Amy Winehouse

[Flowerpotgirl]

View attachment 2338590
Pity party for St. Mitch. Nothing is everrrrrrr his fault

he and Blake have a lot to answer for
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@clueless Its really interesting to hear your perspective as a meg-fan, and to see what other fans are like. I agree. You just don’t do that. It’s too personal.


I saw this book mentioned on Twitter by whoever is behind the official Amy Winehouse account, and even hardcore fans were saying things along the lines of, “no, this is too much“.

It’s called “in her own words”, but I feel like it’s more, “her own private things” and should be left alone.

Amy Winehouse Book, ‘In Her Words,’ to Feature Personal Journals, Photos, Handwritten Lyrics

Amy Winehouse will be celebrated in 'Amy Winehouse: In Her Words,' which collects her personal journals, photos and handwritten lyrics.

www.billboard.com

if old money grubbing mitch had his way, there would have been a hologram tour. I was livid when i heard that

 

[Blockster]

She was very much proud of being Jewish.

The "ladyboy" line is just tacky and a rare lyrical misstep for her, but clearly jocular in intent. Indeed, much of her success was down to the direct relatable realness of her lyrics - instead of saying in a roundabout way "I'm pissed off with you", she'd simply come out with that.

As for her possibly being accused of appropriating black music if she was a new artist - most of the prominent "soul"/pop singers of the last decade or so are white. The "they're white but sound black" thing has gone on for some time now and is complete and utter PR bullshit, usually without any merit or basis in reality. Vocally, she was a bit too affected for me and certainly more Billie Holiday than Sarah Vaughan (Sarah had a very rich tone which was miles apart from Amy's). However, there's no denying that she had much more than a superficial interest in black soul & jazz singers, and she was very vocal and sincere about the influence of people such as Donny Hathaway.
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Come on, she's hardly Ricky Gervais or Dave Chappelle who seem quite obsessed with transphobia in their stand up routines.

I'm no good at links but the rag of virture the Guardian did a piece on this particular track and said about this one line about 'you my ladyboy' and how it's not for today's world. I think you underestimate the sheer pettiness and lack of nuance alot of people within the media possess today and social media.
My comment was just an observation into how quickly things have changed, I think people can sing what they like by who they like, influence is a good thing regardless of colour that shouldn't matter one iota.

 

[Lanie]

I loved her. What a talent. Her dad is a piece of work though, definitely lived his fantasies though her-they should have got her into rehab sharpish at the first signs of drug abuse- but they were too busy pushing her to do gigs and promotion. RIP Amy.

What always gets me about people like BFC he was a druggie when he met her and was often fucked him in photos of them together and yet he has managed to outlive her and stay cleanish.

She would have been fine if he had of left her alone.

Always reminds me of when in trainspotting they get tommy on drugs and they all sort themselves out and he gets ill and dies.

 

[Tweacle]

Thanks for sharing your memories, @Tweacle - I'm so envious you got to spend time with her!



I agree, it will be great to hear more from her mum's perspective for a change, we never really hear from her, unlike Mitch!

Janis seems like a lovely woman and she acknowledges that she made mistakes as a mum with not being strict enough, not taking Amy's bulimia admission seriously etc... she just seemed to be far too soft with her and she admits to this, unlike Mitch who accepts no responsibility for anything, and tries to make himself out to be the World's Best Dad.

Janis is just lovely. She knows she spoiled amy rotten and she will happily say she made mistakes. However she was a single mum who was also not very well, and from what I know Mitch wasn’t a good husband and got worse after they split. She worked so hard to provide for them, so I think she can be forgiven for trying to make Amys life easier.

 

[clueless]

Went down a rabbit hole re: the auction

"Generously gifted us various items" oh please some of the things they sold may have been gifted, sure, but I wish journalists would do their bloody due diligence and research further instead of just parroting what they say in their articles. It's literally on the auction website that those items that should have been thrown in the bin were from Catriona and Naomi's collections. I can't think that anyone would believe that a dried up eyeliner, old lipstick and multiple pairs of ripped/bloodied ballet pumps would have been "generous gifts" from Amy.

They keep talking about the sold items being from "curated collections" with Amy, but do they really expect us to believe those bits of rubbish were "curated"? I actually think they don't realise that it's written on the auction website, their names linked to the ballet pumps and old makeup things. They're getting a lot of support from people who only think they sold some clothes. Everyone should know about the other things.

 

[LennyBriscoe]

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?

Sadly it’s really, really hard to stop an addict, which imo Amy was. They will only ever stop when they want to. There probably isn’t a parent alive who has lost to a child to addiction and hasn’t been wracked with guilt but it’s impossible to step in and help someone until they’re ready to be helped

 

[AuthorsOfForever]

Her father was definitely the worst one for her. Bordering Britneys in my opinion if he could have.

Pushing her to pose with fans when she didn't want to because they were her money makers. Forcing her to work when her friends were begging him to get her help.

He's vile.

