Testing It Up

Drug dealers in Brazil conceived what they may have thought as a brilliant marketing ploy: cash in on the death of British songbird Amy Winehouse, by using her image to sell drugs.

Brazilian police officers found bags of cocaine during a raid in the town of Manginhos, in the northern area of Rio de Janeiro. The raid yielded several bags of cocaine, which had a photo of the singer inserted inside, but was labeled “Amy House.” They also found several bags of marijuana and crack cocaine. Aside from Winehouse’s photo, slain Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was also used by the drug dealers.

Winehouse has had trouble with drugs and alcohol, and these, at times, outshone her talent. In her single “Rehab,” Winehouse sang about her issues, as well as her reluctance to undergo treatment.

Lieutenant Colonel Glaucio Moreira, who led the police raid, shared: “Since there is so much information in the media that she was a drug user, the traffickers have taken advantage of this to market their cocaine.”Aside from drugs, police also found grenades and automatic weapons. The bags of cocaine with the picture of Winehouse in front are being sold between 10-25 reals, which are about $6-16.

Rio is set to host the 2014 football World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. Over the past three years, Rio authorities have been pushing through the slums, or favelas, in an attempt to ensure that at the time of the two big sporting events, there will be no crime and violence.

When it was revealed that singer Amy Winehouse was found dead in her home in north London, a connection was almost immediately made between her history of drug and alcohol abuse, and her untimely demise.

To date, no official cause of death has been declared. Looking at the circumstances around her death, however, the easiest assumption to make was that she had overdosed, or had gone binge drinking.

Rumors to this effect actually began circulating, where it was said that the late troubled singer had gone on a 36-hour drug and alcohol binge, which eventually led to her death. A feature on Metro online, however, shared information provided by an unnamed source close to the Winehouse family, stating otherwise.

Amy’s father, Mitch Winehouse, would like to dispel these rumors. He had shared in his eulogy for his daughter that Amy had been determined to kick her alcohol habit, declaring that she has had enough of drinking, and said: “I can’t stand the look on your and the family’s faces anymore.”

The unnamed source revealed that Amy had been advised by her doctor to gradually wean herself off alcohol. The singer, however was so determined to kick her habit, and decided she would go “all or nothing” – and gave up alcohol completely.

Quitting cold turkey, however, has its associated dangers – some of which may prove to be fatal. A feature on MedPage Today shared that physicians confirmed that alcohol withdrawal syndrome may lead to fatal seizures and delirium tremens. This actually occurred in an episode of the reality show Celebrity Rehab, where Mindy McCready suffered a seizure.

There seems something tragic about musicians, so full of talent and of promise, dying at such a young age. British singer Amy Winehouse was recently found dead in her home in north London, at the age of 27; but she was not the first talented musician to have lost their her life at that same age.

A feature on the International Business Times shared the sad end to the lives of some of these stars – who are Forever 27.

Jimi Hendrix. Jimi Hendrix is touted as “the greatest electric guitarist in musical history.” On September 18, 1970, he was found dead in London, allegedly after taking Vesparax sleeping pills that were prescribed to his girlfriend at that time, Monika Dannemann. The autopsy report revealed that he had asphyxiated on his own vomit, due to a combination of sleeping pills and wine. He was 27.

Janis Joplin. Janis Joplin’s death followed a mere sixteen days after that of another music legend, Jimi Hendrix, on October 4, 1970. Joplin was considered as a pioneer in what was then a male-dominated music genre: rock. Joplin died of a heroin overdose that may have been coupled with the effects of alcohol. Her will provided $2,500 to throw a party in the event of her demise, and one was thrown on October 26; on the menu was brownies laced with hashish. She was 27.

Kurt Cobain. Kurt Cobain rose to fame as the lead singer and guitarist of the band Nirvana. He had struggled with heroin addiction and depression, and began using drugs at an early age. On April 8, 1994, his body was discovered in his home in Lake Washington, although it was estimated that he had been dead since April 5. He had a shotgun wound in his head, and a high concentration of heroin, as well as traces of Valium, was found in his body. He was 27.

