Amy Winehouse's Death at 27 Not a Surprise

Amy Winehouse, the British singer/songwriter, was found dead at her home on Saturday, July 23. She was 27 years old.

The artist had a long and much publicized battle with drugs and alcohol. Just a month ago Winehouse canceled a scheduled tour of Europe due to health concerns . The cause of her death is still being determined.

I wasn't a fan of Winehouse or her music. I didn't hate her either; I just didn't quite get the attraction. Just as a point of reference I don't get the Janis Joplin or Bob Dylan thing either. One thing I will say is that her death is far from a surprise. She was a train that was simply going way too fast. Many people tried to help her slow down and it just didn't work. Is it sad? Yes, for her family, friends, and fans. Is it shocking? Hardly.

So with Winehouse gone at the age of 27 the talk about the 27 Club will resurface. The 27 Club is a group of artist's that happened to die at the age of 27. The list includes Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, and Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. Many of them died because they had problems with drugs and alcohol. They are romanticized and thought of as music gods.

I have a small problem with this. First we make drug and alcohol addiction appear cool. Well it isn't cool for the family members that are left behind. I remember when Cobain died in 1994. I was 22 at the time and I was angry with him. Not because I was a fan of his music, I really didn't start liking Nirvana until after he had passed. No rather it was that he left a baby daughter behind with no father.

Second when you check out at 27 you haven't had enough of a career to make you a god. Just think if Axl Rose would have died at 27 we would have just had Appetite for Destruction and G N' R Lies. He never would have put out either of the God awful Spaghetti Incident or Chinese Democracy. It is easier to catch lightning in a bottle a time or two when you are young than to have a long sustained career in music.

So in the coming days we will hear how Winehouse was a true artist and an inspiration, and she was for some. But let us not forget the dark side of her life and death. She had demons she refused to confront. Hopefully her death will not be in vain and someone will get help for their addiction problems because of her.