Sorry to see you go . . . .

The death of amy winehouse is very sad . . . I wish I had the chance to see her perform live. I’ll never forget the way I felt when I first heard ‘back to black’ . . . . ‘love is a losing game’ has always been my favorite. It seems like that song and that sound almost came out of another time and place . . . and it gave me hope for the future of ‘pop’ music. It’s not easy to be anyone but if you’re haunted and tortured by internal shit (as many of us are on some level), you have to try and deal with it – and get the help you need to face it. You really can’t compare peoples’ lives . . . their pain . . . or their success. amy winehouse made an indelible mark on the face of music and that is a hell of a hard thing to do. She has helped us restore a sense of depth and meaning to the popular music being created today and we will carry on the torch of her inspiration, every day moving forward.

It’s difficult to watch someone spiral out of control without being able to do anything to help but that’s just the cost of doing business in the world today . . . it seems. The music industry is not an easy business and the glory of fame is not always so great. My hope is that we can all decide to commit ourselves to becoming empowered individuals – take responsibility for our own needs and believe in our own unique abilities. Some people inspire us and open up new roads for us . . . . some people build those roads with their bare hands . . . everyone is part of the process. We have to work to make the world a better place so these gifts can be shared more openly and freely – so that we are less needy of ‘celebrity culture’ and more content with the daily entertainment of our own lives.

To be honest, there are not many songs and/or records that I can listen to on a regular basis . . . . sometimes I’ll listen to a song because the lyrics bring me some sort of emotional connection . . . . sometimes it’s just the sound – but there are a few tracks and songs and bands that will always last – that I will always listen to – no matter what sort of mood I’m in. amy winehouse is on that list . . . and I’m sorry to see her go.

chi-town . . . .