Amy Winehouse's Final Days

By Joey Bartolomeo

07/27/2011 at 08:00 AM EDT

When Amy Winehouse passed away on July 23, many jumped to the conclusion that she'd overdosed after a drug binge.

But what she was really doing, say sources, was surprisingly low-key: She laid low at her London home, spent time with her mother, and had a routine doctor’s visit.

In fact, while the toxicology results may not be available for weeks, those who knew her say she was much more than a party girl.

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"She spent most days at home writing," says one friend.

Beneath the disheveled beehive and heavy eyeliner was a slyly hilarious potty-mouth who loved to cook. "Amy was a sparkly character," says Sarah Hurley, landlady of the Good Mixer, one of Winehouse’s favorite pubs.

For more on Winehouse and her final days, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday

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