RIP Amy Winehouse

“Why be sad for a loser junkie. Be sad for a person who has cancer who wants to live. Get off the bandwagon.”

Someone just tweeted this at me in response to my post which said “I’m not sure how anyone with a soul can make jokes about the passing of one of the most talented artists this generation will see.”

It still shocks me when i read things like that. Why do we “have” to ONLY be sad for people suffering from terminal diseases? Does that mean I shouldn’t be sad when someone gets lung cancer after smoking 3 packs a day for 30 years? or AIDS from unprotected sex or IV drug use? Is there a guideline I can download off the internet somewhere that can tell me what/who I am allowed to show emotion over? I want to make EVERYONE happy. 

Oh yeah, no I don’t. Because guess what? You can’t make everyone happy all the time. It’s impossible. There will always be some dick sitting in their room staring at the screen writing nasty things to strangers. Things they would never say if confronted. Things they could never say face to face, because chances are, they’re socially inept and therefore, have trouble engaging with people on a human level. 

I can relate to that. I’m terrible in groups, socially awkward at best. That’s why I’m a DJ, I get to be alone, without being alone. I have a safe place to hide in a room filled with socially capable folks. However, I don’t choose to hate on that which I’m not.

The older I get the more I realize that there is something for everyone. Shit, when I eat a yummy roast chicken I can almost relate to cannibals. That skin is damn tasty. Sure, I don’t choose that sort of thing for me, but that’s ok. It’s not for me. I choose restaurants, because GUESS FUCKING WHAT…. we have choices. YAY! 

I woke up to the news of Amy Winehouse’s passing and I’m actually surprised at how sad I am. It is always sad when someone passes, whether it be too soon or not, but this feels different, to me. Sadly, her death does not come as a shock to most due to her public struggles with addiction, but still it’s a shock to me. She almost seemed invincible to me, she always seemed to clean up just in time, until today. 

I never had the privilege of meeting her, I had moved to LA when my brother was working with her.  My brother and I are close and I love being in the studio with him, so, had I been within range, I most certainly would have been annoying him daily. I, of course, since heard stories etc… how “rehab” came to be, and i saw her perform once at the highline ballroom in nyc and she was amazing. She just stood there and sang her heart out, no frills, just an amazing band and songs. 

yup, those songs…. heartbreaking and honest. and i guess that’s who she was. and i’m sad to know that there won’t be anymore songs. so it shouldn’t matter how she died… she’s gone and will be missed by many.