I agree with this. She even says it in ‘Rehab’

“They tried to make me go to Rehab
But I said no, no, no
Yes I've been black but when I come back
You'll know, know, know
I ain't got the time
And if my daddy thinks I'm fine
Just try to make me go to Rehab
But I won't go, go, go”

sounds like her dad told her she didn’t need it, she was fine.

that last filmed performance of her before she died is horrendous to watch. I can’t believe anyone let her go on stage like that. And how the band just kept on playing. And then she was dead. Just heartbreaking.

 

[clueless]

Just had another look through and seen that the sale of the infamous blood-stained ballet pumps - and several other pairs - were "from the collection of Catriona Gourlay". Classy. But yeah, I'm sure Amy gave those to her as a nice little gift.

Naomi Parry also sold some tattered ballet pumps, an old MAC lipstick, and a dried out Rimmel eyeliner - "from the collection of Naomi Parry". No doubt there's plenty more but that confirms a few of the 156 items.

These people disgust me, possibly even more than Mitch. "Close friends" my arse.

Spoiler: Links for posterity

https://www.julienslive.com/lot-details/index/catalog/454/lot/205969/AMY-WINEHOUSE-BALLET-SLIPPERS?uact=5&aid=454&lid=203092&current_page=0

https://www.julienslive.com/lot-details/index/catalog/454/lot/205968/AMY-WINEHOUSE-BALLET-SLIPPERS?uact=5&aid=454&lid=205969&current_page=0

https://www.julienslive.com/lot-details/index/catalog/454/lot/203093/AMY-WINEHOUSE-BALLET-SLIPPERS?uact=3&aid=454&lid=205968&current_page=209

https://www.julienslive.com/lot-details/index/catalog/454/lot/203092/AMY-WINEHOUSE-PINK-MAC-LIPSTICK?uact=5&aid=454&lid=205969&current_page=0

https://www.julienslive.com/lot-details/index/catalog/454/lot/203091/AMY-WINEHOUSE-RIMMEL-BLACK-EYELINER?uact=5&aid=454&lid=203092&current_page=0

 

[allybongo]

That is one of the most disgusting and vile things I have ever seen. I always knew that Caroline Hirons was foul, but that actually makes me want to cry.

Remember her famous ballet pumps? She would buy 20 at a time! A blogger in this video visits the shop where she’d get them from, it’s at about 10 minutes in. It‘s kind of heartbreaking, the shop still had her last order of shoes kept aside

 

[Tweacle]

She really was a talented girl. I always felt she wouldn’t have a long life, I don’t know why it was as just a feeling I had. She was so very kind and a lot of people didn’t realise that. She seemed to me that she just wanted to be liked and loved.

 

[Foxvint]

For all that drugs were a part of her story it was the pedestrian old ale that killed her. She'd been clean of class A's for a long time before she died and she hadn't been around Blake for years either. I bet some of those cunts who stuck half litre voddy bottles in the impromptu shrine outside her house are the same people who'd have Mitch and Blake in the pillory over her death.

We want simple answers to tragedy. She was a stubborn wealthy woman with agency. Hagiography springs up when someone dies young. Like all addicts she put her family through hell. I always wonder what amazing music we missed out on by her dying but it's equally possible that she might not have done anything else but be papped looking a mess in grotty pubs. The press were always speculating that she wouldn't make any more albums, treating her like a has been, treating her like the punchline of a sad joke. It must've seriously affected her as a woman with an eating disorder and poor self imagine. There's a little story in Tyler's book about a girl in the loos saying to her omg you look just like Amy winehouse except you're a lot prettier. He said she was crushed by stuff like that. Anyway I'm rambling. See the film or don't but I didn't find it gratuitous myself.
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If Mitch was heavily involved in the film, why is Blake coming off well in it? I can’t imagine he’d be happy about that, but I suppose as long as he is shown as World’s Best Dad that’s the main thing

I don't think he did come off well in it. He just wasn't a 2D villain either. It also shows her dad letting her down, not going to one of her early gigs. No one comes out of it smelling of roses. It's not the simple black and white thing some people who haven't seen it have decided it is.
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Does anyone have the tea on all her clothes currently being sold on ebay? That's presumably one of her 'friends' doing. I assume I can't post ebay links but for example there's a pair of her ballet pumps for 7.5K. Not being sold for charity either.

 

[Ingognito.Queen]

When I saw the list of items, I could have cried. Single earrings, half used eye liner, driving test manuals. It WAS literally like someone had gone in and grabbed anything that was there. Shocked there was no half used soaps and tubes of toothpaste. So so distasteful

a used candle, a tube of Simple moisturiser, empty perfume and body wash bottles, half-used makeup bits to name a few. It just looked like a total raid of her house, like someone had taken every little thing.

This has stopped me in my tracks. This is so, so sad.

 

[Sunshine&clouds]

One of the tragedies with Amy is that she went from being so beautiful, a healthy weight and full of life to almost skeletal and virtually dying in front of us. I'm actually surprised she didn't die before. It was devastating seeing her spiral completely out of control. I know she had her demons, but Blake was like the Grim Reaper. He destroyed her.

