No drug charges for Amy Winehouse

[laughingwillow]

btw..... Amy's recent treatment for addiction included her being sedated for days on end. I wouldn't be surprised if that detail had more to do with her recent voice problems than smoking crack between the time she had her treatment and the last gig.

As far as her cutting herself, I'm willing to bet that the majority of young folks who practice that form of self-abuse don't smoke crack. She could be mutilating herself regardless of drugs, imo.

lw

[senorsalvia]

Hmmm....  Not looking too good for Amy....  I fully agree with 'ya JRL, that the "cash cow" performers are constantly trotted out  to do the shows, regardless of the personal cost to said performers....  It is truly sad that she would appear in fronty of 90,ooo souls and show evidence of self mutilation...  I hate to sound so negative, but it's my bet that if she does not retire from the circuit for a season or so, and get into some major help;  she's prolly gonna end up on the obit page.........

[laughingwillow]

I don't think that's being negative sal. Realistic would be more like it, imo.

lw

[Syd]

She is 24, not too far away from 27, but that club is exclusive.

[JRL]

Yeah sal. I agree on all counts. And the more I listen to her the more my awe at her talent grows. Show business chews up and spits out sensitive souls.

The honesty in Amy's music is what blows me away. I hear great pain and sorrow in that voice. She seems to be seriously depressed. Fame will isolate you from real human contact, inspite of the popular view of it. I could see OD, suicide or severe health problems just around the corner for her. And we will be left with her 2 records.

On a more positive note, in the song Rehab, she is singing about RAY Charles and Donny HATHAWAY(just figured it out). Makes me love her more. And Ray was a junkie and Donny jumped out a window. But they were both the epitome of smart soulful music.

[Stonehenge]

It's like I said, if the person wants to quit and to straighten out their lives, they will do it. If they do not have any such commitment, then no amount of time in expensive rehab is going to make a bit of difference. Don't blame her handlers for putting her out there unprepared. Put the blame right where it belongs. Like Sal said, she will be dead soon if she doesn't clean up her act. No one can do it for her.

I will admit that if I had millions of dollars and a fan club when I was a teenager I might have gone a little crazy too. But to still act like a teen when you are 24 shows gross immaturity. When all you have to do to make big money is show up on time, open your mouth and do your thing, that is a sweet gig. She couldn't even be bothered to do that. Be glad you have recordings because the future output looks bleak. The ripped off fans may forgive but when money is tight fewer and fewer will take a chance on her in the future.

The Olsen twins are richer than Amy and act fairly mature even though they are not yet adults. Don't blame the drugs, the money or the fame. Blame the person.

[JRL]

Often it isn't the handlers so much as the artist caring about the people on the payroll, wanting to keep them employed.

You are dead on about rehab, if you aren't ready nothing will work.  But even if you have made a lot of progress, if you go right back where you were it's gonna be tough. Anyways, I was not too great at making decisions at 24 were you? And I didn't have a huge crowd of people with vested interests in those choices around me, nor huge amounts of cash. No matter what you say, that's gotta be a tough row to hoe.

I was listening to some tracks from Back to Black last night and I was thinking same as you, this might be all the Amy we get.  It will stand up as great art long after the gossip is forgotten, she is just that good. First new poplular artist to really get me in many years.

[JRL]

Anyways, I am not sure I am blaming anyone. It's the confluence of her body chemistry, psycholocal make up and  the circumstances of her life that have gotten her in serious trouble, believe me it can happen to anyone. At this point she has a disease, way beyond reaching with "just say no". I don't think it can be fixed by logic or information. Did I know what I was doing to my receptors and nuerotransmitters accuratly at the time,and if I did would that have stopped me?? It's not that I didn't now hard drugs were bad for you, I got eyes, it goes way deeper than that.

[Stonehenge]

JRL, I go along with you up to a point. Yes, having a lot of cash is a temptation to do crazy things. Yes, having people guiding your career can be good or bad. I'm just saying, do not blame the drugs or the money, it's the person's character that counts. I was exposed to the drug scene long before 24. I had enough dough to plunge in. If I did and headed straight to ruin would that mean it was the drugs fault or the fault of the money I had? No, it would be my fault.

I'm not saying it isn't hard to get off of addictive substances but millions of people have done it. I just object to your 'another poor soul chewed up by show business' line of reasoning and saying fame and fortune are "difficult". Poverty and lack of opportunity are really difficult, not fame and fortune or show business. Life is difficult but the nobodys don't have fans making excuses for their bad behavior.

It's her lack of character that is leading to all this, not the fact that drugs are available.

[laughingwillow]

Lack of character, eh? I don't think this issue in particular nor the world in general are that black and white, stoney.

