Kelly Clarkson has revealed how she once did karaoke with Amy Winehouse before the late Rehab singer became a global superstar – and was so blown away by her voice that she had to double take.
The television personality, 42, dropped the surprise bombshell during an interview with actress Marisa Abela, who plays the late singer in Sam Taylor-Johnson’s new biopic, Back to Black.
Speaking on Thursday’s episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, she explained how she was shooting her 2003 film From Justin to Kelly when she saw Winehouse perform for the first time.
‘She [Winehouse] was just coming over with her boyfriend and it was while I was shooting this movie that I absolutely hate,’ she said.
‘But anyway, we all did a karaoke night. And it was before she was her, and she almost sounded a little different as well.
Kelly Clarkson recalled how she once did karaoke with Amy Winehouse before the late singer got famous
Winehouse, pictured in concert in 2011, shot to fame after the release of her debut album Frank in 2003
‘It was like before she became Amy Winehouse.’
Clarkson continued: ‘I don’t think she had a record deal or anything at that time, but we all went to karaoke, and she sang Etta James and I was like, “Wait, what?”
‘It was like she, just from the jump, had such a presence about her voice. It almost became, like, more of a character, too, like with herself throughout her career.’
Winehouse signed to Simon Fuller’s 19 Management in 2002 before releasing her debut jazz-inspired album Frank in 2003.
She dropped her follow-up, Back to Black, in 2006, which went on to become an international success and one of the best-selling albums in UK history.
Her second and final album received 24 awards from 60 nominations, including two Brit Awards and six Grammys.
Winehouse died at the age of 27 on July 23, 2011. An initial inquest determined her cause of death as misadventure after a subsequent toxicology report established she was more than five-times over the drink-drive limit when her body was found at her Camden home.
A second inquest, conducted in 2013 after British authorities launched a new probe into her death, concluded the singer died of an alcohol overdose.
Winehouse pictured with her ex Blake Fielder-Civil on the red carpet at the Brit Awards 2007
Abela discussed Winehouse’s changing voice over the course of her career, telling Clarkson: ‘Back to Black is very much influenced by The Shangri-La’s and The Ronettes, and there’s a sort of romantic 1950s thing. It’s when the beehive comes into play.’She’s a different girl to the girl who is singing Stronger Than Me. She’s more influenced by hip hop.’
‘She’s a different girl to the girl who is singing Stronger Than Me. She’s more influenced by hip hop.’
Following her death, several different biopics were unsuccessfully touted, including one with Noomi Rapace.
But in 2018 the Winehouse estate signed a deal for a biopic, with Taylor-Johnson coming on board in July 2022.
Back to Black, which is slated for release in theaters on May 17, also stars Eddie Marsan, Lesley Manville and Jack O’Connell.
During a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Abela opened up about the biopic and playing Winehouse.
Marisa Abela , who plays Winehouse in Sam Taylor-Johnson’s new biopic Back to Black, spoke about the transformation of the late singer’s voice on The Kelly Clarkson Show
Abela put in the effort to recreate her subject’s look and her sound, having trained for four months to sing
She stars alongside actor Eddie Marsan, who plays Winehouse’s father Mitch (pictured)
‘When I was prepping for the film, it was about getting a sensory experience of where Amy would have been, and how she would’ve felt,’ the actress said.
‘The knowledge that she would’ve sat where I’m sitting is an overwhelming feeling, but it’s intertwined with the practical memories of shooting the film.’
She continued: ‘She affected so many people so deeply. So, in a very real sense, I felt her often.’
So far, the movie has received mixed reviews following its UK release last month, with some critics slamming the film as a ‘poor piece of filmmaking’ and fans criticizing Abela’s voice.
‘Amy is one of the most iconic singers of her time, so the singing was a non-negotiable for me,’ Marisa told Vanity Fair.
Explaining how she tried to mimic the singe’s physical traits during performance scenes, she added: ‘…I was gonna work as hard as I possibly could to get to that place where I am singing as Amy. Not like Amy.’
