The world will remember Amy Winehouse for her music and personal struggles, but her father, Mitch, will remember the late singer as "the greatest daughter, family member and friend you could ever have."
On Tuesday, three days after the Grammy winner's death, Winehouse, 27, was laid to rest in London. The same day, her father, Mitch, released a statement to Us Weekly looking back at his talented and troubled daughter's life.
"She was the happiest she has been for years," he told Us. "She was not depressed. She saw [her mom] Janis and [her boyfriend] Reg [Traviss] on Friday and was in good spirits. That night, she was in her room, playing drums and singing. As it was late, her security guard said to keep it quiet and she did. He heard her walking around for a while and when he went to check on her in the morning he thought she was asleep. He went back a few hours later, that was when he realized she was not breathing and called for help."
"But knowing that she wasn't depressed, knowing that she passed away happy — it makes us all feel better," he added.
Although an autopsy Monday was "inconclusive," Mitch doesn't believe drug abuse was the cause of his daughter's death. "Three years ago, Amy conquered her drug dependency," he said. "The doctors said it was impossible, but she really did it. She was trying hard to deal with her drinking and had just completed three weeks of abstinence."
Mitch was in New York on Saturday when he heard the news of Amy's death. "Straight away, I said I wanted an Amy Winehouse Foundation," he said. "Something to help the things she loved — children, horses — but also to help those struggling with substance abuse… In this country, if you cannot afford a private rehabilitation clinic, there is a two year waiting list for help… We are trying to change that."
