Amy Winehouse appeared in St. Lucia this past weekend in a reported "comeback" and was forced to leave the stage due to bad weather. No word yet on if she will reschedule the concert. It is being reported that the first attempt at a public appearance in 2009 for Winehouse was "painful to watch." The footage, indeed, is very sad.
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."
Pop culture pundits such as Perez Hilton have made very good money out of cruelly mocking reporting on "Wino's" faults and failings; and, everyone from Newsweek to Natalie Cole to the United Nations has lined up at one point or another to come out with a statement about how fucked up and what a bad example Winehouse is.
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.
Image via DuckyKuek