It has been more than seven years since Amy Winehouse’s death, but some fans are still coping with the loss of the talented jazz singer. So after hearing news of the worldwide tour led by an Amy Winehouse hologram taking place in 2019, many Winehouse listeners were infuriated. In fact, they blamed her father, Mitch Winehouse, who has been accused of exploiting his daughter for money and fame. If her dad is the mastermind behind the hologram idea, then he might be more mentally unstable than originally suspected.
The hologram tour could be considered wrong because it dehumanizes Amy, and diminishes her accomplishments as a singer. Toward the end of her career, she was consumed by the music industry and was seeking a way out. There is a documentary that expresses her sentiments and struggles as an artist. This is one of the reasons why using her image is both creepy and exploitative: At the end of her career, all she really wanted was a break from the chaos of fame.
Though the idea of a hologram is not ideal, it does have a few positive aspects. For instance, the money coming in from the concert will go toward the Amy Winehouse Foundation. That being said, most of the negativity toward the idea stems from fans’ bias against her father.
Winehouse had been struggling with drug addiction and alcoholism for many years. In the “Amy” documentary, she said many times that she didn’t want fame and dreaded going on tour. She wanted to perform specifically for small audiences, as music was pure to her. The media simply used her vulnerability to exploit her to the point where fame consumed her completely.
She clearly didn’t want to be famous.
So, why are fans blaming the father and protesting the hologram tour? There is speculation that her dad is continuing to exploit his daughter for money even after her death over seven years ago. Do we really know that he didn’t care about his daughter? No. Is it possible that he was or is seeking for further fame and money? Yes. There are countless interviews where he shows no empathy toward his daughter’s memory and simply seeks to promote an event or film.
This is the primary reason why fans aren’t fond of Mr. Winehouse. He knew back then that his daughter hated performing on stage. In an interview, he even claimed that she would go on stage with a glass of wine, which quickly escalated into other things. However, he later contradicted himself by saying he didn’t think the performer was an alcoholic. Anyone who sees interviews or performances of Winehouse in later years can clearly see that she was struggling with drug and alcohol abuse. There isn’t an interview where Amy’s father doesn’t make it about himself. He chose to ignore the signs, presumably because it was clear to everyone but himself.
Everyone acquainted with Amy Winehouse knew how exhausted she was from singing on stage, yet they still forced her to perform. Anyone who sees the video of her performing live in Belgrade can see she was in a really bad condition, though they refused to interfere. The tour should’ve been canceled back then. Now, they’re exploiting her through the hologram tour, as it’s clear how much she hated the world of fame, which consumed her until her last days. It’s fairly evident that Amy’s father continues to use her to his own benefit.
No one is to blame for Amy’s death. However, there were plenty of times where she needed help and no one did anything to aid her.
Mitch Winehouse was consumed by fame and money. He must have been oblivious if he didn’t know his daughter was in pain for all those years. Fans are asking him to respect his daughter’s memory and not use a hologram to honor her.
Amy Winehouse never wanted fame. She admitted in an interview that she would go mad if she ever became famous. Unfortunately, however, fame eventually consumed her. In her documentary, you learn so much about her life and how many times she would tell her close friends and the people around her that she didn’t want to perform anymore.
If you watch the “Amy” documentary, you’ll get an idea as to why everyone is upset about the hologram tour. Fans believe it would go against her wishes. They also want her memory to be respected. Winehouse left a beautiful legacy of music behind for the world to appreciate. Her voice was a true treasure that we will continue to cherish. A hologram is a creepy way of honoring her legacy. Although it sounds futuristic and innovative, it’s not a proper way to honor who she was as a human being.
