Friends, family mourn Winehouse

By Jill Lawless

Associated Press

LONDON

Wearing dark suits, black dresses and the occasional beehive hairdo, friends and family said goodbye to Amy Winehouse on Tuesday with prayers, tears, laughter and song at an emotional funeral ceremony.

The singer’s father, mother and brother were joined by Winehouse’s close friends, band members and celebrities including producer Mark Ronson for the service at Edgwarebury Cemetery in north London. Media personality Kelly Osbourne was one of several women to wear her hair piled beehive-high in an echo of the singer’s trademark style.

Fans and photographers thronged the lane outside, but the funeral was for several hundred friends and family only.

The Jewish service was led by a rabbi and included prayers in English and Hebrew and reminiscences from Winehouse’s father, Mitch Winehouse. The cab driver and jazz singer, who helped foster his daughter’s love of music, ended his eulogy with the words “Goodnight, my angel, sleep tight. Mummy and Daddy love you ever so much.”

It ended with a rendition of Carole King’s “So Far Away,” one of Winehouse’s favorite songs.

“Mitch was funny, he told some great stories from childhood about how headstrong she was, and clearly the family and friends recognized the stories and laughed along,” said family spokesman Chris Goodman.

“He stressed so many times she was happier now than she had ever been and he spoke about her boyfriend and paid tribute to a lot of people in her life.”

According to the Press Association news agency, Mitch Winehouse said during the ceremony that his daughter was trying to overcome her addictions, having told him: “Dad I’ve had enough, I can’t stand the look on your and the family’s faces anymore.”

The soul diva, who had battled alcohol and drug addiction, was found dead Saturday at her London home. She was 27. An autopsy held Monday failed to determine what caused her death.