I guess everything was fated to be though the co-incidents are quite uncanny. Amy Winehouse, the troubled British chanteuse, has joined the list of other influential musicians (Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison of the Doors, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana) who died at the young age of 27. Each and everyone of them was responsible for shaping music, especially rock music, to a certain extent and most of them had become victims of drug overdose and/or alcoholism. Without a doubt, these artistes were naturally gifted and great talents usually come with a high price. Uniquely gifted people, especially artists, musicians and philosophers, are usually difficult to understand and most of the time, they are also misunderstood. They live in a world of their own, separated from others and the reality. Quite often, drugs and alcohol seem to be their only solace and form of escape. I wrote a short entry a few years back about how some people fail to cope with failed relationships based on Amy's song 'Back To Black'. I guess the song is some sort of a premonition of what was about to happen to her. Many might say Amy and countless other drug overdose victims are totally responsible for their own deaths but we need to remind ourselves that drug addiction and alcoholism are a very powerful and devastating illness. It's not a habit that one can pick and discard at will. Millions have succumbed to this disease and many more will, I'm sure. Most of the time, substance abusers and alcoholics are unable to fight their demons alone. It takes a lot of courage, will power and determination on their part to fight their never-ending struggles. Many of them might look tough on the outside but it is also quite often that they are very fragile and hollow inside. The unbearable void, pain and emptiness that they feel inside often lead them to self-destruction, making them lose the will and desire to go on fighting and living. Deeply-troubled souls like these are difficult to fathom and to leave them alone is like watching them digging their own grave and doing nothing at all to stop them. One of Amy's final performances in Belgrade, Serbia clearly shows the terrible state she was in at that tim
e. It's really sad and heartbreaking to know that another tormented soul has lost the battle against substance abuse. RIP, Amy Winehouse. You will definitely be missed.
