Saturday, July 23, 2011

Amy Winehouse Passes

Multiple Grammy award-winning British singer and songwriter, Amy Winehouse, was found dead earlier today, in her London home.  She had been battling drug addiction for years, and earlier in the day, her manager, Tim Gatt, had tweeted a notice that Winehouse was pulling out of summer performance commitments:
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.
I was a big fan.  She was a tremendously talented artist, who fought against her inner demons for years.

Here she is, on the David Letterman Show, singing her 2007 hit,  Rehab:


Here she is, in Austin Texas in 2007, singing You Know I'm No Good, with only an acoustic guitar for accompaniment:

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Never in my memory has there been a less shocking premature death. What a shame. Such a senseless loss of tremendous talent.

Anonymous said...

This is really sad. She was so very talented, but so troubled. What is it about age 27 and musicians? Jimi, Janis, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, Kurt Cobain? It's such an odd coincidence.

Blue_in_AK

Anonymous said...

I literally gasped when I read the news on The Daily Mail. I know it shouldn't have been a shock, but it was. She was so gorgeous when she looked healthy, not classically beautiful, but so damn stunning. It is a shame she just wasted away.

Anonymous said...

What a talent. And what a tragic life. Sadly, her passing this way is no surprise. I think she wanted to go a long time ago. R.I.P.

Anonymous said...

This is really sad. She was so very talented, but so troubled. What is it about age 27 and musicians? Jimi, Janis, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, Kurt Cobain? It's such an odd coincidence.

Blue_in_AK


Well, here's my attempt an an answer....

Fame, success, money, and power. whether in the political arena or the musical arena-is a double edged sword, If you hit the musical lottery and become a singing star for example, one would have to deal(Like poor Mrs Winehouse did)with hangers on, or an "entourage" telling you that you are great all the time, and supplying you with, take your pick, women, drugs, or whatever floats your boat.
Another problem is the fact that one can have one hit album, but it is far more difficult to stay popular and have say five or more hit albums, like an Aretha Franklin, or a Barbra Streisand, or a Sarah McLaughlin. I'm just throwing out Franklin, Streisand, and McLaughlin's names as an example. I will give a listen to Mrs Winehouse's music, the clips that Mr Munger has provided are excellent. In closing, may God comfort Amy Winehouse and give her peace, and may her true friends be comforted by God also.

P.S. I have been a fan of the great Jimi Hendrix for as long as I can remember, he also died unfortunately of a drug overdose in 1970, Here is a great live performance of "Stone Free" from the Royal Albert Hall in England in 1969. I think that this is a spectacular performance because Jimi really showed his Guitar skill in this performance, this is a long clip, but for anybody listening to this, be patient, the Guitar work by Jimi is, In my opinion, heavenly to listen to, Just like Mrs Winehouse's voice was, and will forever be, heavenly to listen to.

Jimi Hendrix - Stone Free - The Best Version Ever

Thank you Mr Munger for this blog, I disagree with you on different things, but you provide an Interesting perspective on life.

Thank you again.

Aussie Blue Sky said...

Lovely tribute, Phil. All things considered it was an impressive battle against mental illness to have become the icon she was.

Celeste in NJ said...

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around this loss. I remember the look of shock and genuine humility when she won five awards for her music, and my fervent wish was that she'd turned a corner and would rise like a phoenix.
She is a talented human being, deserving the utmost respect in death, no matter the cause.
Her talent is undeniable and undefineable, she could belt out the blues and drive home a ballad with the same exhuberance.

Thank You, Mr Munger, for addressing this loss so eloquently.

Philip Munger said...

anon @ 6:22 pm - you are very welcome. Loved the Jimi link!

Been playing Amy on my car CD player while on journeys today.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this tribute to Amy Winehouse, Phil.
Her death has hit me in an inexplicable manner.
Maybe it was the loss of such a great talent, maybe it was the helplessness one feels when seeing another person's addiction problems, maybe it was sorrow for me, knowing I will never get to see her perform.