Is it lack of character that makes native americans susceptible to alcohol abuse? (I think not.)

I'm guessing Amy's problems are deeper than what you are getting out of the tabloid stories.

Btw, I'm guessing jrl knows more about the music bidness from a first-hand basis than the rest of us combined. And I'm guessing that the view out of that fishbowl is a completely different perspective than looking in. JRL appears to be showing compassion due to what he has witnessed concerning the machinations of those inside the music bidness.

From the outside, I'm guessing many "fans" are jealous of performers who have made it to the top and don't really see the accomplishment nor the perils nor the obligations faced on a daily basis by those living under a microscope.

I wouldn't want that life. And I'm not sure many are prepared for all it entails.

Btw, is mental illness a character issue, stoney?

lw

[laughingwillow]

Now look at them yo-yo's that's the way you do it
You play the guitar on the MTV
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' and your chicks for free
Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Lemme tell ya them guys ain't dumb
Maybe get a blister on your little finger
Maybe get a blister on your thumb

We gotta install microwave ovens
Custom kitchen deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these colour TV's

(See the little faggot with the earring and the makeup
Yeah buddy that’s his own hair
That little faggot got his own jet airplane
That little faggot he’s a millionaire)

Gotta install microwave ovens
Custom kitchen deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
Gotta move these colour TV's

I shoulda learned to play the guitar
I shoulda learned to play them drums
Look at that mama, she got it stickin' in the camera
Man we could have some
And he's up there, what's that? Hawaiian noises?
Bangin' on the bongoes like a chimpanzee
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Get your money for nothin' get your chicks for free

We gotta install microwave ovens
Custom kitchens deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these colour TV's

Look a' here
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
You play the guitar on your MTV
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' and your chicks for free
Money for nothin' and chicks for free

Money for nothin' and your chicks for free

Look at that, look at that

Money for nothin' and your chicks for free
I want my, I want my, I want my MTV
Money for nothin' and chicks for free

(Fade)
I want my, I want my, I want my MTV - Mark Knopfler/Dire Straits -

[senorsalvia]

Anyways,  It's the confluence of her body chemistry, psycholocal make up and  the circumstances of her life that have gotten her in serious trouble,      it can happen to anyone.     she has a disease,  I don't think it can be fixed by logic or information.       Did I know what I was doing  at the time,      and if I did would that have stopped me??    It's not that I didn't now , I got eyes, it goes way deeper                                                                                                                                                      Those are some well reasoned words bro..........It's easy enough for all us peeps to look down our collective noses at others, but I gotta acknowledge the countless times I have let myself slip in one small, or one gigantic manner or other...  To classify Amys' diffulculties as a "character flaw"  seems somewhat unrealistic at best, and a sort of knee jerk reactionary and dismissive statement that would be made by a W.O.D. monger....  I must say Stony;  I'm sort of surprised....  I can hear within your words, the hearfelt passion you have for people to step up, to be self realized, and responsible for theirselves, but on the other hand;  to blithely chalk her up as another "spoiled, errant drug fiend" seems to gloss over so so many issues.....    In the final analysis,  I wish her well, and I urge us all to view her tale as an oppurtunity to look within and recognize our own foibles as well......

[JRL]

You as well Senor. You are a commpasionate man with deep understanding. And lw, perfect song choice.

I think people need to back off of Amy until they have walked a mile in her fuck me pumps(sorry I can't resist a joke like that). Fishbowl is a good word lw. I think "everyones" dream of fame would scare the fuck out of them if it came true. And check out an average tour itenerary for a major artist and then tell me that it's a cush job. And whose idea was it to rush her from rehab to a concert in front of 90,000 people?? I woner how many of them were there because they love her great music and how many were hoping to see her go down in flames??

It's just sad, it's hard enough to deal with these kinda deep human issues in the best of circumstances. And I am not too worried about kids taking her as a role model. Most kids I know are too sharp to not see where this has gotten her.

God bless Amy Winehouse, I hope to be digging her 10th album sometime down the road .

[laughingwillow]

Right on, mang....

Where are the Beatles when you need them?

lw

[JRL]

Well you can't say that fame didn't kill John Lennon now can you?? But you gotta look at this: you know the intro to Come Together? I never realized it until lately, but what he is saying is "Shoot me"

So Johns death was basically a prank and a comment on fame. He was one that got totally mindfucked by Beatlemania. George handled it better, but he wrestled with it to the end, including getting knifed by an intruder if I recall correctly.

Stoney, regardless of what you think, these amazingly briliant, creative geniuss had real problems with fame and fortune. The Olsen twins don't count, they are a media creation, not world class artists, and didn't one of them have a serious eating disorder?