Posted November 22, 200718 yr Amy grew up listening to a diverse range of artists including Salt 'n' Pepa, TLC, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Mos Def and Ray Charles. Amy got her first guitar at the age of 13 but has said she's yet to find her perfect instrument. She won Best Contemporary Songwriter at the 2004 Ivor Novello Awards. Amy's been pretty outspoken; she described Madonna as an "old has-been" and said "Kids who listen to Dido and think 'I want to be like her', make me want to vomit." She went to the famous Sylvia Young stage school in London's Marylebone, but was expelled at the age of 15, allegedly for turning up to class wearing a nose stud.
