Wasted Talent

  Alcohol and drug addiction is a very grave condition, and one that can take a great amount of time to recover from, which is why I find it quite grotesque that Amy Winehouse was scheduled to perform a series of large European concerts beginning a mere 3 weeks after exiting a treatment facility.

  The first concert was Saturday evening in Belgrade, Serbia, where dedicated fans shelled out an average of $55, roughly half a week's salary, to be treated to this performance in which she staggered, gagged, and slurred through, to the dismay of her audience, who seemed to know the words of some songs better than she did:



  I can absolutely understand that the hard-working people of Belgrade would feel cheated and insulted by paying huge money to have their eardrums and eyes assaulted. She showed up shitfaced and put on a crappy show. But the thing is, the show shouldn't have even gone on. Who in their right mind would let someone embarrass herself and others in this manner? Oh, that's tight, her handlers that didn't want to give up a few bucks.

  Some people find the self-destruction of the famous to be a form of sick entertainment, but I'm not one of those.  This kid needs serious help that her circle of sycophants cannot provide. They are only concerned about making as much bank as possible before she dies instead of saving a young talent's life, and that does sadden me.

  Recovery is possible for even the most desperately ill; I've seen examples of extraordinary feats of self-improvement up close and personal. However, that healing can take months or years to attain. Each little 3 or 4 day hospital stay will just increase Amy Winehouse's sense of despair as she doesn't even have a chance to get the drink and drug from her system, let alone heal. This young lady needs 6 months to a year, at a minimum, away from the limelight, safely away from all of the bright lights and demanding managers and junkie friends that have circled her like sharks ever since they figured out she could write a song. 

  A few times a year, you see some famous person die because they took too much shit in their systems. Every time it happens, people are all shocked, asking why nobody did anything. But in Amy's case, she'll die because her circle won't leave her alone to fix her shit, and then they'll try to say they tried to help her, riding her coattails even after she's gone.

  Not every story has a happy ending. Call me a cynic, but I don't think this one's gonna be one of the great tales of redemption of our generation.