The tortuous life of drug addict and remarkable singer Amy Winehouse ended today in her London Flat. No details are as yet available, her father was on his way to the US for a jazz festival.
One person that will not be surprised to hear of Amy’s death will be her own mother. She has said she has prepared herself for this for years. But it has not been that many years. Amy was only 27.
The past few years more attention was paid to the fact that she was becoming a caricature of herself with her iconic beehive slipping from the bald spot on her head, her body wasted and tracked with her drug use and increasingly producing bizarre behavior. Below, someone was unkind enough to film her as she wandered aimlessly at the side of the road:
The Daily Mail article on her life, loves and career is here. But for a good collection of her music in between outrageous voyeur videos of her searching for drugs, acting high and many other less than savory shots of her, check out YouTube. Here she is when she debuted in America on the David Letterman Show:
And here the title song from this great album:
END NOTE: In the Christmas movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, the film ended with the daughter of James Stewart’s character saying that every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings. In the real world, each time drugs claim another victim, the cartels and their associates (including al Qaeda) can claim total victory. They have got rich on the backs of people too sick to survive and they have killed off another capitalist. They and not their victims are the torturers. They know there is a slow, expensive death awaiting their clients yet these predators press them to take more drugs; spend more money and ultimately die from the drugs they chase. It is an unholy trinity. No bells to be heard; no wings to be earned. Just devastated loved ones, a bankrupt health system, and a diminished society left in the wake of it all.
blackwatertown
July 23, 2011
One of those times when you think – c’mon, you’ve got the sense to draw back before it’s too late – the car crash is happening in such slow motion that it won’t actually happen.
Sadly it has.
She sang some great songs – the clips don’t really do her justice. (But thanks for including them anyway.)
I remember some little girls from my neighbourhood arguing about whether or not she was cool. I thik the stupid junkie side of the debate won that day – which is kind of reassuring to a parent.
But she was good.
samhenry
July 23, 2011
Hi, Roo. There is a difference between a drunk and drugged Judy Garland and an drunk and drugged Amy Winehouse. There was no YouTube and people pulled back from outrageous behavior. People who chased her with cameras were as bad acting or worse than she. She at least had an excuse. No one can do justice to Garland on a clip; the voice comes through as well as possible. Beats a 1940s car radio. We have what we have and that is all. She left us no more.
DarcsFalcon
July 25, 2011
I only saw the one performance and wasn’t a fan, but it’s always sad to see young people do this to themselves. She had so much going for her and a life full of promise, yet she seemed to be more interested in slow suicide. It really is sad to see such brokenness. My heart goes out to her loved ones.
samhenry
July 26, 2011
It is sad but the media makes it something to be idolized.