Amy Winehouse's pal reveals heartbreaking final call and sad way he was told of her death

A close friend of Amy Winehouse has opened up on his final call with the singer just hours before her death. Bassist Dale Davis is helping to keep Amy's spirit alive through The Amy Winehouse band

A close friend of Amy Winehouse has opened up on the devastating moment he found out about the musician's death just a day after speaking to her.

Dale Davis had been Amy's trusted bass player and a close confidant of the star for eight years prior to her passing. Now, as he continues to keep her spirit alive through The Amy Winehouse Band, he has opened up to the Mirror about his final moments with her and the one way he wished he could have helped her.

Amy once described Dale as her "favourite person to go anywhere with". He described how, despite being almost 20 years older than her, the pair had built up a strong bond and often spoke on the phone. "I spoke to her three hours before she went to bed," he said in reference to the sad night before her passing in 2011.

"She called me at 11:30 at night, and we're having a chat for about 15 minutes, and I said I was going to see her tomorrow and she said, 'Okay'. And I said 'Love you'. She said 'love you' and put the phone down. And that was the last thing I heard."

He revealed the following day he was working with Will Young when he started to get a "barrage of texts". "I didn't understand what was going on," he revealed. "I was starting to get agitated at that point as I was playing still. The musical director then came over and said, Amy's passed. They'd known for about half an hour, and I just slumped back on my chair and said I was supposed to see her tonight."

He described it as one of the hardest days he has faced and admits in some ways he still lives it due to the band's shows. However, he feels it's important they carry on and says he just has to look at the what she gave everyone and the need to celebrate her life.

Dale described how he believed the main factor in Amy's death was her eating disorder. He said he didn't initially realise she was suffering until they had been working with her on her huge record, Back To Black. "If you don't eat, you're not going to survive," he candidly said. "That's the one thing I didn't know [Amy was bulimic]. It's a very similar story to Karen Carpenter in my opinion."

He added the misconception is people didn't try to help Amy with her struggles and addiction, but insisted the help, including from himself, was there for her. "Unfortunately, some people's willpower are stronger than others, and I don't know what that train of thought is that sends it. I didn't know that at the time [Amy had bulimia]. I think that's the thing that caught up with me. I wish I could have helped in that way."

However he was quick to praise the amazing legacy she has left behind, saying there is "a lot of love in that". Dale also praised the way Amy's impact is still growing, admitting he can feel it in the shows he and The Amy Winehouse Band are performing. The group first starting showcasing Amy's music in 2016 and Dale says it's still getting a great reaction despite his initial reluctance to be a part of it.

Explaining the moment his mind changed, he said: "There were a couple of incidents with the audience where you you thought, Okay, we're doing it for them, you know, and they love to hear it, and it's still a great show."

Fan reviews online continue to highlight how the shows are helping to keep the star's spirit alive and Dale said the group keeps it as close to as when they used to play with Amy. "It's about the closest experience you'll get," he said before explaining the importance of the band's impressive singer, Bronte Shande. He revealed she has "got a very young similar spirit to Amy when she first started".

Dale admitted the band wasn't looking for a front singer to be like Amy, but more so a person who could showcase the art. And he believes Bronte has that in abundance, labelling her "a great, great musician in her own right". "I'm always impressed by her musicality," he gushed.

He says the band helps fans to feel the spirit of the shows and confessed to loving the great songs that are "always a joy to play". With the musicians continuing their European tour, Dale proudly said: "As long as people want to come along and listen to it, then I'm happy to play because, you know, we have a great time with it."

Fans can see The Amy Winehouse band back in the UK from next month, with shows including Sunderland's The Fire Station on December 14. Tickets and dates are available on the band's website.

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