Fly on... Amy Whinehouse

Artists cannot hide behind the back stage curtain anymore. The Sinatra era is over. No more "knocks on the door" if you know something you're not supposed to know. The age of discretion is over. Artists, especially mainstream, are completely vulnerable, naked and wide open to the media hawks who reveal everything. The ugly truth that none of us want to deal with or admit. The dark side. And I guess some artists are just blessed with the right tone to say and/or sing it for us.

And like Amy Whinehouse, not all of us are able to function while attempting to do this. And while this truth is trending for its 4 or 5 day stint, I can't help but notice the familiar switch from, " That stupid crackwhore...to OMG, I'm so gonna miss her..." in all the twitter and facebook posts. Is this not the yin and yang side of humanity in a nutshell? I will admit that I had not thought of Amy Whinehouse for about a year until her recent passing. Or that I was tuned in to her spiraling life style in the last weeks of her death. In fact, yesterday, I just googled her last show on youtube. The one where she got boo'd off stage for being too wacked out of her mind to perform. Poor Amy. I don't feel sorry for her because she is an addict. I feel sorry for her because she is an addict and a person...in the limelight. In an era where folks at TMZ want to expose peoples misery and death to gain publicity and money for themselves. It's cruel, yes. And completely glossed over in one simple catch phrase: That's the biz.

And for people like Amy Whinehouse, it is a quick roller coaster ride up into the spotlight and down into her grave. It makes me really wonder about people. So impressed and grateful when someone can sing our woes and struggles and pain. And then so damn envious and jealous of the money they make while doing it. Never once thinking of her friends and family who had to bear the weight of her entire journey from rags to riches and now death. Her family. They feel the way your family would if you died for any reason. Any reason. And how would your family feel? Most of us won't even ask that question to our self. But anytime I see people on line chiming in about how " that crack whore dying was no shock" it makes me wonder, who the fuck asked you? And why are you saying that now? And how does that make you feel better about your self?

We artists are people who write and play music to bring joy and understanding. To vent pain and sorrow with the idea that it will heal us somehow. To let others know that they are not alone in this crazy world. And to get caught up in the volley of conversation and personal opinion wars over music is a waste of music writing time. Check out the haters in the youtube comment boxes if you wanna see for yourself.

So all I have to offer is my condolences to her friends and family. And that her songs will always be amazing to her fans. Rest in peace Amy Whinehouse. I feel that chill on the back of my neck like you are reading this and you are free.

Fly on...your friendly cyberhood

Uncle Samurai