Amy Winehouse’s father opens up about daughter’s mental health struggles
Late singer's dad Mitch says 'most people' are affected by mental ill health. It’s indiscriminate and can strike at any time'
The father of the late singer Amy Winehouse has spoken out about his daughter’s struggles and his own mental health for Mental Health Awareness Week.
Mitch Winehouse, 70, said the UK-wide lockdown caused by the outbreak of COVID-19, had highlighted the importance of mental health.
“It has shown that anybody can be affected by mental health issues,” he said. “Most people are. It’s indiscriminate and can strike at any time.”
He said: “There has been more awareness of mental health and the problems people are facing over the last eight weeks compared to ten years ago.
“The last two months have exasperated people’s mental health issues – myself included.”
Mr Winehouse, whose wife Jane has been taking care of her mother, has been living alone since lockdown. The grandfather has stayed connected to family and friends remotely, but has found the distance “difficult”.
To cope, he has taken long walks around London and volunteered as a driver for communal charity Jewish Care, delivering food parcels to elderly people four times a week.
But he believes the Jewish community has further to go to recognise the importance of mental health. Mr Winehouse, who was born in Stoke Newington, said: “I remember what it was like with my parents. It was something we never really discussed.”
When Mr Winehouse was 16, his 43-year-old father died after being diagnosed with lung cancer. “I was told, ‘no tears. You have got to look after your mum, be strong’. You couldn’t get out your grief. It’s something I still struggle with.”
In 2011, Amy Winehouse was found dead in her north London flat after suffering alcohol poisoning. A Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter, the 27-year-old had battled alcohol and drug addiction as well as an eating disorder.
“Of course, it’s all linked,” he said. “A lot of people thought it was about being in the limelight and being a big singing star. Now, people have a completely different attitude and opinion of Amy. They know she’s a strong woman that had strong issues; mental health issues.”
Mr Winehouse, who recalled attending Southgate Reform Synagogue with Amy as a child, co-founded the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which works with disadvantaged young people.
Mr Winehouse, a jazz musician, is proud of the group’s use of music to support service users. He said: “It allows young people to express themselves through music. What better way is there?”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
