Funeral is held for Amy Winehouse

ArtsBeat reports: Amy Winehouse was mourned by family members and colleagues from the music industry at a private funeral in London today, The Associated Press reported. The ceremony for Ms. Winehouse, who died on Saturday at age 27, was held at Edgwarebury Cemetery in the north of the city.

The service included English and Hebrew prayers, a eulogy given by the singer’s father, Mitch, and a rendition of Carole King’s “So Far Away,” which was one of Ms. Winehouse’s favorite songs.

Chris Goodman, a spokesman for the Winehouse family, told The A.P.: “Mitch was funny, he told some great stories from childhood about how headstrong she was, and clearly the family and friends recognized the stories and laughed along. He stressed so many times she was happier now than she had ever been and he spoke about her boyfriend and paid tribute to a lot of people in her life.”

Mark Ronson, who produced Ms. Winehouse’s breakthrough 2006 album, Back to Black, the last released before her death, was among those who attended the funeral, as was Kelly Osbourne, who wore her hair in a beehive, mimicking Ms. Winehouse’s signature style. The service was followed by cremation at a cemetery in the Golders Green area of London, before the Winehouse family begins the mourning ritual of sitting shiva.

On a related note: An autopsy yesterday did not immediately determine a cause of death for the singer, and the police have said that results on toxicology reports could take two to four weeks.