Following on rather promptly from my previous blogs, ‘tis true; but I just had to pay my respects to the late, great, Amy Winehouse on the 10th Anniversary of her death.
My poem was written at the time when things were looking very bad for Amy but, unfortunately, she just couldn’t make it.
Great to watch those BBC documentaries on her, again, especially the Classic Albums: Amy Winehouse: Back to Black and the Arena: Amy Winehouse – The Day She Came To Dingle.
Sounding and looking great and full of passion for her art, we saw Amy at the top of her game. And we’ll always have the songs.
***
AMY WINEHOUSE IS A TIME TRAVELLER
That voice. That look. That talent.
Think Bessie Smith, Mahaliah Jackson or Aretha;
not Madonna or those X-Factor clones.
Beamed down from Bourbon St.,
twenties Chicago,
or the business end of a cotton field.
But don’t go while you’re visiting us Amy.
Don’t do a Hank Williams or an Elvis,
or come a cropper like Jimi and Janis.
Be our Billy Holliday
but live Amy.
Live.
Theatre of Dreams (Smith/Doorstep, 2009)
Mike Di Placido