Amy Winehouse cause of death determined

Amy Winehouse during
better days

Amy Winehouse, the British blues singer with the powerful, soulful voice, who was found dead at hear apartment last July, has been examined by London's St. Pancras Coroner's Office.  Their official determination is that she died as a result of consuming "a very large quantity of alcohol," a level of "416 mg per decilitre" of blood, which is the equivalent of a 0.42 blood alcohol level, or over 5 times the legal limit in Florida, which is 0.08.

The singer, who rose to prominence with her Back to Black album, had been in the forefront of a blues revolution in England.  A number of female singers have followed on her path to success, most notably Adele, whose single "Rolling in the Deep" has reached number one in a number of countries.  Winehouse won five Grammys for her album, including Best Pop Vocal, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year.

Winehouse, unfortunately, also became notorious for her hard drinking, alleged drug use, which included crack cocaine and heroin, and her misadventures with her husband, Black Fielder-Civil.  She had numerous affairs, run ins with the law, but for the months prior to her passing, was supposed to be on the path to recovery.  She was only 27 when she passed away.