“I can sing, right?“ That's what Amy Winehouse asked her close friend and longtime music manager Dale Davis in their last phone call. He replied: “Of course. You're the best“.
The conversation took place at around 11:15 p.m. on July 22, 2011 and lasted approximately 15 minutes. The next day, Winehouse died at the age of 27. In an interview with The Sun, Davis said that the singer told him that she had been watching her old performances.
“I'm so glad that on her last night she was able to say that because she was the most insecure person in terms of her own abilities,“ Davis said.
Three days before her death, Amy Winehouse made a public appearance at London's Roundhouse, where she supported her goddaughter Dionne Bromfield. She took the stage but did not sing. Davis recalled that she danced and supported the performance.
After the concert, the two stayed together for about two hours. Before they parted ways, Winehouse asked him to hug her because she was cold. Davis says this surprised him, as she usually didn't complain about the cold.
Davis joined Winehouse's band in 2003 as bassist and became her musical director a year later. He was a part of her life from the age of 19 to 27, and describes her as extremely talented, funny and vulnerable at the same time.
According to him, Amy Winehouse could have continued her career outside of music. Davis believes she could have had her own television show or become a successful actress. He compares her to such universal artists as Barbra Streisand and Bette Midler.
His story is published in connection with the 20th anniversary of the album Back to Black, released on October 27, 2006. The album, which includes songs such as Rehab, Love Is a Losing Game and Me & Mr Jones, has sold over 20 million copies.
Davies continues to lead The Amy Winehouse Band, with which he keeps the singer's musical legacy alive through concerts in the UK and abroad.