Amy Winehouse has been honoured with a stone on north London’s new Music Walk of Fame, nearly a decade on from the singer’s tragic death.

The posthumous honour was placed alongside others for bands Madness and The Who at a special ceremony in Camden this afternoon.

 

The late star’s parents were present, as well as famous faces from the music industry, including DJ Don Letts, rapper Big Narstie and The Specials’ Neville Staple.

Winehouse lived in the area before her death in 2011, following a much-publicised battle with substance addiction.

Amy Winehouse – In pictures

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Speaking at the unveiling, which was also attended by fans, her father Mitch Winehouse said: “Camden was her oxygen and now she is here always spiritually.

“She’s not here physically but this plaque will mean that everyone who walks through Camden will look down and they will see the beloved Amy Winehouse.

He added: “I walk past it every day to get on the tube, so I will be seeing Amy every day now.

“For us it is a reminder that she is no longer with us and yet remembered by millions of people. It is a wonderful thing.”

Amy Winehouse’s father Mitch Winehouse (centre) with wife Jane and mother Janis (right) during the unveiling
PA

He added that he wanted people to “understand more” about his daughter.

“She wasn’t this lonely person on her own being preyed upon by people. That wasn’t it at all, she was surrounded by loved ones and friends. She was a joker, man, I’m telling you.

“She was a practical joker and she loved to laugh.”

Her father Mitch described Camden as Winehouse’s ‘oxygen’
PA

He added that his daughter was a “wonderful example to young people today”.

Staple also paid tribute to the singer, calling her one of the “most talented” artists and a “wonderful lady”.

He added: “She is gone but she will never go away.

“The music that she left with us is here forever, and we are going to treasure that music forever.”

Winehouse won five Grammy awards and epitomised the London music scene in the mid-noughties. Her best selling albums Frank (2003) and Back to Black (2006) went platinum, while her sound inspired a genre of pop stars including Duffy and Adele.

The artist died in her Camden home in July 2011 aged 27 from alcohol poisoning, following battles with addiction and an eating disorder.

She is the recipient of one of three plaques unveiled this week after the Walk of Fame launched late last year.

The stone is now set into the streets of Camden
PA

The 1980s Camden-formed hitmakers Madness received theirs on Monday – with the lead singer telling the crowd the band “single-handedly turned Camden Town from a s**thole into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world” – and Soul II Soul will be honoured on Friday.

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