Amy Whitehouse: A tragic life

[Katja]

I would not normally say much about the passing of a celebrity or entertainer, but when one dies so young and had so much unfulfilled talent that is a tragedy for us all. Amy Whitehouse was found dead at her flat around 4 o clock this afternoon bst. The cause of death is not known.

I saw Amy Whitehouse perform at her best and later as she began to slide into the abyss. So much raw talent which we shall never see come to its peak. I find it sad that the world will never hear her perfect her music and is deprived of someone who it has to be said turned out to be her own worst enemy.

Rest in peace, girl. I'll miss you, and many others too. Thank you for a small but quite wonderful body of work.

[hgf33]

She died of a drug overdose. Shocking.

[littlerayofsunshine]

It's a real shame. I'm not in anyway going to say she deserved it. Addiction is a terrible thing and not only does it change the brain, it changes all that goes with it, personalities and coping skills. ect....

She was a wonderful talent, even though I didn't follow her or her career, some of her songs touched me as I am sure many of her songs have to others.

Who's to say she od'd.. its possible.. But maybe also her body had been so damaged it just gave out on her. Either way its tragic and sad.

RIP Amy...

[hgf33]

Ok well the news does say "suspected" drug overdose. I wasn't trying to be insensitive, I'm just not surprised.

[Besos para ella]

I think i'm still IN shock! Wayyyyyyyyy too young to die :( I loved her music, she was extremely talented, RIP Amy.

[Katja]

Ok well the news does say "suspected" drug overdose. I wasn't trying to be insensitive, I'm just not surprised.

British television and radio stations and most newspapers are quoting what is known for certain. That her death is as yet unexplained. There has been little or no speculation in this country about the reason why she died, but whatever the reason her death is a tragedy for the world of music.

[Prince of Thieves]

I find it no shock, but a tragedy and another example for us of the dangers of substance abuse.

It is remarkable the number of musicians who have died at 27. I was just looking at the phenomena and there was wiki entry about it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/27_Club.

I like this quote in the entry: "The number of musicians who died at 27 is truly remarkable by any standard. [Although] humans die regularly at all ages, there is a statistical spike for musicians who die at 27."

[djones]

Perhaps more tragic because we all saw it coming - and no one could stop it from happening. Her amazing voice will continue to be heard, her amazing talent will continue to missed. One Love.

[thoryou]

so sad

[_Joe_]

As a dad, I don't mind showing my kids pictures of Winehouse before drugs, and winehouse early this year.

That should be enough to stop anyone form trying drugs, sheesh.

[drugstore cowboy]

Rest in peace.

I was not the biggest fan but she did have an amazing voice and it's a shame that people are just going to remember her for her song "Rehab" when there were better songs that showed the raw talent of her music and full vocal range of her voice.

I understand that she did like 60s' soul music and this shows in her music.

[aut17umn]

Amy Winehouse ;-). She was a great singer. Only two cds but some really great songs and a very sexy voice. She had two close bouts with death before. I guess things do come in threes. Her family kept trying to get her sober but she kept sliding back into old habits. For any of you who do not know, all her most popular songs on youtube videos.


Peace.

[tommyswing]

It is sad, but the truth is most addicts die of their addiction. I hope she is at peace now.

[Pasadenacpl2]

You want to know what's really sad? Is that by virtue of her dying at age 27, she will be likened with the other extremely talented members of the 27 club. Winehouse (Whine house) does not belong in the same conversation as Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix and especially not in the same room with Janis Joplin. I didn't even like Nirvana and I'll take Cobain any day over AH.

Whinehouse's music was terrible and derivative. When she was sober, she was passable. When she wasn't, which was most of the time, she was a trainwreck.

If only she could have taken Courtney Love with her.