It is yet another tragic time for the music industry as news came out that Grammy-award winning singer Amy Winehouse has died. She was 27.

The Guardian reported that the singer was found by police late afternoon on July 23, in her home in north London.

Winehouse is known as much for her soul-steeped voice and her music, as she is for her well-publicized struggle with addiction. Her latest appearance in Belgrade, captured on amateur video by some members of the audience, led to the cancellation of what should have been a 12-leg European Tour. She was booed by the audience when she appeared anxious, and after forgetting the lyrics to her own songs. There were concerns expressed regarding her health at that time.

In a statement to Us Weekly, Universal Music Group, Winehouse’s record label, said: “We are deeply saddened at the sudden loss of such a gifted musician, artist and performer… Our prayers go out to Amy’s family, friends and fans at this difficult time.”

Fellow musicians, celebrities, and people whom Winehouse has worked with also paid tribute to the singer after news of her death came out. Kelly Osbourne wrote: “i cant even breath right now, im crying so hard i just lost 1 of my best friends. i love you forever Amy & will never forget the real you!”

Mark Ronson, producer of Winehouse’s critically-acclaimed sophomore album Back to Black, said: “She was my musical soulmate and like a sister to me. This is one of the saddest days of my life.”

Record label employee Gloria Woods, however, probably articulated Amy Winehouse’s legacy the best: “There will never be another voice like that in our generation.”

Amy Winehouse, the voice behind the hit song “Rehab,” has checked herself into a rehab clinic in the U.K. on Wednesday. This was revealed by her publicist, Tracey Miller, on Friday.

A report by Reuters quoted the following statement given by Miller: “Amy has embarked on a treatment program at the Priory Clinic… She wants to be ready for performances in Europe this summer and decided to seek an assessment. She will remain at the Priory on doctor’s advice.”

The singer has several shows in Europe lined up for the summer. She is known to be struggling with substance abuse, as well as other health issues.

The decision to enter rehab, according to a report on People.com, may have been prompted by Amy Winehouse’s father Mitch, who reportedly felt that his daughter was having one drink too many.

A feature on MTV.com shared reactions of some of Amy Winehouse’s fans, expressed via Twitter. Some of her supporters offered kind words and encouragement for the singer.

“I want Amy to get some help so she can put out some more music,” tweeted a user named Jubi The Great. Kisha Green, on the other hand, posted the following tweet: “She needs to stay in rehab and confront those inner demons that are destroying her life. If she’s in rehab she needs to STAY there!” Isis the Blogger had this to say: “She needs an intervention, a new crew that cares so she can reach her musical potential. Yet, I’m not surprised she’s going back. Example of the tortured talented.”

The first full week of the year 2009 is now coming to a close, and we may take this time to look back at the year that was. If we double back and take a look at some of the year’s more controversial news, they more often than not involve celebrities and their unfortunate run-ins with the law as a result of drug and alcohol abuse.

The year 2008 did not feature mishaps by the previous fixtures – Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. Leading the pack this time around is soul singer Amy Winehouse. In a seeming twist of fate, all her successes – which include winning five Grammys – is matched in magnitude by her personal problems. The 25 year-old British singer’s problems range from a highly-publicized history of drug use, face-offs with the law and a drama-filled marriage.

We then saw Gary Busey in different states of crazy. He was not the picture of red carpet chic when he ambushed Ryan Seacrest’s red carpet interview with Jennifer Garner and Laura Linney during the Academy Awards. Jennifer Garner’s face had an inexplicable expression after Busey gave her a great, big – but unsolicited – bear hug. He is now battling his personal evils as part of VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab”.

Heather Locklear found herself in a sticky situation when she was arrested on a suspected DUI offence in Montecito in September. 2008 was also a challenging year for the O’Neal family. This is no Love Story as he and his children Griffin, Redmond and Tatum were arrested for cases ranging from a family brawl to substance abuse.

While it is easy to judge their faults, looking at their situation from a different perspective certainly reveals and confirms the difficulties of living in the limelight. It is hard enough to wage war on your own excesses without having to do it under scrutiny by the rest of the world.