THANK YOU, AMY WINEHOUSE.

Mr. Will-W. & Amy Winehouse

It is with great sadness that I learned of Amy Winehouse's death earlier today.  Found deceased in her North London home, many are saying that she had died of a Drug Overdose, although Autopsy reports will soon confirm her actual cause of death.

Winehouse's Back to Black to this day remains one of my favourite Albums of all time and she will never know how much she helped her Fans around the World overcome their own broken hearts with her Music. What makes this so much more tragic is that Winehouse herself never was able to overcome her own Heartbreak.  

Back to Black was released at a rough time in my life.  I was coming out of Cancer treatment and like Winehouse was trying my best to get over someone who was wrong for me.  Songs like Back to Black, Just Friends, Love is a Losing Game and Tears Dry on their Own taught me that it was okay to not settle for an ordinary love and that I wasn't alone in my fight to at least try to feel okay.

I had the pleasure of meeting the five-time Grammy Winner after her Sunday, May 13, 2007 show in Toronto at The Mod Club.  Despite not being able to nab a ticket originally through Ticketmaster, I was able to get my hands on a ticket eventually at exorbitant cost.  And it was so worth it.  I've been to many concerts in my time and Winehouse put on one of the most thrilling, intimate performances ever.  She might not have remembered me or even have been cognizant of meeting me after a bit of post-show relaxation and Pizza, but it meant the world to me and it will be a moment I will hold onto forever.

Clearly inebriated when finally arriving on-stage at the Little Italy venue, she bared every ounce of emotion stored within her every fiber for her Fans alongside her accompanying Band, The Dap-Kings.   Standing in the second row from the stage I feared she would upchuck her Jack Daniels & Coke on me at points as she rushed to chug her libation in-time for the start of her next song. One-part glassy-eyed and one-part teary-eyed, Winehouse clearly knew what it meant to live and love.  I felt it.  Even to experience her just once at her best is a great honour.

And I wake up alone.  Thank you, Amy Winehouse. 

xW