By On July 23, the world awoke to the news that notoriously troubled singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse, 27, died in her London home.
Without any knowledge of what actually took the musician’s life, news sources and media figures began speculating that drugs were responsible, due to Winehouse’s extremely public battle with addiction in the past.
An initial autopsy has failed to find a clear cause of death, but toxicology reports are pending and due back in three to four weeks.
The internationally famous songstress was well-known for her battle with drugs and seemingly indifference toward her addiction. Her past antics include footage from a 2007 concert in which the British fireball ingestd cocaine on-stage in the middle of a performance. Also memorable were the countless photos of the rebel publicly drunk and belligerent , sometimes flipping off cameras while at other times assaulting paparazzi or budding fans seeking an autograph.
This aspect of Winehouse’s life made her a media hit and filled the pages of online celebrity gossip sites and tabloids. However, they failed to show the entire story of a woman who is considered by many as one of the greatest musicians of the last several decades.
With tamer beginnings, Winehouse released her first album “Frank” (2003), which included such retro-hip-hop numbers as “Fuck Me Pumps” and “Mr. Magic.”
Her second album “Back to Black” was her true rocket to fame with almost every song becoming an international smash hit, including “Rehab,” “You Know I’m No Good,” “Tears Dry On Their Own,” “Love is a Losing Game” and many more that defy the monotony of current music. Her classy, soulful voice set against doo-wop or jazzy beats was incomparable to anything else at the time of the albums 2007 release. The artist is still considered responsible for a modern soul movement.
Fans everywhere have taken the past few days since her death to remember the true artist, and what made her so musically remarkable.
Trent Vierra, Cal State Long Beach liberal studies major, recalled his initial reaction to Winehouse, stating, “Her music was a new pop infused with soul and jazz, which caught my attention.”
“I still listened to her all the time.” Vierra continued. “I loved her and I wished she would fix herself and make a new album.”
For some, the undeniable sadness of her death is muddied with the fact that she never successfully repaired her broken life.
Senior marketing major Tiffany Roberts said, “[Winehouse] had a lot of problems that she wasn’t addressing, and she was using something else to fill that void. She self-destructed.”
When at her best, the bee-hived, cat-eyed bombshell was unfathomably distinct. Her live performances were unique, with Winehouse sensually looking the audience up and down as if beholding an object of lust while musically serenading him. Her vocal range will never likely be duplicated and fans thankfully have an array of sober performances on YouTube to enjoy over and over.
To friends, family and fans, Winehouse will live forever through her musical catalog, as well as her iconic style. Death has tragically pacified her, but supporters can now find new meaning in the final line of her hit “He Can Only Hold Her” which states softly, “What’s inside her never dies…”
