Biography: Amy Winehouse grew up in London, England. Her father was a taxi driver and her mother was a pharmacist but her uncles and grandmother were professional jazz musicians who encouraged her in music. She attended an arts high school where she began performing as a rapper and later as a jazz singer. It was her jazz singing that caught the attention of record executives and she was signed to Island records in 2003, releasing the album "Frank." She then began to focus on the classic soul girl groups of the 1960s, writing and recording the album that was to propel her into stardom: "Back to Black." The album brought with it instant fame which was very difficult for Amy to handle. She began abusing drugs and alcohol which inspired her hit song "Rehab." This abuse, along with bulimia, destroyed her health. Sadly, this lead to the tragic lose of an incredible talent.

An Key Influence: Donny Hathaway

• Quote: "There's nothing you can teach me / that I can't learn from Mr. Hathaway" (Winehouse, "Rehab" Lyrics)

• Analysis of Influence: In addition to mentioning Donny Hathaway in the song "Rehab," Amy Winehouse covered his "A Song for You," and broke down in tears as she finished. One can hear a his influence when comparing Winehouse's song "Tears Dry on Their Own" and his "This Christmas." The driving beats of the songs are very similar as is the singing style. Both start their verse melodies in the middle range and trail off into lower notes followed by climbing higher on the choruses. This is something both Winehouse and Hathaway do throughout their catalog. Both use a lot of vibrato at the end of their phrases and an abundance of melisma can be heard ornamenting notes in the style of soul, gospel and r 'n' b. There is also similar orchestration with brass providing counter-melodies, and woodwinds ornamentation. The overall sound that both artists use is the classic soul sound that came out of Motown and Stax records in the 1960s and 70s which include up-front driving drums, horns, and strings as well as soulful back-up singers reminiscent of a gospel choir.

Liberace was born and raised in Wisconsin by Polish and Italian immigrants. He began playing piano at age four and was soon discovered as a child prodigy. His early career was mainly performing in Classical concerts but switched over to playing nightclubs where his flashy style of playing gained popularity. He was known for his showmanship and glitzy costumes. At his peak, he was the top paid performer in the world.

Influence: Paderewski

Liberace's biggest early influence was piano-virtuoso Ignacy Paderewski: ""I was intoxicated by the joy I got from the great virtuoso's playing. My dreams were filled with fantasies of following his footsteps…Inspired and fired with ambition, I began to practice with a fervor that made my previous interest in the piano look like neglect" (Liberace: An American Boy by Darden Pyron, page 42).

Ignacy Paderewski was born in a small village in Poland, his mother dying shortly after his birth and his father supporting their family as a estate administrator. Ignacy soon took up an interest in the piano and became known for his virtuosic playing, wining him many prizes and a large following. He shared his success by donating his money to help in many causes and to assist young musicians. He toured extensively throughout the United States where his opera "Manru" was performed by the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. During World War I, he got involved in government, eventually becoming the Prime Minister of Poland. His love of music called him back and he died on tour in New York City.

Influence: Franz Liszt

Among many influences, the virtuosic style of Franz Liszt blazed a path for Paderewski: "Although the era of Great Romanticism ended and was never to return, Paderewski was still under its influence. Chopin and Liszt, the two great masters of piano playing represented the unreachable pinnacles of piano art." (An Attempt to Define Ignacy Jan Paderewski’s Performing Style" by Prof. Lidia Kozubek, page 3).