The Wine Is On The House

Excuse the cheap title, its a sunday and I feel lazy.
The world and its cockles know that singer Amy Winehouse died yesterday (July 23rd) and most of the people were deeply saddened by the news. A young woman, blessed with talent in abundance, gone too soon to the rock gig in the sky. Although I am a keen supporter of hard living, I do feel for her family and loved ones who are left with broken hearts. I know only too well what its like to lose cherished people to drink and drugs, and even when you expect it, its never easy when the curtain does eventually fall.
Personally speaking I would have loved to have met up with Amy and shared a few shots but thats for another time now.
What is annoying however is the medias obssession with this Club 27 rubbish. Joplin, Hendrix, Morrison, Cobain and now Amy all dead at age 27. *Cue Twilight music* Is it only me who thinks its simply coinsidence? I dont believe that somewhere in the Afterlife there is an exclusive club for tarnished rock stars. They all indulged in drugs and had the money to do so freely, thats what offed them so young. Not some hokus pokus jinx of an age.
Straying slightly, this news does reinforce what I hhave always believed; talent always comes at a price. Its a damned shame that Ms Winehouse had to pay after only two albums. Her music was not my usual cup of tea but I could listen to it at times without switching to something harder. Something harder. Yes the tick which allows some of us to conjure up great words and music always drives us toward the Something Harder nail.
Amy's tune 'Rehab' covered it perfectly I feel. When her family and 'handlers' tried telling her to seek some help, she not only dismissed the idea completely but released a massive "F**K YOU" to them. Publicly. (I did it myself with my poem "The ChampionLand". I went to rehab but there was no way I meant to get sober and Im still drinking to this day).
Yes its sad whats happened but my sympathies lay with her family. This young lady wasn't stupid, she knew what she was doing as all us boozehounds do. We realise death is creeping up on us but its our life.