Cultural Moment: Amy Winehouse RIP: 1983-2011

Sadly every year the music World loses a few of its artists and this year one of the biggest losses was that of Amy Winehouse.

Misfortunes tend to come in droves at the same time. On the day before Amy Winehouse died, 77 people were killed in an attack by a right-wing extremist in Norway. Both stories dominated the news for the next two weeks. Whether one story took precedence or not is another issue – the fact is: Amy Winehouse‘s death is a tragic moment for the world of music.

I used to jokingly say “I want to see her live in concert at least once before she dies!” But, like many others, I didn‘t quite believe that her lifestyle, i.e. the booze and the drugs, would eventually be her end. It just seemed to be part of her, not necessarily a flattering detail, but at least she was authentic, real rock ‘n’ roll‘ if you like.

She wasn‘t yet another polished, artificial female singer; she was edgy against all odds and not all about a pleasing feel-good image, but her music. She died while producing her third album, on the road of recovery from her health problems, which was promising to be a great comeback for her and her ‘voice of the century’.

No matter if you like Amy and her music or not and no matter what you think of her death‘s cause, you simply can’t deny her outstanding talent and potential. She might be gone, but her timeless music is bound to live on. Rest in Peace, Amy.