As well as overwhelming sadness, I find is horrifying that this was allowed to happen. I don't mean that people didn't try, especially her mum, but personally I think that she should have been sectioned. She was a clear danger to herself and as well as alcohol and drug addictions, I'm certain she had an eating disorder too.

One last thing is how much I cringe when people say "Rehab" is their favourite song. How anyone can enjoy this song is beyond me. The popularity of it must have reinforced Amy's belief that she didn't need to go to rehab, when she so obviously did.

 

[Foxvint]

They all sound like a bunch of vultures. I do believe her an Tyler were very close. His book was respectful without sugar coating life as a friend to a volatile alcoholic. He probably made a decent amount of money from the book but I think over 10 years had passed since she died before it came out. The appetite is there for it so I don't see a problem with that. These 'friends' who ransacked her make up bag tho are appalling. Completely unproven provenance for stuff like that anyway. Gotta laugh at the clown who might be paying for Catriona's used soap.

 

[Tatooine_legend1]

This was a nice interview with her. She seemed very humble and down to earth. I never really followed her career, but she was a good talent. Another good talent gone too young was Aaliyah.



Oops, just saw another poster has posted the same interview from JR.

 

[Tweacle]

Blake didn’t destroy her, IMO, addiction did. He didn’t help, but he’s an addict too. They weren’t good for each other for sure. I bloody hate drugs / alcohol. Destroys so many people.

I went to an exhibition on Amy at the Jewish Museum in Camden a few years back, and they had a lot of her stuff. It was lovely but very sad.

I totally agree with this. He wasn’t a good person though in all honesty. I still think she would have ended up the same way without him. She adored him, he didn’t adore her back unfortunately.

 

[Blockster]

Watching BBC Later, it was so upsetting to see how much weight she'd lost between her first album and second

She looked liked a completely different person.

And then when they got to the New Year Show, she was skeletal.

She was such a talented person. But drink and drugs can take down anyone

Yes I agree when she was promoting Frank she was always smiling, by the second album she looked sad behind the eyes all the time, as tony Bennet said she was a jazz singer, she wasn't meant to perform in front of 50,000 people, more like 50 in a sweaty jazz bar.

 

[Ingognito.Queen]

Just had another look through and seen that the sale of the infamous blood-stained ballet pumps - and several other pairs - were "from the collection of Catriona Gourlay". Classy. But yeah, I'm sure Amy gave those to her as a nice little gift.

Naomi Parry also sold some tattered ballet pumps, an old MAC lipstick, and a dried out Rimmel eyeliner - "from the collection of Naomi Parry". No doubt there's plenty more but that confirms a few of the 156 items.

These people disgust me, possibly even more than Mitch. "Close friends" my arse.

Spoiler: Links for posterity

https://www.julienslive.com/lot-details/index/catalog/454/lot/205969/AMY-WINEHOUSE-BALLET-SLIPPERS?uact=5&aid=454&lid=203092&current_page=0

https://www.julienslive.com/lot-details/index/catalog/454/lot/205968/AMY-WINEHOUSE-BALLET-SLIPPERS?uact=5&aid=454&lid=205969&current_page=0

https://www.julienslive.com/lot-details/index/catalog/454/lot/203093/AMY-WINEHOUSE-BALLET-SLIPPERS?uact=3&aid=454&lid=205968&current_page=209

https://www.julienslive.com/lot-details/index/catalog/454/lot/203092/AMY-WINEHOUSE-PINK-MAC-LIPSTICK?uact=5&aid=454&lid=205969&current_page=0

https://www.julienslive.com/lot-details/index/catalog/454/lot/203091/AMY-WINEHOUSE-RIMMEL-BLACK-EYELINER?uact=5&aid=454&lid=203092&current_page=0

This is incredibly sad.
What is wrong with people?

'A single tube of Rimmel London's "Exaggerate" eye liner in the shade "001 100% Black" owned and used by Amy Winehouse.'

 

[Bumspider]

I can't say I've dug deep on the family and am not a huge fan of the music, but any time I saw Janis interviewed I thought she seemed nice. Mitch, I didn't like.

Am I naive in thinking Janis was a decent woman?

I think so. Janis comes across really well in any interviews and in her book but I think she was maybe a bit naive to Amy’s exploits. She was also battling ill health herself so probably put her trust, unwisely, in Mitch.

 

[Tilly41]

Also she seemed to fall into this persona to protect herself. I remember her taking about Blake around 2004. He was in a long term relationship with another woman and he wouldnt leave her and Amy was like ' I am not bothered as long as she feeds him'. She was an incredibly nurturing, generous and kind person by all accounts but I think she was into this idea of the tragic doomed love story.

I watched The Brits 2008 because Amy was up for several awards which she won. Also Lily Allen was their with her Dad Keith because she was nominated in the same category and they were interviewed. Lily was tense and uncomfortable about Amy winning. Now of course the press loves nothing more than to compare and also it's normal to be invested in winning but I also think being a peer and contemporary of AW would have been incredibly difficult. She was an absolute power house.