‘Amy : A Life Through A Lens’ reviewed

❉  A poignant chronicle of the modern-day Ella Fitzgerald, whose every move was captured by the world’s media.

The world-famous name of Amy Winehouse was – and still is – synonymous with her incredible talent as a singer/songwriter, her untimely death at the tender age of 27, and her addictions which sadly led to that fateful day. 

She was equally known for her striking vintage yet cutting edge image, and this new book published by Omnibus Press manages to capture Amy at her most poignant.  Captured by brothers Darren and Elliott Bloom from 2005 in the early days of her fame, right up until her death as an A-list celebrity, it chronicles her life in all its glory.  The 300-page full-colour photos capture all aspects of the complicated spectrum that made up the personality of a hugely talented, but also hugely flawed young woman, whose every move seemed to be captured by the world’s media. 

amy-life-lens

In ‘Amy: A Life Through The Lens’ all aspects of Amy Winehouse’s life are chronicled as she animatedly talks to her fans, walk through the streets of London, parties in its clubs and pubs, and browses in neon-lit convenience stores buying sweets by the fistful.  

A lot of the photos are extremely personal and sometimes voyeuristic, depicting the innocence and vulnerability of the woman at first hand. The book ranges from the glamorous to the mundane, revealing all aspects of Amy’s (albeit too short) London life and the people she shared in it.  As a no-holds barred publication, it also reveals the darker side of Amy’s complex personality, which was gravely troubled by substance abuse and misplaced relationships.

The photographers’ family knew the Winehouse family and this connection gave them a unique opportunity to work alongside Amy.  Consequently, as her fame grew to global proportions, the Bloom brothers became Amy’s photographers of choice, in the hope of clawing back some element of control over the media circus which surrounded the star. 

It’s an unbelievable five years since Amy’s  death which left a gaping black hole in the music world for the loss of what could have been, and the songs she had yet to write, as much as the loss of Amy, the ultimate woman-child herself. She was an inspiration to many and she’ll no doubt continue to inspire generations to come through her musical legacy.   

This book is an ideal purchase for a fan who wants to look beyond the media tabloids and see “the real Amy” for the person she really was in her day to day life. 


❉ ‘Amy : A Life Through The Lens’ by Darren and Elliott Bloom & Matt Trollope was published by Omnibus Press on 24 October 2016 and is available from Amazon.

Ange Chan is a poet and novelist. Her fourth poetry collection, ‘Fame; What’s Your Name?’ was published in paperback and on Kindle earlier this year, and her second novel, ‘Baby Can You Hear Me?’ was published this August in paperback and on Kindle. 

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