Amy Winehouse begged off a concert she was supposed to headline in Paris on Friday, the Rock En Seine festival, just hours before she was supposed to go on. Her spokesperson said she got sick before she was due to fly from London to Paris, although no ambulance was called to her house and she didn’t visit a hospital. He rather lamely called it a “normal illness” and said she was sick in bed, but did not elaborate:
The singer, 24, was due to take to the stage at the Rock en Seine show in Paris on Friday night, but the singer’s U.K. rep, Chris Goodman, confirmed she was too unwell and had to cancel. “She was taken ill at her house and wasn’t able to travel to France for the concert,” Goodman said in statement.
Admitted to the hospital last month after suffering an allergic reaction to her anti-drug medication, Winehouse’s no-show prompted a fresh wave of concern for the troubled singer.
But her rep Goodman insists the illness is “normal” and nothing to do with medication or her battle with drugs. “It’s nothing serious,” Goodman tells PEOPLE. “It’s just a normal illness – she hasn’t visited a hospital or anything like that. She’s at home in bed, just unable to sing.”
[From People]
Concert organizers are livid that Winehouse skipped out at the last minute and say they’re going to sue her for it:
A statement posted on the festival website said organisers had decided to start legal proceedings against her because of the circumstances of her cancellation.
The statement said: “We were told by (Winehouse’s) agent at 8pm that she would not be there, and we were forced to cancel the performance. We have still not been given any explanation of the exact reasons for her absence.”
Organisers said the singer’s musicians had arrived on Thursday and rehearsed the show on Friday morning.
Winehouse had been due to arrive at the venue – the Saint Cloud park just outside Paris – to top a bill that included the Raconteurs, The Streets and Kate Nash.
The statement continued: “We are very sorry about this situation and share the disappointment of the festival-goers.”
[From The Daily Star]
The statement on the festival’s blog about Winehouse’s cancellation is in French. An online translator makes it clear that they’re suing her: “Because of the conditions of this cancellation, the festival took the decision to start a judicial procedure.” You don’t need to know much French to get the fact that commenters are outraged and are calling it a scandal and asking for refunds.
In November of 2007, Amy Winehouse canceled all her tour dates for the rest of the year, saying she couldn’t perform without her incarcerated husband Blake, who remains in jail to this day. She’s performed some gigs since, to mixed reviews, with some predicting that she’s poised on the brink of a comeback, but most questioning her fitness to play live.
Winehouse is obvious addicted to various substances which prevent her from fulfilling her professional duties. It’s a shame because she’s a superstar and could have the world in her palm if she would clean up. As it is, there are plenty of other talented, reliable female singers poised to take her place. Winehouse has burnt up most of her chances, and won’t get many more until she’s demonstrably sober for an extended period of time. I just hope for her sake that happens soon because the future looks even bleaker for her than her current, sad state.
Here’s Amy Winehouse performing at the V2008 festival in Chelmsford, England on 8/17/08. Credit: WENN
I really don’t get why everyone loved this girl so much in the first place. Sure she can sing, and wore heavy eye makeup, but that was about it? And yet everyone’s acting like she’s the new Marilyn Monroe and could have had an amazing career. Yes, she COULD have had one, but she chose not to by throwing it all away on drugs. That’s her problem, and I wish everyone could just move on to someone else.
And why would you book this stupid woman at a concert, when she looks like trash and always turns up either stoned or drunk. I really don’t get it.
As a big fan of the blues, I was absolutely blown away when I first heard Amy Winehouse. Although her look was a bit over the edge, I would listen to her CD over and over and enjoyed her gutsy voice and uniqueness. I no sooner turned her on to various friends when suddenly she was acting out in public, and back to her old ways of alcohol and heavy drugs. What a disappointment to see someone with such talent just want to throw it all away. She’s already made it big, yet she has chosen the path of certain destruction. At this time, I’d honestly hesitate to purchase a ticket to her show not knowing if she’d be sober enough to perform, let alone showing up at all. I’m really sorry for the choices Amy is making. She
needs major rehab just to get her act together again. I wish her well and hope it’s not too late.
Wouldn’t the promoters and producers of the show in Paris have known how unreliable Amy Winehouse is? Why would they hire her for this in the first place when there had to have been a 50/50 chance the audience would be disappointed (either by her not showing up or her showing up and doing a lousy job.)
Not to say that it isn’t Amy’s responsibility. It is.
