Amy Winehouse: Dead at 27, Remarkable and Tragic

Amy Winehouse is dead. Few will be surprised to hear this news unfortunately. The 27 year old British pop star seemed utterly determined to do herself in. Her highly publicized battle with drugs and alcohol included a brush with death more than once.

Strangely enough, Winehouse joined the ranks of the 27 Club. Touted as the "Greatest Myth of Rock & Roll, this phenomenon claimed another victim. Amy Winehouse will be forever linked with the likes of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones.

In the book Women Who Run With the Wolves, author Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D. writes of Janis Joplin, "It was not Joplin's music -- it was lack of instinct to recognize the traps, to know when enough was enough, to create boundaries around her own health and welfare, to understand that excesses break small psychic bones, then larger ones, until finally the entire underpinnings of psyche collapse and a person becomes a puddle instead of a powerful force."

Like Joplin, Amy Winehouse could have continued to have been a powerful force in the music world. Her soulful voice and signature style garnered her fans, like myself, who were rooting for her to pull it together. She didn't, she couldn't, and now she is gone.

Her remarkable talent was tarnished by her reputation. Her debut album, Frank, won widespread acclaim and then her 2006's Grammy award winning Back to Black album showcased her extraordinary voice. European fans bought up tickets to hear her sing this year, but unfortunately the singer wasted that opportunity by showing up drunk. The tour was cancelled and many were left worried about the singer and her multiple addictions.

Just Wednesday night, Winehouse made a public appearance with her goddaughter Dionne Bromfield at the The Roundhouse in Camden. She jumped on stage, danced with Bromfield and encouraged everyone in the audience to buy her album. Many probably will in light of this news, unfortunately Amy Winehouse won't know.

One of the first to comment via Twitter on Amy Winehouse's death included the British prime minister's wife Sarah Brown, she wrote, "Sad sad news of Amy Winehouse - great talent, extraordinary voice, and tragic death, condolences to her family."

I echo that sentiment. Sad, sad news. Rest in peace Amy.

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