I think the statement goes without saying that the moment the news broke July 23 that British singer Amy Winehouse passed away tragically in London at age 27, the first thing fans and non-fans like myself recalled was her 2007 Grammy award winning hit, “Rehab.”
I know I did. I still can’t stop uttering the first line of the lyrics which starts out with the line, “They tried to make me go to rehab, I said no, no, no.” Me, being a rebel in my own quiet way, I saw her lyrics as though this was one’s way of fighting against those who think they know what’s best for an addict.
It’s no secret that as a result of Winehouse’s well-publicized battles with substance abuse, which landed her in and out of rehab centers, and court appearances over the past decade that the entertainment media had her obituary prepared long before the end came.
The singer’s mother, Janis Winehouse, was quoted July 24 in the Sunday Mirror saying her daughter’s death was “only a matter of time.”
The YouTube video, for example, of “Back to Black” I watched recently which shows her attending the funeral service for who I assume is a boyfriend looked as though she was preparing for her own eventual farewell. The song, as well as the album, was supposedly inspired by her failed 2007 marriage to boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil who she divorced in 2009 according to Time.
When Winehouse cut short her European concert tour in June as a result of a disastrous performance in Belgrade, Serbia staggering around on stage and barely able to get through any of her songs, I am certain disappointed fans hoped this was not the beginning of the end.
I don’t know if I will download the rest of her work though. The day after her death, however, her 2006 album went to number one on iTunes. Like Michael Jackson, who had recorded several songs before his death in June 2009 which were released months later, Winehouse reportedly finished a duet with singer Tony Bennett on the Johnny Greene song, “Body and Soul” in March this year. The song will be part of Bennett’s upcoming 17 track album, Duets II, due in stores Sept. 20 according to The Hollywood Reporter. It's also been reported she may have recorded a dozen new songs in preparation for a third album though there is no word yet on when or if they will be released.
For now, Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” and now “Back to Black” will be a part of my personal list of several hit singles I have enjoyed listening to over the years from other female vocalists that include Sara Bareilles, Natasha Bedingfield, Sheryl Crow, Enya, Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan and even Britney Spears.
I’ll have her two hits playing on my iPod. If I ever get it set up that is.
©7/30/11
I know I did. I still can’t stop uttering the first line of the lyrics which starts out with the line, “They tried to make me go to rehab, I said no, no, no.” Me, being a rebel in my own quiet way, I saw her lyrics as though this was one’s way of fighting against those who think they know what’s best for an addict.
It’s no secret that as a result of Winehouse’s well-publicized battles with substance abuse, which landed her in and out of rehab centers, and court appearances over the past decade that the entertainment media had her obituary prepared long before the end came.
The singer’s mother, Janis Winehouse, was quoted July 24 in the Sunday Mirror saying her daughter’s death was “only a matter of time.”
Although I find her untimely passing not at all surprising in what I can probably safely assume was a drug overdose though toxicology results will not be known for several weeks, I never once looked deeper into the lyrics of “Rehab” in search of their true meaning despite the fact the song mirrored Winehouse’s personal problems. I just found it to be a catchy tune.Now that the tattooed singer with the Marge Simpson beehive hairdo is gone, however, I won’t be surprised if people look back on those lyrics and her too short list of other hit singles from her 2006 Grammy Award winning album, “Back to Black.” for ironic parallels to her private life as opposed to just enjoying her music.
The YouTube video, for example, of “Back to Black” I watched recently which shows her attending the funeral service for who I assume is a boyfriend looked as though she was preparing for her own eventual farewell. The song, as well as the album, was supposedly inspired by her failed 2007 marriage to boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil who she divorced in 2009 according to Time.
When Winehouse cut short her European concert tour in June as a result of a disastrous performance in Belgrade, Serbia staggering around on stage and barely able to get through any of her songs, I am certain disappointed fans hoped this was not the beginning of the end.
Up until her passing, I never heard of such a morbid group the Grammy award winning artist is a now a member of in death called the “Forever 27” club whose other deceased rock stars who went before their time at age 27 as a result of either substance abuse include Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and The Doors' Jim Morrison, and in the case of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, suicide.There have been times I have often found myself appreciating the talents of a singer or actor only after they have passed on. I watched a few of Winehouse’s music videos on VEVO recently through YouTube where the hit numbers on several of her works are now in the millions and liked her hit song, “Back to Black.”
I don’t know if I will download the rest of her work though. The day after her death, however, her 2006 album went to number one on iTunes. Like Michael Jackson, who had recorded several songs before his death in June 2009 which were released months later, Winehouse reportedly finished a duet with singer Tony Bennett on the Johnny Greene song, “Body and Soul” in March this year. The song will be part of Bennett’s upcoming 17 track album, Duets II, due in stores Sept. 20 according to The Hollywood Reporter. It's also been reported she may have recorded a dozen new songs in preparation for a third album though there is no word yet on when or if they will be released.
For now, Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” and now “Back to Black” will be a part of my personal list of several hit singles I have enjoyed listening to over the years from other female vocalists that include Sara Bareilles, Natasha Bedingfield, Sheryl Crow, Enya, Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan and even Britney Spears.
I’ll have her two hits playing on my iPod. If I ever get it set up that is.
©7/30/11
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