Pasa

[locotom]

whilst i am sorry for her loss i cant help thinking we have lost sight of the ones we should be remembering rather than self centred egoists.For example
5 days ago a true British hero was killed in action fighting for our country. Did you know this? Do you know his name? Do you care?!.........A singer addicted to drugs and alcohol dies and its all over the news and facebook and twitter within minutes RIP Corporal Mark Anthony Palin from 1st Battalion The Rifles ................WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
and also the losses of our allied servicemen and women RIP

[Katja]

whilst i am sorry for her loss i cant help thinking we have lost sight of the ones we should be remembering rather than self centred egoists.For example
5 days ago a true British hero was killed in action fighting for our country. Did you know this? Do you know his name? Do you care?!.........A singer addicted to drugs and alcohol dies and its all over the news and facebook and twitter within minutes RIP Corporal Mark Anthony Palin from 1st Battalion The Rifles ................WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
and also the losses of our allied servicemen and women RIP

It is sad when anyone dies whether or not it is as a result of conflict or they simply die of old age in bed.

Yet Amy Winehouse was a casualty of war too. A war which is every bit as vicious and evil as that fought in Afghanistan. A war which every year has more casualites than Afghanistan has taken since the invasion began. The war against drugs. We can argue that she was her own worst enemy and destroyed herself but none of us knows why she went the way she did. Whether or not her addiction was the cause of her death is moot. She was still a casualty of the war against narcotics which is being lost by society.

I do not decry a soldier who dies in war, even in a war of which I disapprove. Amy was not a soldier but she was a casualty of a war which has been waging since time immemorial, and has become even more vicious and destructive than ever before in the last half century.

She was a wonderful artist with an amazing voice, was a huge talent whose potential will now never be realised. Simply because one is a civilian and an entertainer does not mean they do not have value. Because one is self destructive does not mean that we cannot mourn their loss as a human being who is a casualty of a different kind of war. She gave pleasure to millions with her singing and that is at least as valuable as the destructive actions of a soldier. Both have their place in our world and one is no less important and valuable to humanity than the other.

We can argue about her merit as a performer and whether or not she deserves to be in the Pantheon of fallen heroes such as Pasadena describes. Her body of work is small yet it is impressive. Her importance as an artist is something we will all have a different opinion about. Her talent will never be fully realised and that is the tragedy of it.

[12voltman59]

You could figure her death was something that was coming--it was only a matter of when it was. Kind of interesting that as a musician--she left this world at the same age that others left it via drug use like Janis Joplin, Curt Cobain, Jim Morrison and several others who died of their drug usage at the ripe old age of 27.

It is too bad that these people with such talent didn't feel that they could not face life without the crutch of their drug addictions and they destroyed their lives at a relatively young age.

It is kinda sad.

[Hephaestion]

I cannot remember who said it but the gist was that 'when someone has tasted success they tend to get worried that the only way is down'. In the event there is the sometimes wretched hope for the great come back.

Happens overtly with film stars and popular musicians. Also happens in business life where suicide rates have increased with the recessions.

Sometimes that pain is the required stimulus for creativity. Dolly Parton confessed tha she was at the lowest point in her life when she managed to pen the songs that made her famous.

Last but not least is one's love life. How dangerous and traumatic that can become.

[darkeyes]

Some of the greatest and most creative artists of all kinds throughout history were flawed and susceptible to the things which destroyed them. We do not know for certain as yet how she died, but depression and despair send so many great artists to find solace in the most addictive and destructive substances. There is a fragility in the genius. Yet it is that same despair and depression, the fragility of the spirit which is the catalyst to the production of the greatest of their art. Amy Winehouse was one such person. A supremely talented artist and poet who had so much to offer the world but we shall never see her greatest flowering and that is a tragedy for all who love music, but mostly it is a tragedy for Amy Winehouse herself.

She may have been self destructive, but she was if nothing a free spirit who was the catalyst and inspiration for a blossoming of music performed and created by women. She was not manufactured and moulded by any but herself, and there was no blandness about her. She couldn't give a shite about the music bosses and the Simon Cowells of this world and their insidious and bland hold on the world of music. She was Amy, free spirit, lover of words and music. Creator of beauty. Her influence is felt throughout the music scene and that is a legacy for which we all should be grateful.

[innaminka]

I'm a little bit harsher.
Somone in our paper here pointed out that she, a drug and alcohol addict, died as a "tragic Diva."
Most everyone else who died of the same complaint was just a "druggie loser."

Wrong on both counts.

But it seemed bizarre she (her death) was given almsot as much prominence as the tragedy in Norway.

Are we that shallow?

[Katja]

But it seemed bizarre she (her death) was given almsot as much prominence as the tragedy in Norway.

