Amy Winehouse wins song of the year Grammy

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British singer Amy Winehouse won the Grammy Award for song of the year on Sunday for "Rehab," her autobiographical lament about addiction.

The 24-year-old artist, who picked up three other awards earlier in the ceremony, is currently being treated at a London rehab clinic for a drug problem that kept her in the headlines for much of last year.

Winehouse was scheduled to perform both "Rehab" and another tune, "You Know I'm No Good," from a London recording studio later during the Grammy telecast. She was unable to secure a work visa to travel to the United States until late Friday. By that stage, it was too late to change her plans.

"Rehab," the first single from her breakthrough second album, "Back to Black," showcased Winehouse's brassy vocal style against a jazzy-blues backdrop.

But its lyrics -- particularly the refrain "They tried to make me go to rehab/I said, 'No, No, No'" -- provided an unfortunate soundtrack to the very public decline of a promising talent.

Winehouse spent much of 2007 in various states of undress or incoherence. She either canceled shows or sang poorly at them, got arrested in Norway for marijuana possession and metamorphosed into an emaciated addict.

Her family and friends made numerous public pleas for her to get help. This year started off ominously. Tabloid photos were recently published depicting Winehouse appearing to smoke crack cocaine at a party.

The other tunes nominated for best song, which honors the composer, were "Before He Cheats," performed by country singer Carrie Underwood; "Hey There Delilah," performed by pop band Plain White T's; Corinne Bailey Rae's "Like A Star" and Rihanna's "Umbrella," featuring Jay-Z.

(Reporting by Dean Goodman; editing by Steve Gorman and Todd Eastham)