Discover Valerie, the inspiration behind the worldwide hit

Virgin Radio

13 Jun 2019, 11:51

Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson’s cover of The Zutons' song ‘Valerie’ was released 12 years ago and the person behind the worldwide hit has been revealed.

Valerie Star is the inspiration behind the 2006 song, a makeup artist who first met The Zutons' frontman Dave McCabe after a show in Florida.

The song looks back to a time when Valerie narrowly avoided a prison sentence after multiple driving offences. The incidents put a stop to plans for Valerie to move to the UK to live with McCabe.

In an interview with VICE, Valerie Star describes the song which spent 50 weeks in the charts as the then couples “weird alien baby”.

Despite the song revolving entirely around Star, McCabe was keen to keep it a secret from her. “He wouldn’t tell me any details. He was really super shy about it. And I was thinking to myself, ‘Oh dear god Valerie, what does this song sound like?'”