Are we that shallow?Culturally, I am afraid we are. When large parts of the media concentrate so much on the entertainment world instead of real news it is something which has steadily since the great depression and before and has been getting worse since. It is all about feeding the masses escapist treats to help them forget the miseries of the world. We are easily bought.

I have written of Norway in the appropriate thread but such is the fickleness of this site, even although it has touched my own family, I did not feel easy in beginning a thread on the subject. As an an admirer of Amy Winehouse's music I truly believe she has been a massive influence on music far greater than some would like to believe or recognise.

Her death itself raises many issues and these are important in themselves. Whether we like it or not she was an influence on millions of young people and there are lessons from her life and her sad end which should be learned to better equip those kids for the life ahead. Her music has influenced many singers and song writers since she first came on the music scene as they, from Beyonce to Adele to Florence Welsh and even Lady GaGa gladly attest.

The issue of narcotics and alcohol are not trivial issues in our society, but much of our media and some people consider Amy Winehouse as almost nothing, and a drug addled loser, not a tragic human being who has had so much influence for good or ill on our youth. Her difficulties wiith relationships and the violence in her life are also lessons which we should be learning from. It is so much easier to teach the young about the tragedy of a celebrity than of an unknown 'run of the mill' drug addict because they identify with that person.

Norway was a much more powerful and tragic event to the minds of all who are alive than the death of one sad entertainer. Few will ever forget it. However, her death is also a great tragedy to the world of music and if it should never have been given the same prominence as that of Norway, who is to blame for that?

The media may pay lip service to the point you make but it will still ram the most useless and branless triva down our throats to sell newspapers or have us watch their programming. The entertainment industry love the way the media treat their 'stars', as do most 'stars' even if many do complain about press intrusion.

Is it so surprising then that the death of a world famous British diva is so prominent in our media when their lives are driven down our throats day in and day out? Is it so surprising then that we would rather discuss an entertainer's life and death than an immensely more important tragedy in a little country in northern Europe?

[MikeSoFla]

and a death we ALL saw coming. who cares, this isnt even news worthy.

[Hephaestion]

I'm a little bit harsher.
Somone in our paper here pointed out that she, a drug and alcohol addict, died as a "tragic Diva."
Most everyone else who died of the same complaint was just a "druggie loser."

Wrong on both counts.

But it seemed bizarre she (her death) was given almsot as much prominence as the tragedy in Norway.

Are we that shallow?

Foreign news Now. A middle aged Brit stubbed his toe yesterday while hill walking. The British Embassy was notified and an Armed forces Hospital ship was sent to the area as a safeguard. Helicopters of the Royal Navy were scrambled in support of a possible pedicure. On an adjacent hillside 10,00 people perished in one of nature's spectacular volcanic erruptions. Despite the distraction, the RN were able to supply our gentleman with a spare pair of socks and a medicinal G&T. A full recovery is assured.

Just go back and look at past news broadcasts

[Katja]

and a death we ALL saw coming. who cares, this isnt even news worthy.

Less than some, more than others. The tragic early death of great talent is news worthy whatever that talent is and she was a great talent.

[Pasadenacpl2]

I keep hearing about her great talent. Are we seeing/hearing the same person? Her writing was derivative and quite honestly bland. Her singing was pitchy and nasal. She kept trying to be this generation's Alanis Morrisette, but never was.

Hendrix was a tragic loss of unfulfilled talent. As was Joplin, and Morrison. Winehouse was just unfulfilling.

Pasa

[musiciansfriend]

Re: Amy Whitehouse: A tragic life

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I keep hearing about her great talent. Are we seeing/hearing the same person? Her writing was derivative and quite honestly bland. Her singing was pitchy and nasal. She kept trying to be this generation's Alanis Morrisette, but never was.

Hendrix was a tragic loss of unfulfilled talent. As was Joplin, and Morrison. Winehouse was just unfulfilling.

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In my own oppinion, she had way more vocal talent than Joplin and Morrison Combined. But we are all free to have our own oppinion aren't we.

[Katja]

You know I began this thread days ago and have only just noticed my deliberate mistake in the title.:eek:

I think I should go back on holiday to clear my head.:cool: