Amy Winehouse

This is one of the hardest blogs I've had to write, but I'm going to be brutally honest here. I was never a fan of Amy Winehouse. I had never heard her album, Back to Black and I am only familiar with "Rehab" because it was overplayed countless times on several radio stations throughout the Tampa Bay area. And even without doing the research, I heard of where Winehouse came from and what she was singing. I saw "Rehab" as flagrant promoting of alcohol and drug use and denial of rehabilitation. And at the time, I was appalled that she was getting awards for her work. And I know that throughout the years, other artists have promoted taboo subjects and continue to do so, but it was the fact that she made the top ten was just mind boggling for me.

I'm sure that newspapers had her obituary ready for years, just waiting to run it in print. And anyone who takes part in those celebrity death gambling circuits was just hoping this day would come so they could win their bet.

And many will look at her life and say that her personal addictions got the best of her. That she will be another sad tale of caution to steer others away from the road she took.

But in the end, Amy Winehouse was a beautiful singer. I may not have agreed with her lyrics, her message or anything else, but she did have a beautiful voice. She now joins Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain, all great musicians who were dead by 27.

And like those artists, Amy Winehouse will be missed.

Amy Jade Winehouse...born September 14, 1983 in Southgate, London, England.

She was found dead today, on July 23, 2011 in Camden, London, England.

I leave you all with her beautiful voice.