Saturday 23 July 2011

Amy Winehouse Found Dead

In tragic news, Amy Winehouse was found dead in her London flat Saturday, according to UK reports.

The Grammy award-winning soul singer, with her trademark beehive hairstyle, battled with her demons as documented in her biggest hit single "Rehab". Her death is being treated as unexplained, police said.

Friends and fellow stars voiced their shock and sadness at her death, while fans began to gather and lay flowers candles and teddy bears at the police cordon outside her home in Camden, north London.

Just last month, Winehouse was forced to cancel her European tour, following a disastrous performance in Belgrade that went viral on YouTube. The troubled singer, has long struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, making many references to these struggles in her music.

Best known for her 2006 breakthrough album, Back to Black, the singer was known for her deep voice and brazen lyrics.

Winehouse was extremely popular on YouTube. The songs from Back to Black continue to be popular cover targets for aspiring YouTube artists, thanks to its haunting lyrics and musicality. From iTunes to AOL Live, Winehouse made a number of appearances at digital focused events and distributed releases specifically for digital audiences.

Sadly, Winehouse’s more troubled moments were captured and disseminated online as well. Earlier this summer, Winehouse’s disastrous performance in Belgrade, Serbia was caught by several audience members. The resulting fallout from the videos, which went viral, caused her to cancel her European tour and her record label issued takedown notices agains the most popular videos.

While the 27-year-old Back to Black crooner has faced a very public battle with addiction to drugs and alcohol, the official cause of her death has not yet been announced.

An ambulance was called to her residence in Camden, North London, at approximately 4 p.m. but medics were unable to save her.

In a statement to the Daily Mail, the Metropolitan police said "police were called by London Ambulance Service to an address in Camden Square NW1 shortly before 16.05 hrs today, Saturday 23 July, following reports of a woman found deceased. On arrival officers found the body of a 27-year-old female who was pronounced dead at the scene."

News of Winehouse's passing comes just a month after she gave a performance in Serbia in which she staggered around the stage and could barely sing the words to her own songs. The singer's camp later canceled the remainder of her European tour.

Prior to that concert, it appeared Winehouse was getting her life back on track, when she checked herself into rehab at the Priory clinic for her ongoing battle with alcohol addiction at the end of May. However, she quickly checked out only a few days later.

Winehouse's troubles with drug and alcohol addiction were nothing new, however. After famously penning "Rehab" with Mark Ronson, the singer became known for her public bouts with both.

'I've known for a long time that my daughter has problems," Winehouse's mother, Janis Winehouse, told the UK's Sunday Mirror in 2008. "But seeing it on screen rammed it home. I realize my daughter could be dead within the year. We're watching her kill herself, slowly. I've already come to terms with her dead. I've steeled myself to ask her what ground she wants to be buried in, which cemetery. Because the drugs will get her if she stays on this road."

Update: 2:42 p.m. PT

Winehouse's record label, Universal Music, confirmed her death Saturday, telling the Daily Mirror, "We are deeply saddened at the sudden loss of such a gifted musician, artist and performer. Our prayers go out to Amy's family, friends and fans at this difficult time."

Amy's publicist, Chris Goodman, went on to say "Everyone who was involved with Amy is shocked and devastated," in a statement to the Daily Mirror's Nick Buckley. "Our thoughts are with her family and friends. The family will issue a statement when ready."

The Recording Academy also followed suit by issuing its own statement regarding the death of the Grammy-winning singer.

"Five-time Grammy winner Amy Winehouse was a dynamic performer and musician who seamlessly blended rock, jazz, pop, and soul and created a sound all her own," Recording Academy President and CEO Neil Portnow said. "Her rich, soulful and unique voice reflected her honest songwriting and earned her a devoted fan following, critical acclaim, and the genuine respect and admiration of her musical peers. She will forever be remembered for her immense talent, and her music will live on for generations to come. Our deepest sympathies go out to her family, friends, and fans during this difficult time."

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...