Art & Culture

Rare Amy Winehouse photos to go on display in Manchester to mark late singer’s 40th birthday 

They'll form part of the 'Richard Kelly: A Time and Place' exhibition down at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel.

Emily Sergeant - 8th September 2023

Rarely-seen photos of Amy Winehouse are to go on display in Manchester to mark the late singer’s 40th birthday this month.

The exclusive images of the legendary vocalist – who was considered to be one of the voices of her generation, but sadly passed away back in 2011 at the age of 27 – will form part of an exhibition showcasing work by critically-acclaimed music photographer Richard Kelly that’s currently happening down at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in the city centre.

The exhibition, titled Richard Kelly: A Time and Place, features never-before-seen images of some of music’s most-talked-about talents – including local legend John Cooper Clarke, Arctic Monkeys, and Florence + The Machine.

Up-and-coming Manchester music talent like Anthony Szmierek and Akemi Fox also feature as part of the popular exhibition.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by THE SHEFF (@thesheff.uk)

And now, following its unprecedented popularity, with dozens of eyes having been able to clock eyes on the photos over the last couple of weeks, the hotel has announced that the exhibition‘s stay in our city has been extended.

It will now close at the end of October.

As well as the extension, two new rarely-seen framed photos of Amy Winehouse taken by Kelly are also being added to the one already on display in the exhibition as a special homage to what would have been the star’s 40th birthday – which is on 14 September.

“When taking people’s pictures, I always try to distance myself from the celebrity and just see and capture the person,” Richard Kelly said of the two new additions to the exhibition.

“The images of Amy Winehouse I’ve added are from the time she supported the Arctic Monkeys at Old Trafford a few years back. I managed to catch her just before she went on stage, as it seemed to be a brief respite from the whirlwind that seemed around her at the time, [and] she then went on to lead the crowd in a singalong of ‘Valerie’ – it was magical.

“She was one of a kind, and is definitely missed.”

As the long-standing official photographer of the Arctic Monkeys, and as a celebrated music photographer in general, Kelly has been highlighting the best in British musical talent for over 25 years now, and has captured some of the most-famous names in the industry.

He also prides himself on scouting local Mancunian talent, which makes this exhibition – and its now extension – all the more important.

David Steel, who is the General Manager of Kimpton Clocktower, said the hotel is “proud” to be extending the exhibition to give people the chance to see never-before exhibited shots.

“We know Amy Winehouse made such an impact on so many people’s lives with her extraordinary talent,” he added, “So we’re hoping to help people feel connected with her art and memory, at a time that would have been a celebration for her.”

The two new Amy Winehouse photos as part of the free-to-view Richard Kelly: A Time and Place exhibition will be on the walls at The Refuge from 14 September.

Read more:

• World-renowned street artists to descend on Stockport for new urban graffiti festival
• Manchester Museum has returned 174 cultural heritage items to Australian Aboriginal communities
• 20 festivals have been shortlisted as the best in the north at the Northern Music Awards

The exhibition has been extended to end in October 2023.

Featured Image – Richard Kelly