Amy Winehouse another gone at 27

On 3 July 1969, 18 September 1970, 4 October 1970, 3 July 1971, 5 April 1994 and today we lost some of the iconic names in music. In order they were Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, Jim Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse, they all died aged 27.

• Jones 27 and 125 days
• Hendrix 295 days
• Joplin 258 days
• Morrison 207 days
• Cobain 44 days 
• Winehouse 314 days

All of them were part of or breakthrough acts of their times. All of them were undoubtedly talented. Although Morrison's death was recorded as heart failure there was no autopsy carried out on the young man when he died in Paris 40 years ago this month. The others all died (assuming the rumours of Amy's cause of death are correct) in tragic circumstances. For yes even if it come from a drug overdose the addiction that leads to that outcome is a tragedy.

In the case of Amy it is even more tragic as her top charting single, while she was alive*, was Rehab which of course opens with the line. "They tried to make me go to rehad, I said No, No, No!". She lived out her addiction in the public eye. They were court appearances for possession and her ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil once told a magazine interview that he had introduced the singer to crack cocaine and herorin.

Her father said that he and his family made public statements about her substance and alcohol abuse as a form of intervention to get her to get help. In October last year she cliamed that she had been drug free, but earlier this year in a comeback performance in Slovakia she appeared obviously drunk on stange and her come back tour was cancelled.

She was a talent, but for whatever reason, and her parents believe it was the death of her grandmother in 2006, she plunged into addiction.

If you are or know someone who has an addiction to drugs or substance you can get help just Talk to Frank free at 0800 77 66 00, by texting 82111. For Alcoholics Anonymous call 0845 769 7555 (charged at local rates from a BT landline)

In the meantime here is my favourite Winehouse song Back to Black



* There is possibly going to be a bigger hit now she is dead.