Back To Black
Addicted
Rehab
You Know I'm No Good

I was going to comment in the other thread, but I might as well say here that I really like her as a vocalist... very much. What she is as a person, I have no idea. She seems to have her troubles, but good gods - with photographers hounding you every minute of the day to try to get the slightest embarrassing image, who wouldn't? I kind of like her "fuck you" attitude, and love her voice. I hope she survives her fame.

come on, the photos are funny. to chase down celebrities thru traffic with multiple cars the way they do sometimes in LA is of course insane, but taking photos of somebody walking down the street? pretty fair game

let's pretend that the PR people for so many celebrities don't actually tip paparazzi on their bosses whereabouts, and let's pretend that more than a few celebrities actually share the cash with the paparazzi. but of course, if staff at those three or four hotels in NYC and LA where all the celebrities stay didn't sell info on the celebrities whereabouts to the tabloids, we'd have less coverage.

but then, without the paparazzi shots of Winehouse looking rail thin after years of plumpness, and without her "antics" so many people just wouldn't know who she is. instead, we do now, thanks to the dreaded tabloids.

I don't think she's a bad singer at all, but frankly without the crazy makeup/hair, the booze, and the anorexia, she'd be just another singer. myspace is full of them.

taz, she has her share of problems: bipolar disorder being first and foremost.

Wiki:

During the promotional phase for Back to Black, Winehouse appeared repeatedly in the British press with regard to her "personal issues." In September 2006, Winehouse was reported to have dropped three dress sizes because of comments made to her about her size.[23] In an interview in The Daily Telegraph Magazine (September 16, 2006), when asked if this was the cause she replied "No. No. I don't listen to anyone except my ... inner child anyway. If someone had said to me, Amy, lose a stone which they wouldn't - I don't think I would have listened anyway."

In the same month, The Independent published an article about manic depression, in which it quotes Winehouse as stating that she is a clinically diagnosed manic depressive who refuses to take medication.[24] In October 2006, Winehouse admitted to have previously been affected by eating disorders. "A little bit of anorexia, a little bit of bulimia. I'm not totally OK now but I don't think any woman is."[25]

Over the next two months, Winehouse made multiple appearances in the British tabloids over alleged alcohol-induced behaviour. This included a drunken appearance on The Charlotte Church Show[26] heckling U2 frontman Bono during an acceptance speech at the Q Awards,[27]; and incidents where she allegedly assaulted a fan after a concert[28][29] and an attendee at her album launch party.[30] When questioned during an interview about being violent when drunk, Winehouse responded "I have a really good time some nights, but then I push it over the edge and ruin my boyfriend's night. I’m an ugly dickhead drunk, I really am."[29]

On November 16, 2006 she appeared on Never Mind The Buzzcocks seemingly drunk and faced repeated comments (lighthearted banter) from host Simon Amstell about what he claimed were her alcohol and drug problems. On January 7, 2007 Winehouse ended a gig at G-A-Y part way through her first song after vomiting, reportedly as a result of being intoxicated.[31] In an interview the Australian edition of The Big Issue #275 Amy said this was from food poisoning after an overseas flight that day. At the Elle Style Awards on February 14, 2007 Winehouse was spotted with a number of older and more recent cuts and scars on her arm, which her spokesman attributed to recently tumbling and falling over on the streets of New York.[32] Despite recording a BBC1 Sessions TV special on March 7, 2007 she cancelled two big sell-out shows at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire due to take place on the subsequent two evenings. Speculation about drinking problems continued when she was pictured on the morning of one of the gigs in the drinks section of her local supermarket, and also later that night drinking in a pub in Camden with comedian Noel Fielding and presenter Alex Zane.[33] She missed a gig at the Oxegen festival on July 8, 2007, citing "exhaustion". She cited the same reason when missing her gig at the North Sea Jazz Festival later that month, while she claimed she couldn't make it to the 2007 Pinkpop festival because she wasn't let on the plane drunk.

Winehouse has a number of "old school" tattoos of naked women on her body. When asked about them, she was quoted as saying "I like pin-up girls. I’m more of a boy than a girl. I’m not a lesbian, though — not before a sambuca anyway."[34]

In April 2007, The Sun newspaper reported that Winehouse and her boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil had reconciled after a year apart, and were engaged after Winehouse accepted Fielder-Civil's proposal.[35] On May 18, 2007 Winehouse married Fielder-Civil in an unannounced ceremony in Miami, Florida.[36] Multiple press accounts that reported the wedding have suggested that Winehouse's relationship with Fielder-Civil was the inspiration for several of the songs on Back to Black.

Winehouse's proclivity for domestic violence emerged again in a June 2007 interview with World Entertainment News Network: "I'll beat up Blake when I'm drunk. I don't think I have ever bruised him, but I do have my way. If he says one thing I don't like then I'll chin him."[37]

and let's pretend that more than a few celebrities DON'T actually share the cash with the paparazzi

I'm glad I finally get to hear some of her music. Some of my friends had recommended her to me, but none of the reviews I'd read of her album made me think I'd care for it. These are good songs, though. Thanks, arse_hat!

yeah... I see all that. I don't disagree.

Still, I don't know, I just don't see her as being any sort of awful symbol of anything, except maybe the whole body-image awfulness. I mean, I've had/do have so many friends who would come off as completely nuts if they were to get this much scrutiny, when the truth is much more nuanced.

Or, indeed, she's perfectly balanced, and just playing the yellow press - in which case, I still can't be too upset.

I've been hearing Back to Black on radioparadise.com a lot & like it. Had to chuckle at this quote:

I’m not a lesbian, though — not before a sambuca anyway.

≡ Click to see image ≡

...friends who would come off as completely nuts if they were to get this much scrutiny, when the truth is much more nuanced.

I think that any of us would probably buckle under the strain as well.

Fame is an empty purse; I don't want it. I'd rather be happy and unknown than famous and miserable.