Amy Winehouse's Last Song Set to Help Fight Drug Addiction

Singer's duet with Tony Bennett, "Body and Soul," being released early with proceeds going to her father's new drug foundation

By Marianne Garvey Aug 04, 2011 5:00 PMTags
Tony Bennett, Amy WinehouseDave M. Benett/Getty Images

Amy Winehouse's voice is being put to good use, even after her unfortunate death.

The singer, who was found dead in her London home last month, has new music she recorded with jazz crooner Tony Bennett set to be released in early September.

And all the money made from sales is going somewhere special.

What's the plan?

 

All proceeds form the duet, recorded in march at London's famed Abbey Road Studios, will go to the foundation that Winehouse's father, Mitch, started in her name.

"What's going to happen is that we're putting that [song] out ahead of the album," Bennett told MTV. "And it's going to a foundation that her father started, to teach all the young children not to take drugs, and all the royalties of the record will go to that."

Bennett also praised Winhouse's singing chops on the song, called "Body and Soul," which was the last one she ever recorded.

"That's right, that was the last record she made," he told the Today show yesterday. "It was great. She sang beautifully."

And talking to the BBC last month, Bennett revealed that the talented Winehouse had been nervous before going in to record the tune, but that once she started singing she calmed down.

"What calmed her down when we did the record, and I'll never forget it, I said, 'The way you sound, you sound like Dinah Washington,' and that calmed her down. She's truly a good jazz singer. She's not making believe it's jazz. She's completely original and she's good at it."

Amy's father said in a statement that he "couldn't be happier" about his daughter's work with Bennett and the proceeds going toward helping others with drug and-addiction issues.

"Amy was so excited to be working with Tony Bennett and really looking forward to her fans hearing this new recording," he said. "The fact that Amy's voice is sounding as amazing and beautiful as ever and she is singing with the great Tony Bennett seems the most fitting tribute of all at this very difficult time."

The song will be released ahead of Bennett's Duets II album, which is out Sept. 20.

Take a listen for yourselves. Winehouse can be heard in tiny snippet of the song here.