Amy Winehouse Dies, and That's No Good. Five Reasons Why This Fan Will Miss Her

In 2007, Gillian Reagan declared, "Amy Winehouse is going to die young." Reagan was right.

It's 2011, and the singer is dead at 27. That makes me sad, because the moment I listened to "Back to Black," she became one of my favorites.

I never joined the "let's diss Winehouse" bandwagon when Amy began to show the world she had a serious substance abuse problem. I was angry at her for ruining her life. I was angry at her for letting Blake Fielder-Civil ruin her life, but I never dissed her. That's because I respected her too much as an artist to do that. After all, Madonna was always pretty and drug free, but I prefer Janis Joplin and Courtney Love.

The "Rehab" singer, who recently left a British rehab center, was set for a comeback. However, in June of 2011, she slurred her words and wobbled around on stage at her concert in Belgrade. Consequently, she was booed off, and she canceled the rest of her tour. It's a sad footnote for a remarkable performer.

There are at least five reasons why I'll miss the woman who made me listen to "Back to Black" more times than I can count.

She was different

What does different mean? Does it mean you wear clothes that others aren't wearing? Sometimes. But I'm looking for more than that. I'm looking for an original. I'm not saying she was a Bessie Smith or a Billie Holiday, but while others pumped out rap or pop, Winehouse's modern blues grabbed my attention immediately.

She was beautiful

If you didn't like the Beehive and the tats, that's fine. Neither did the frat boys over at Maxim. But what else is news?

I loved her look. Not so much after the drugs wrecked her body, but certainly before.

She gave us "Back to Black"

The oddest thing about this tragic death, for me, is that just last night I listened to "Back to Black." Before I got in my car to drive to Berwyn to have dinner with a friend, I grabbed my CD pack. (I do that when I get sick of the radio.) I carry at least 100 CDs in that pack, yet I reached for "Back to Black." And then the next day I learn that she's dead.

Apart from the incredible indie music, there are some collections that hit it big that I believe are true masterpieces. I can't list them all, but off the top of my head - Public Enemy's "Fear of a Black Planet," David Bowie's "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars," Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill" and Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black."

She could perform

I watched Amy in London for the 2008 Grammys. Fielder-Civil was in prison and Amy was singing the blues. With three black British male dancers at her side, she looked into the camera and moved her body her signature way. Her Beehive 'do was a bit suspect. She was thin due to the drugs. Her makeup wasn't picture perfect.

I loved it. So did the crowd who gave her a standing ovation. She won five Grammy Awards, all deserved.

She was real

When the "You Know I'm No Good" singer won at the Grammys, she looked spaced out, but she pulled herself together. "This for London, because Camden Town ain't burning down," she declared. The Hawley Arms, a pub in Camden where she would hang out with friends and get drunk, was burned. However, the pub was rebuilt.

I would have loved to have met Amy, sober or drunk. I get the feeling she was real. She aired her dirty laundry right there on stage.

Sources:

Gillian Reagan, Amy Winehouse: The Next Tragic Talent?, New York Observer

Erin Carlson, Amy Winehouse Found Dead in London, OMG!
Darren Franich, Amy Winehouse cancels two tour dates after disastrous performance in Belgrade, EW
Amy Winehouse's website
Amy Winehouse at the Grammys awards show of 2008, YouTube