I am so very sad today. Amy Winehouse was an amazing performer, singer, songwriter, and all-around charmer. And now she's gone.
From what I've read today, the cause of death could be overdose, seizure, or other health complications caused by drugs and alcohol. Unfortunately, this isn't a huge shock. We all knew she wasn't taking care of herself. In fact, recently, I posted a blog (An Open Letter to Amy Winehouse) begging her to sober up and get healthy.
The real tragedy might be that Amy's tabloid scandals may have overshadowed her music in a lot of people's minds. But I say, let's remember her music. Her voice was emotional and soulful, her lyrics were clever and raw, and her stage presence was undeniable. When she was ON, she was amazing.
Her battle with drugs and alcohol was fully documented in tabloids, gossip sites, blogs, and youtube videos. It was truly sad for her fans to see her spiral out of control over and over again. The latest disappointment was her Belgrade show in June of this year. She stumbled, wobbled, and pouted through her songs, occasionally sang a few lines before yelling something incoherent to the audience, then dropping the microphone and walking away. People wrote it off as her latest stunt, just one of many.
Who knew that would be her last performance? Sure, she danced on stage just this past week with her niece, the talented Dionne Bromfield. At least in this video, she looks happy and relaxed, dare I say, kind of healthy? Maybe that's what hurts the most. She looked good this week. So how did this happen?
We may never know. Even if her family, friends, record company, or lawyers release a statement, I doubt we'll ever get the whole story. I just hope that this is a wake-up call to all the young (and not-so-young) celebs out there who think they're invincible. Drugs and alcohol are no joke. Wake up, kids.
I'll always love Amy Winehouse's music, her swagger, and her style. I hate the fact that she's gone. I just hope we can all stop and learn something from it.
We love you, Amy ...
