Amy Winehouse

[Warpaint]

I loved Amy she was a star in the true sense of the word.
I do wonder how she would have fared in this crazy world today. Since she died anyone who is influenced by black music and her voice was Billie Holiday/Sarah Vaughan like in style and being white, would she have been accused of apporiating those artists, she was Jewish which is problematic amongst media types now and her song Stronger Than Me she sings about ladyboys so she would probably not be able to sing that because of transphobia. Oh boy how the world has slid of the rails in such a short time.
I'd like to think in true Amy style she'd stick her tongue out at them all and be unapologetic.

She also of Russian descent and used to do private shows for oligarch types, so not sure how well that would go down now either

 

[GingerJones50]

Despite her talent she clearly had severe self esteem issues her whole life, which unfortunately made her more prone to addiction and easy prey for people like Blake, and ultimately her dad in a different way too, sadly.

Oh I don’t think it was necessary to wait for Amy to be tied to him. It was obvious from her personality that she’d be all over hard drugs like a tramp on chips as soon as she tried them. Living in Camden after the millennium, if it hadn’t been Blake who’d introduced her to it, it would’ve been someone else. It was as freely available in Camden as a bag of crisps in those days.

 

[Foxvint]

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis are doing the score for the Amy film - if I wasn't in before I definitely would be now anyway.

 

[whathastheworldcometo]

Her parents did step in. They sent her to rehab (though Blake went with her, which rather defeated the object), they had a nurse check in on her every day; I believe they also played a part in making her divorce Blake. They weren't idly standing around, in other words.

Thanks for explaining, I didn't have these details.

I guess everybody thought that she was on the path of recovery before she died.

 

[Blockster]

There’s one line in it about a ladyboy rather than it being the subject

Oh definitely but that's enough in this current world to send them rabid.

 

[Silverback]

I don’t think Blake can be held accountable entirely- Amy wasn’t held down by him and pumped full of drugs, she made a choice. Also, her dad is a fucking waste of space and probably the cause of a lot of her problems.

Ultimately, if she had good people around her she probably would have been in a better place, I’m sure.

I remember the day she died so clearly- friends of mine work for newspapers and before the news was official they were texting me saying she had died. And then it was all over the news an hour later. Poor Amy.

 

[Ingognito.Queen]

Amy's tounge in cheek lyrics, glorification of old London gangster aesthetics that enshrine strict gender roles and a traditional wife persona weren't at all woke.

Do we perhaps also think that Amy would be labelled as bit of a 'pick me' girl if she was alive?

'I'm not really a girl. I'm not even a boy's girl. I'm a man's man - and that doesn't mean I'm a big dyke. Men are far more straightforward. They don't dwell on things and play psychological games. I'm not saying all women are like that, or that some men don't play those games, but on the whole men are more easy-going and don't piss time up the wall'

What I know about men: Amy Winehouse, singer/songwriter

Amy Winehouse, singer/songwriter

www.theguardian.com

 

[MrFMercury]

Why are her friends' names engraved on her headstone anyway?

I wondered this too. Never seen or heard of it before

 

[Flowerpotgirl]

Amy was one of us and that was what made her truly exceptional. He talent was surpassed by none and Janis knew this and just was proud. I knew her and was in the same ‘local’ crowd (I have zero talent) but we grew up together and she was always special. Never commented before as it’s not a rave thread and I only have positive things to say (apart from that absolute cunt Blake).

Whenever I even hear his name mentioned, I am furious. God I hate him and I dont care if he thinks he shouldnt be blamed for her dying. I blame him, and her father is right behind him imo

 

[whathastheworldcometo]

What I always wondered, having lived in Camden when Amy spiralled out of control and then later died, was that nobody seemed to have stopped her.

I remember seeing the clips from her concerts when she was completely wasted (and high at the same time I assume), the photos of her wandering through SoHo lost in her bloody ballet shoes, the many articles about her drug taking.

Did she not allow anyone to help her? Did her parents not want to step in? Did she not have anyone else close to her who could have helped?

 

[GeminiMoon]

I seem to remember Blake and his mother I think on JK program,His mother..well.he didn’t seem to come across all that good and his mother.

I’m really intrigued by Blake’s background/family. For some reason I had the impression his family were upper middle class - maybe his surname fooled me. I’d be surprised if there isn’t some trauma/serious dysfunction in his childhood.

 

[shellie]

It's so weird isn't it? I didn't realise until a couple of days that he had released an album! I think he saw himself as the new Sinatra.

With the way he used to brag about her always claiming how good he was, it's clear he thinks he is genuinely talented. Even in the documentary the family did for the BBC, he had to show off by singing along to one of her songs.

 

[clueless]

Shocked as fuck with what I’ve read about the film unbelievable.

But! I’ve been enjoying the BBC 4 schedule tonight dedicated to Amy. I love and miss her so much!

The only blemish in the evening is they’ve just showed a doc about her life in ten pictures, and it had her “friends” Naomi and Catriona on it, and they really get on my wick. The things they say and how they talk of Amy are things that you and I could easily say, nothing that could make you believe they were real friends. They weren’t in the Asif Kapadia documentary film, the film that had her actual real friends Juliette, Lauren, Nick, Tyler. The only other time they popped up was in that Winehouse family made documentary. Says a lot, really

 

[shellie]

I said on the general celeb thread that I've got to wonder about STJ and the screenwriter that they whitewashed two of the the worst people in her life and completely disregarded most of those who actually had any care for her.

From interviews, she honestly seems to think that it is a good film, they are celebrating her and anyone who thinks it's shit is wrong.

 

[rememberwayne]

I wanted to always blame Blake. I still do to a degree, but her constant drug use even on her own, when Blake was in prison. I had always thought it was a thing she did just with him. But it wasnt, she was well and truly a severe addict with an eating disorder and all sorts. I feel so badly that she was so alone and without people who were really committed to taking care of her. Tyler was trying tough love at the end when she died. I wonder if everyone was as concerned with her surviving, as they were with her making them money, if things could have been any different.
When I went to the exhibit of her things at the Jewish Museum in Camden I couldnt believe how tiny all the clothes were. She was skeletal at points in her life. Her body just couldnt take any more.

Bless her heart, such a shame.

 

[Flowerpotgirl]

@sirlancelot if he writes a book I am going to start screaming and never stop. He is such a waste of carbon.

 

[The Yoko Ono of GY]

Stronger than Me isn't about ladyboys , but yes she had very traditional views of masculinity/femininity.

It were different times back then, and she was quite young, but she had an open heart. I can imagine, she would have developed and learned.

 

[Blockster]

I love watching biopics so will wait for this to come out on dvd. It has to be better than the recent Bob Marley one. That was a snore fest. Don't know why everyone seemed to rave about that one 🥱🥱🥱

I agree, it made Bob Marley a caricature. Unlike the Elvis film which in my opinion reinstated how talented he really was.

 

[Stillwater]

I don’t think she was in the least overrated but she was also captivating and fatally car-crashy. And this way legends are born.

 

[Foxvint]

What do we think of Bryan Adams saying Amy had swallowed £2000 worth of heroin wraps when she came over to stay in his place in Mustique I thought the official line about her being there was that she was pissed but clean