Troubled singer Amy Winehouse (age 27) was pronounced dead today after emergency services were called to her North London flat following a suspected drug overdose.
Winehouse’s last public performance was July 20th when she joined her goddaughter, Dionne Bromfield on stage at the Roundhouse in Camden as part of the iTunes Festival. Following this performance, she checked herself back into rehab and her management released a statement:
“Amy Winehouse is withdrawing from all scheduled performances. Everyone involved wishes to do everything they can to help her return to her best and she will be given as long as it takes for this to happen.”
Prior to this statement, Winehouse’s most recent trip to rehab was in May 2011, upon doctors advice, in order to prepare for her tour of Europe this summer. Sadly, the Grammy Award winning songstress was not able to overcome her battle with addiction and tragically has joined “the Forever 27 Club,” a group of musicians who died at age 27, which includes Jim Morrison, Jimmi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.
From an article I wrote in 2009 about Amy Winehouse and her battle with substance abuse for BitchBuzz:
In late 2006 I was 33, jaded, working in public relations and running on an elliptical trainer watching VH1 trying to whip the stress out of my body, as I did every morning at 5 am. In amongst the “Buttons” and “Umbrellas,” I heard something that stopped me dead in my tracks that morning: it was “You Know I’m No Good.” Listening to the sultry, beehived, tattooed, dark and deep voiced Amy Winehouse hooked me on a pop album for the first time in at least 20 years.
Amy Winehouse was the most promising new artist in at least a decade; and, her mercurial success was also the key to her downfall. The themes of heartbreak and unrequited love and allusions to deeply seeded fucked-up-ness in Winehouse’s music told stories that every person could empathize with.
Of course, at this point people really had no idea how prophetic the song “Rehab” was to become. Plagued with addiction, alleged eating disorders and mental health issues, in a few short years she has gone from the highest of highs (figuratively and quite, quite literally) to persona non gratis. As an artist, one of the worst insults that could be slung at you is to be labeled a “Winehouse.” …
Truthfully, the girl has some major, major problems. She’s a hot mess. It is incredibly sad that a 25-year-old – kid, basically – such as Winehouse is so seemingly surrounded by people who not only enable her addictions and mental health problems; but, have allowed her to be exploited by the media in such a way that it adds fuel to the already flaming disaster of her current life. I wonder, even if she really wanted to, if she could get legitimate help for her problems?
All I know is that while the majority of people are laughing or shaking their heads and fingers at Amy Winehouse, inside I’m crying for her — for her lost talent, for how sad her life ultimately has become… Amy Winehouse the person is as heart wrenching as any of her soulful songs.
By Kate Kotler
