don’t mind us, we’ll play both versions right now..
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