I was saddened to hear the news yesterday that talented singer Amy Winehouse had been found dead in her London home.
Even though the official police statement said her cause of death was "unknown", most people in the world immediately assumed that she had died of a drug overdose. Winehouse had a well-known drug and alcohol problem. In fact, her biggest hit song -- "Rehab" -- was about her refusal to take the advice of others and go to a drug rehabilitation clinic.
I was crushed by the news yesterday because I was a big fan of her music. I thought she was incredibly talented and that there was a timeless quality to her music. In my opinion, she was so much better than most of the others young performers making music today. Justin Bieber? Give me a break. Do you honestly think they will be playing Justin Biebers music 50 years from now? But they will still be playing Amy Winehouse music.
Unfortunately, Amy had problems with drugs and alcohol that she couldn't conquer. She was on a list of people that -- if they told you they were dead tomorrow -- you wouldn't be surprised. Not to jinx them, but entertainers Charlie Sheen and Lindsey Lohan are also on this list.
I will miss Amy. I was looking forward to more years of great songs from her.
Above is a video clip of her performing the very underrated song "Valerie" during a live TV show in Belgium in 2007. Watch it.
I'll end this blog post with a quote about Amy from talented singer Annie Lennox.
"I love Amy Winehouse's music. I think she's a genius. I went to see her perform when she was 18... and I was like, 'This child, she is like whoa! How does an 18-year-old sound like she's 60 in the best possible way, i.e. a seasoned jazz singer like something you've never heard before?' So, to me, she's profound. There's something about her that resonates with everybody." -- Annie Lennox
