Today marks the fourth anniversary of the tragic passing of British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse. Over the weekend, I went and saw the new documentary Amy and upon leaving the theater, I felt not only saddened once again over the loss of such an authentic talent, but I also left with better understanding of who Amy was as a person versus the tabloid version that most of us were familiar with leading up to her untimely death.
Tag: Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse Found Dead At London Home
Multiple news sources in the U.K. are reporting that singer Amy Winehouse has been found dead at her apartment in London.
According to the Daily Mail, the 27-year-old singer was “apparently found at the property by emergency services at 3:54 p.m. this afternoon. Her death is being treated as ‘unexplained’ by police.”
Winehouse had struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for years and had headed back to rehab this past May.
In June, the singer was booed off the stage in Belgrade, Serbia after mumbling the words to her hit songs and stumbling around. The disastrous show resulted in the cancellation of the singer’s planned 12-gig comeback tour.
A statement was released in the aftermath of that event, which said, “Amy Winehouse is withdrawing from all scheduled performances. Everyone involved wishes to do everything they can to help her return to her best and she will be given as long as it takes for this to happen.”
Earlier this week, Winehouse made a surprise appearance at the iTunes Festival during goddaughter Dionne Bromfield’s set in Camden.
In 2006, the singer took home five Grammy Awards for her multi-million-selling album, Back to Black.
Originally posted on Blogcritics.
Music Review >> Glee Cast – “Funeral”
The music from the Glee episode “Funeral” highlighted the cream of the crop from the Glee Cast. The songs from this past week’s episode were in my opinion some of the best technically sung songs out of the entire season.
Amber Riley (Mercedes) took on Otis Redding’s “Try A Little Tenderness.” Riley really got the opportunity to showcase her range, as the beginning of the song calls for a more vulnerable quality that we don’t hear too often from the singer. The song builds and builds to where Riley launches into her full voice and just rocks the song out. Riley’s vocals just shine throughout the entire song.
Chris Colfer (Kurt) steps into the spotlight with “Some People” from Gypsy. Colfer injects so much personality into his pitch perfect vocal performance, which makes this song just a joy to listen to. I am so happy that his character is back with New Directions, because Colfer’s fantastic vocal chops finally get their due.
For the second time this season, Naya Rivera (Santana) steps into Amy Winehouse’s shoes. This past episode, she took on “Back To Black.” Rivera really has the perfect vocal tone and inflection to carry out this song. Her greatest strength in her singing is the ability to express emotion in a way that you believe the words she’s singing.
Music Review >> Music From ‘Glee,’ Episode 2×9, “Special Education”
Glee headed to Sectionals in the latest episode, and provided an interesting soundtrack for the listening audience.
I have to applaud whoever is in charge of giving Chris Colfer (Kurt) such great songs to sing so far this season. His version of “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” from Evita proved to be one of his best vocals ever on the show. Colfer seems to be really blossoming this season, and I look forward for what’s to come.
In addition to Colfer’s fantastic rendition, there is also a full recording of Lea Michele (Rachel) singing “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.” Michele shows vocal restraint and shows a vulnerability while singing the song, that really makes you take notice. With Glee highlighting the latest pop hits every week, it’s refreshing to hear Michele singing songs that truly capture her talent.
Naya Rivera (Santana) finally takes the lead this week with her rendition of Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie.” He voice is a perfect fit for this type of song. It’s a saucy vocal, and Rivera really captures the attitude and vibe of the song.
Dianna Agron (Quinn) and Chord Overstreet (Sam) duet on the Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes song, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from the popular Dirty Dancing soundtrack. I was happy to hear these two getting their chance in the spotlight again this season, but I know that there has to be a song that compliments their vocals better this one. Agron couldn’t pull off the bigger notes that were noticeably being sung by Amber Riley (Mercedes) on the track. Maybe it was Overstreet’s vocal phrasing, but I didn’t feel like this song showcased him well at all.
It has to be said that the Glee cast has nothing on Florence and the Machine. Their attempt at “Dog Days Are Over” just didn’t capture the essence of the original recording. Riley and Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina) sounded okay on lead vocals, but this song was not the song for them.
Darren Criss made his return this past week with Train’s huge hit, “Hey, Soul Sister” which was performed in the episode by Dalton Academy’s Warblers. The multiple-part harmonies combined with Criss’ voice breathe new life into one of the most over-played songs on the radio.
Overall, I think this was an alright batch of Glee music. I definitely expect more with all the talent in the cast.
Glee airs Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. on FOX.
Originally posted on BlogCritics.
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