There have been serveral threads about Winehouse of many posters wistfully talking about her talent and sadly mourning the tragedy of her addiction. But let’s be honest–her drug addiction is her own fault. Refusing to get help for it is her own fault. Having no real interest in her career (i.e. by refusing to perform because her husband was in jail) is her fault.
I think the Paris concert promoters should sue the heck out of her. This woman needs less sympathy and more tough love. She needs a serious kick in the butt.
Agree Czarina
I love this bitch, but a law suit might be the best thing for her at this stage of the game. I mean, I have no doubt that she really was sick – if she’s even maintaining a state of semi-sobriety (which her spokeswhore insists, and I’m inclined to kinda believe with the lack of Wino antics, lately) her body must be reacting strongly. Still, to book shows while allegedly on anti-drug meds, when no one is sure how said meds will react, is irresponsible and unfair to the remaining fan base she hasn’t completely alienated.
The fact that she’s starting to book more shows indicates that she at least gives half a damn. I hope this threat of litigation makes her care more, not less.
Also agree with Czarina. Until the promoters of live events STOP hiring (and paying) her to appear – and she therefore has no fanbase and no career – , the message won’t get through.
She IS undoubtedly talented (and I’m one of bloggers who have previously supported her for that reason) but needs to learn that native talent alone is not enough. You have to do the work. And that involves showing up in a fit state to give of your best to your audience.
Didn’t realize she had any fans left.
AGREE CZARINA!!!! I read online that some sites already had Amy’s Obituary partially started. How sad for her that is has come to this. Some have called her the next ” belushi”, The next ” monroe” The next ” anna-nicole smith” and ” corbain”.( did i spell that right?) Anyway, she is beyond that proverbial ” trainwreck”, as most of the paparazzi’s are calling her. I don’t think Amy has the mental or physical capabilities anymore to help herself. THAT is the problem, and her family has not seen it yet, or they have chosen to listen to their daughter’s/sisters explanation’s on ” WHY” and ” I PROMISE “. She needs a major intervention of the worse kind and NOT let out of rehab early like she has been doing. That is a joke, for someone of Amy’s addiction’s.. She is even slapping poor strangers coming to her rescue on the street and can’t even remember doing it. We can no longer laugh at her, but take pity…. The lawsuit will have NO impact on Amy…. she will just booze and drug up and forget it…. Maybe the site’s around town are wise after all, starting to think about her demise….. her family surely isn’t…
It is about time someome sued her for not showing up. The industry should black ball her then her money would dry up and she will go away or die.
Czarina, bravo for a brilliant post. The crack, heroin, E, ketamine or the tooth fairy didn’t sign Winehouse’s record contract, she did! Jack Daniels, Smirnoff, Rickstacy, or whatever booze she imbibes didn’t win 5 Grammys, she did!
Sometimes, you-know-what has to hit the fan for someone to finally get it. As much as her situation saddens me, she needs that lawsuit to make her grow up. Whether she wants to or not, she’s contracted to perform, so the venue is in the right to sue her for not doing her job.
They shouldn’t be at all surprised. At least they’ll get some money outta her before she snorts or smokes it all up.
Normal illness-yeah right!!!
Heroine and crack cocaine takes it toll again!
She must have really shot up the smack or smoked the crack the days leading up to this concert and couldn’t pull herself together to travel. Hey maybe she was worried about getting her next fix and couldn’t take a chance there was no heroine in paris for her. Besides that usually an heroine addict likes to stay secluded to deal with their up’s and down’s while copping a buzz.
This train wreck of a woman is heading for the morgue if she doesn’t shape up.
I’m disappointed, but not surprised. I’m not sure anything is going to get through to her at this point, sadly.
Amy please go get help, put the crack pipe down, stop picking your face, bleach those fingernails, cut that rat’s nest hairdo and start all over. You’re pissing your talent away.
I have checked the rock en seine web site. So they say that she did her other concerts this summer therefore they couldn’t predict she wasn’t going to do this one. And they say that they are going to tell on tuesday the 2nd what king of lawsuit they are going to intend.
I personnally find very funny the PR explanation : she is too sick to perform tonight, but of normal sickness ie “you can keep buying tickets to her future concerts, fans”.
hum, what is a normal sickness ?!
I just think she wants to go out in a blaze of disgust much like Sid Vicious! Some artists martyr themselves because they sense the impending “fall from fame” and they would rather die then see their star fade. i’ve met Amy many times, and she IS quite sweet to her fans, but she smells like grim death and her lifestyle is even worse! as an artist myself it’s sad to see this talent flushed down the crack pipe and out of the beehive.
A Lawsuit means nothing to a junkie, folks.