Such sad news, last night. As soon as Amy's name was mentioned on Radio 4 at 6pm, I knew - instinctively - what was about to come. Tragically, and horrifyingly, it wasn't a huge surprise - even though it had a massively shocking impact. I felt a lump in my throat...
I remember the first time I heard her, on a London radio station - on a Saturday morning, in 2003 - just before her fabulous debut album was released. Such a fresh talent, a down-to-earth North London girl; she appeared untarnished, then. A stunningly beautiful, deeply powerful, naturally unpretentious voice. I bought Frank as soon as I could and played it almost non-stop, recommending it to others whenever I had the chance! It's still a brilliantly fresh, vibrant album.
It took a (short) while longer for the whole world to catch onto Amy's magnificence, with the overwhelming, omnipresent success of Back to Black. We all know, too well, of how celebrity seemed to accelerate Amy's fall into habits and company that did her no good. Painful to watch and to learn about. You wanted to scream at her "Stop, Amy, stop!".
I still recollect, all too vividly, the wretched image of her piteous bleeding toes. Recent reports of her sorry state on stage were distressing to hear. I, for one, simply felt deeply sad for her. She seemed on an unstoppable course... yet, there appeared to be a very faint glimmer of hope that her strength would shine through and just perhaps she would overcome the demons dragging her down. RIP, Amy Winehouse. You will be missed.
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