Say what you will about Amy Winehouse (most people have made more than a few stabs at her), but I'd like to do my part in helping to ensure that her death doesn't go without any real meaning or opportunity for enlightenment. The five-time Grammy award winning singer that smoothly blended up her own version of music that included influences of jazz, soul, blues, R&B, and Rock 'n' Roll fought a very public battle with addiction, which she ultimately lost today. The 27 year old recording artist was found dead by police in her home in Camden, London today, after police received a 3:54pm BST (British Summer Time) call for an ambulance. She was formally pronounced dead by Metropolitan Police shortly after.
We see these types of stories of celebrities and their addictions on a daily basis whether it's on TV, in the tabloids, online, etc. but we often don't stop for a moment to think about the fact that these people, however famous, however wealthy, however presented to the public.. are real people like you and I. At twenty-something, I've already had more than my fair share of experiences with friends and acquaintances that have fought the battle of addiction; some have lived to form a new healthy lifestyle, while others are now a memory. The truth of the matter is, addiction is an illness, whether the issue is alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription drugs, or behavioral addictions (forgive me if I've left anything out.. they are ALL significant.)
Please take this young, talented artist's untimely, unfortunate, and unnecessary death as a wake-up call if someone that you care about or you yourself are fighting the battle of addiction, trying to cure yourself or your loved one of this horrible and unforgiving disease. If you have the opportunity to help someone or yourself, take it. We all deserve that much. The most common thing that I've seen on the web this afternoon while preparing to write this blog post was that Amy Winehouse's final age of 27 is all too familiar to us music fans. Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Jimi Hendrix, all legendary artists that defined their time through their music, their art form, all died at the age of 27 and all battled sincere problems with addiction. I am not trying to tell you that this is a conspiracy; I don't think that is what this is. I just think that we need to remember all of those that have passed due to this preventable, treatable, curable disease, regardless of whether they were in the public eye or not.
Remember, your talents are too big, too important, and too beautiful to gamble your life away on drugs.
**One last thing I'd like to add is that I don't mean to speculate, although perhaps I already have, but it seems that essentially all of the media sources have taken the liberty to credit Winehouse's addictions to her death. Technically, there has not yet been an official cause of death ruled, and there is an autopsy scheduled for tomorrow, July 24th, in London.**
