Amy Winehouse Crack Video and Rockstar Drug Deaths
January 23rd, 2008 by KarenA British newspaper has just published images of troubled singer Amy Winehouse allegedly smoking crack cocaine. The images were pulled from a videotape that the paper has just turned over to the police for further investigation.
The idea of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll has become a cliché over the years, however that doesn’t make the harsh reality of drug abuse an less powerful.
Winehouse has previously been accused of taking the drug meth, an illegal substance that is particularly dangerous due to the severely addictive quality of the drug, as well as the extremely volatile nature of the homemade substance.
It’s impossible to say whether or not the release of this video will help Winehouse recognize that she needs professional help, but perhaps others can learn from her mistakes.
With Winehouse in mind, let’s take a look at just a few of the music icons who have lost their battles with drug abuse, and hope that young stars like Winehouse will turn themselves around before it’s too late.
Billie Holiday
Known for songs such as “Strange Fruit,” Billie Holiday is no doubt a huge influence on Winehouse’s vocal stylings. The jazz vocalist struggled with heroin addiction up until her untimely death in 1959 at age 44.
Janis Joplin
This soulful singer emerged from the famous Haight-Ashbury scene of the ‘60s. Songs such as “Mercedes Benz” and “Me and Bobby McGee” made her a star before the 27-year-old died of heroin overdose in 1970.
Jimi Hendrix
This guitar hero was world famous thanks to “Purple Haze,” a feedback-drenched “Star Spangled Banner” and a version of Bob Dylan’s “All Around the Watchtower” that outshines the original. Not to mention the famous film of him setting his guitar on fire. The 27-year-old guitarist died of drug-related causes in 1970.
Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon)
Lead singer for the alt-rock band Blind Melon, Shannon Hoon was a rock star in the early ‘90s thanks to his band’s ‘70s-style sound and their quirky “No Rain” video—featuring the unforgettable, “bee girl.” Following several attempts at rehab, 28-year-old Hoon was found dead on his band’s tour bus in New Orleans in October of 1995.
Brad Nowell (Sublime)
At age 28, the lead singer of Sublime was found dead of a heroin overdose in a hotel room in 1996. Known for songs such as “What I Got” and “Santeria,” this California band rose to fame with a sound that blended punk attitude with reggae rhythms, much to the delight of skaters and frat-boys everywhere.
Sadly, this only a small glimpse at the toll drugs have taken on music in recent years. Do you think Winehouse and Pete Doherty will end up on this list? Do you think their families are trying hard enough to help them? Leave a comment and let us know what you think.
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