Amy Winehouse's stepfather, Richard Collins, dead at 71

Amy Winehouse was supported by her stepfather Richard Collins through much of her short, tragic life. Photo / Getty Images

Amy Winehouse's stepfather, Richard Collins, has passed away at the age of 71.

Collins supported the tragic singer through much of her career and helped her mum Janis set up the Amy Winehouse Foundation in 2011 after she died from alcohol poisoning at the age of 27.

Richard described the day Winehouse died as "the worst day of [his] life". Photo / Getty Images

Without revealing a specific cause, the Foundation wrote on Twitter: "We are very sad to bring you news that our trustee Richard Collins, has passed away this week. Devoted and caring husband to Janis, and Dad to Michael and Jess, we will always remember his great humour and sense of fun. Sending love to all the family."

The news comes just days after Janis - who divorced Amy's father Mitch Winehouse in 1993 after 17 years of marriage and struck up a relationship with her childhood friend Richard in 2008 before marrying him in 2011 just months after Amy's death - took to Twitter to announce that her husband was in hospital and she had nearly "lost him twice."

At the time, she wrote: "'Hi all in Twitter land,hubby (Richard) has been in hospital since last week and we nearly lost him twice! I would like to thank all the medics @royalfree London for giving him great care and attention" (sic).

Richard is also survived by stepson Alex, 43, as well as children Michael and Jess from a previous relationship and had headed up the Amy Winehouse Foundation - which aims to help young people make "informed choices about alcohol" - as director and trustee.

Amy shot to fame in her late teens with the release of her debut album Frank in 2003 before going on to enjoy further success with her sophomore album Back to Black in 2007.

However, her short life was plagued by addiction and Richard previously described the day she died as "the worst day of [his] life" and revealed he was the one who had to break the news to Janis.

Speaking ahead of the 10th anniversary of the tragedy in 2021, he said: "It was the worst day of my life. I got the phone call to say that Amy had gone, it was actually her cousin who phoned. And I had to tell Janis. I said to Janis 'I don't know what to say, she's gone.' And she looked at me, she thought I was talking about my mum because my mum died a month after Amy, my mum was seriously ill. I said 'No, no, no. Your baby's gone."