Having listened to great songwriters like James Taylor and Carole King, I felt there was nothing new that was coming out that really represented me and the way I felt.  So I started writing my own stuff.
~~ Amy Winehouse (14 Sept 1983 – 23 July 2011)

Amy Jade Winehouse, an British singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contra-alto vocalsand her eclectic mix of musical genres including ska, R&B, soul and jazz, was found dead at her home in London just this past weekend.

Tragically, she will live on as a legend.  In the shade of the 27 Club, she joins the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain et al.  In my mind’s eye, having a talented genius snuffed out at such a young age is heart-wrenching.  Oh, the potential.  As shocked as I was when I heard about her passing on Saturday, I wasn’t surprised.  She just seemed set on a downward spiral and there didn’t appear to be any stopping of the inevitable.

Since her passing I’ve been listening to her music on my iPod practically non-stop.  I have the 2 albums… Frank (2003) and Back to Black (2006).  One cannot help but being moved by her lyrics… hip, raw (sometimes kinda dirty) and yet all very sensitive and moving.  I was telling a friend of mine that for a little Jewish chica from the UK she packed a whole lotta soul. 

Love is a Losing Game — Amy Winehouse

That is one of my favorite songs of Amy’s.  Two others are Just Friends and Stronger Than Me (which strikes me a too funny for words… but that’s another story, another time).

I was watching snipets of the Amy’s funeral gathering this evening and it was all very touching to see people some together in her honor.  However, it angers me to a point that with the family, friends and entourage she had surrounding her, they were not able to intervene effectively enough to prevent this tragedy.

Hopefully, for the next prodigy coming throught the racks, this lesson of excessive and abusive substance use with be a deterrent rather than a beacon to follow.