In 2007 a solo live version recorded by Winehouse for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge peaked at #37 on the UK singles chart. Valerie (BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge) Winehouse’s track is a cover of UK band The Zutons, who wrote it about the lead singer’s ex. It was penned in 20 minutes by their lead singer Dave McCabe about an American friend of his, Valerie Starr, who was having a hard time after getting caught drink driving. Amy Winehouse shot up the UK charts back in 2007 with her cover of the Zutons’ Valerie and, after 12 years, the woman it was written about has been found. Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson's "Valerie" is a song centered on the narrator’s lost love, who is the titular “Valerie”. It's his musical postcard to her, saying he's having a hard time and can she come over and see him. The song was later covered by Mark Ronson, with lead vocals provided by Amy Winehouse, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart in 2007. "Valerie" is a song by English indie rock band The Zutons from their second studio album, Tired of Hanging Around (2006). Despite literally everyone belting … In an interview with The Zutons, their drummer Sean Payne revealed that the song was written about a friend of their lead singer Dave McCabe who got caught drink-driving: "She's in trouble for drink driving. It transpires that the 2006 track was written about Valerie Star, a make-up artist who previously dated Zutons frontman Dave McCabe. The song is a cover of a single by the Liverpool group The Zutons, which peaked at #9 in the UK in 2006.

She was a friend Dave met over in the US.