Amy Winehouse_ The Biography - Chas Newkey-Burden [15]
However, perhaps the most significant outcome from the Sylvia Young school for Amy came in the form of the friendship she found there with a young man from Canning Town, south London, called Tyler James. James grew up in a household dominated by women after his dad left home, and his childhood home was always full of music with his mother’s recordings of Motown acts such as Stevie Wonder, the Supremes, Marvin Gaye and Bob Marley. His elder sister added TLC, SWV and Erykah Badu. As for James himself, he was a fan of Babyface, Boyz II Men and mainstream jazz acts. He went on to become a soul singer of some repute, winning the T4 One To Watch award at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party in 2005. He said, ‘In ten years’ time I want to be able to look at myself and say “Yeah, I started off with few opportunities in life and look where I am now.” I want that feeling of satisfaction; I want to make my mum proud; I want to make my family proud and I think I can do that and make a record that I’m proud of.’
His debut album, The Unlikely Lad – which included a duet with Amy on the track ‘Best of Me’ – received praise from many. The Sun described him as the UK’s answer to Justin Timberlake – praise indeed. ‘A refreshingly modern album drawing on vintage soul, jazz and pop,’ gushed the Observer, adding that it was ‘likeable and human’.
The Times declared,
Despite sporting the worst haircut since that bloke from A Flock of Seagulls, James demonstrates, on his new single, ‘Foolish’, that he can cut the mustard (the retro, big-band video is superb) and carry a tune… With radio support, James will be mega, dodgy thatch or not.
The Daily Star described him as ‘less gobby’ than Amy. ‘His music is a slick mix of funky rhythms and cool-as-ice vocals. He was also praised by NME, Time Out and Face.’
Amy described herself and James as ‘mates who shag… My Nan thinks he looks like Leonardo DiCaprio but he’s much better-looking.’
They took it in turns to do the washing-up. ‘If I’ve been in all day, I’ll have his dinner ready when he comes home. I do everything for him, but we have our own lives. I’m a very sexual person but sex is a minor thing in our relationship – we’ve got so much more than that. And we let each other see other people. Tyler might stay away for a couple of days with a girl. We don’t just sit around and cuddle like your average couple: we give each other space.’ However, James was soon to give Amy something far more significant than space.
A spell at the BRIT Performing Arts & Technology School in Croydon followed for Amy. The school, which has been compared to New York High School for the Performing Arts – the subject of 1980s film Fame – is funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, but independent of the local education authority’s control. Since 1992 it has received sponsorship from the BRIT Trust, the body behind the BRIT Awards, where Amy was to achieve recognition further down the line. It has a fantastic academic record: in 2006 for instance, 93 per cent of its pupils gained five or more ‘A’ to ‘C’ grades in GCSEs.
(Incidentally, the first fully selective arts academy is now being built in Birmingham. Based on the BRIT School, the Birmingham institution in the city’s Eastside will train students in music, theatre, painting and other arts. The school, which will teach up to 950 pupils aged fourteen to nineteen, is one of three academies planned in the city.)
Among those who have studied at the BRIT are the Kooks, Katie Melua, Floetry, Dane Bowers, the Feeling, the Noisettes, Imogen Heap and Leona Lewis. One teacher observed that the BRIT school is for ‘the non-type. The school fits round their personality, rather than asking them to fit their personality round the school.’ Another adds that many of their pupils might have had negative experiences in their past, due to their creativity – ‘like bullying or being the only boy dancer