As a friend once said of Serge Gainsbourg, who also wrecked himself in interesting, public ways..."we wouldn't want to be like him, but we need people like him."

Dylan Thomas...Jack Kerouac...Jimi Hendrix...Jim Morrison...the list goes on. It's probably a mostly good thing that Romanticism and the "tortured artist" meme are losing prominence - there's nothing truly cool about being in despair and addicted and all that. However, Dionysian Romanticism is something we still need while we Listen to Prozac. A world full of healthy, glowing, "toned-down" artists would not have as much beauty in it.

if all these "tortured artist" offer is a contrast then they offer nothing at all. lets be honest and admit that no one, NO ONE gets as far as Amy without marketing/selling something which is less than artistic. you sell songs to the public and stories to the industry.

Amy Winehouse proves that a Jewish girl can be just as screwed up as any other kind. Equality at last!