Before the beehive and the drugs, Amy released her first album, 2003's Frank, in the U.K. Showcasing Amy's powerful voice, the album climbed to number 13 on the charts and received nominations from various British music awards shows. Despite its moderate U.K. success, Frank didn't make it to the U.S. until November 2007, after everyone had already fallen in love with "Rehab."
Amy was in no rush to release a second album, and she spent 2004 touring before turning to partying. Clubbing led her to meet future husband Blake Fielder-Civil in 2005, who could easily match her enthusiasm for crazy nightlife antics. When he broke her heart in 2006, Amy finally had the material she needed to make another album.
With the 2006 release of her new album Back to Black, Amy debuted the look we've all come to know so well—the beehive, the tats, the retro clothes. The album and its leading single, "Rehab," immediately climbed the U.K. charts. Of course, solid music with a unique-looking artist meant it was time to take the act to the U.S.
Just as rehab was becoming the cool Hollywood thing to do, Amy's album dropped in the U.S. in March 2007. Suddenly, stars everywhere were saying "No, No, No" to rehab in newspaper headlines, and severe eyeliner was in. Back to Black went platinum and received eight Grammy nominations.
With great success comes great hangers-on. Despite all the heartbreak and painful lyrics, Amy went right back to Blake. Two months after their reunion, they were married and partying again. Booze and Blake have been the two factors associated with Amy's downward spiral.
It was Amy's live performances that really frustrated people. Either she stunned audiences with her amazing voice or she terrified them with slurred words and constant drinking. It was tragic to watch someone so talented fail so miserably.
Meanwhile, Blake was arrested on suspicion of "perverting the course of justice." This was a major blow to Amy, seeing as how the couple did everything together, including getting arrested for marijuana possession, engaging in bloody domestic disputes and bailing out of rehab.
Amy spiraled even further downward. She canceled her European tour because she was too depressed to do it sober, and she was photographed all over London looking like a complete wreck. Her early morning stroll—shoeless, shirtless and sobbing—only worried family and friends more, but Amy still wasn't ready for help.
Then Amy hit rock bottom, and it was as ugly as her newly bleached-out hair. A video of her allegedly smoking a crack pipe hit the Internet, and her father couldn't just sit back waiting for her to take care of her own problem anymore.
Escorted by her father, Amy (with the beehive intact) entered rehab, where she currently remains. However, the withdrawal symptoms she's suffering are so horrific she had to be transferred to a hospital and placed on a drip, but then it was right back to rehab. It seems she's on her way to cleaning up, but only time will tell.