When Amy Winehouse died, everyone was pretty saddened by the news. A young woman, not yet in her thirties, lost and still with a lot more to give. Shame. Of course, it was a fertile period for making lazy jokes about it on twitter, but the less said about that, the better.

Anyway, Pulp honcho Jarvis Cocker has something to say about it all.

Basically, the national treasure in the making has blamed the tabloids for Amy Winehouse’s untimely death.

Cocker says that the endless media attention that the late singer received forced her to turn to drink and drugs. How does he come to that conclusion? Well, he says he went through a similar situation during the height of his fame during the Britpop era.

Britpop was a rubbish period in pop by the way.

Cocker told The Guardian:

“Amy Winehouse passed away this year and it was all ‘Drugs killed Amy Winehouse’. I think that the press killed Amy Winehouse as much as drugs did, because it sends people into that place where they’ve got no peace, and so they just try to escape. And sometimes you use drugs and drink to do that.”

He added:

“That atmosphere of fear that tabloids cause – and I experienced that a bit, back in the bad old days – it makes you not want to go out, and it makes you act more weirdly because it makes you more self-conscious, and it makes you want to get more off your head because you block it out.”

Alas, a coroner indeed ruled that Winehouse died from excessive alcohol consumption, having consumed enough alcohol on the day of her death to render her more than four-and-a-half times over the drink drive limit.

Coming soon: Jokes.

Repulsive pus hammock, Pete Doherty, has stopped injecting scabs into his arms just long enough to decide that he’s being haunted by the recently deceased Amy Winehouse. No. Honestly. That’s what he’s saying.

The former Libertine and Babyshambler was, of course, friends with Winehouse when she was alive. They probably shared a needle or ten while drinking Tenants Super while passing out in front of Cash In The Attic.

Anyway, he honestly believes that the late singer is visiting his London home in spectral form. Of course, Pete being the delusional dipstick that he is, he’s run off to Paris to get away from this apparition. Surely ghosts can travel to Paris if they’re able to come from the afterlife? Either way, The Ghost Of Winehouse is doing something brilliant – SLAGGING HIS WRETCHED, DERIVATIVE MUSIC OFF!

A close friend of Pete’s said:

“He is utterly convinced that he has seen her ghost. A lot of people will think his visions are probably drug-induced but he claims he is clean.”

Close Friend, you took the words right out of our mouths. Of course he’s hallucinating and back on the gear. Why else would he say something so outrageously idiotic?

It’s not like he’s got form in that field is i… oh.

Either way, Amy Winehouse’s ghost is giving Doherty dog’s abuse over his music, which is the just and true thing to do when faced with his spidery, syphilitic little hands scratching out some weedy, poetry 101 horsepiss on a battered acoustic guitar filled with stale semen.

Doherty has said in the past that he had written a song for Amy.

He said:

“Amy Winehouse asked me a while ago if I had written any new songs. I played her something, and when I had finished, she looked at me and said, ‘Is that it? Is that all you’ve got?’”

Brilliant. Now, can ghosts murder people? If so, Ghost Of Winehouse, you know what to do.

Follow hecklerspray on Twitter or join our Facebook group if anyone is still daft enough to use it

Christmas; what a wonderful time of year. Already, town and city centres are awash with twinkling neon as they light up vomit fuelled streets and alleyways. Until Jesus’ birthday approaches, we’ll be gorging on advent calendars, cheap sherry and telling carol singers to bugger off.

Everyone experiences the same Christmas traditions. Mum will blame dad for not buying the sinister sounding pigs in blankets and someone will make the ye olde joke about giving the turkey a good stuffing. But what’s the one item we can all relate at this time of year? Festive music of course!

Over the years, we’ve got used to Mariah Carey, Slade and John Lennon getting airtime. Now, it’s common practice for artists to release cash-in albums, and with Canadian midget and alleged impregnator Justin Bieber leading the way, we’re destined for a miserable Yule. In the UK, the pop charts have been dominated by X Factor contestants reaching number one, but this year, it mightn’t be so easy for them as Nirvana and Amy Winehouse have depressingly entered the race.

Nirvana and Amy Winehouse; the only thing that they have in common is that they’re no longer with us. Just like Jesus. Musically, Nirvana made a short career from making dire and moody music that connected with da kidz of the early nineties. Elsewhere, Amy Winehouse couldn’t do anything wrong when she stepped into a recording studio, but unfortunately personal demons such as alcohol addiction proved her untimely demise. Whilst Cobain and Winehouse are both bonding with the earthworms, there are very different reasons why they’re about to re-enter the charts.

Nirvana are essentially this year’s crap novelty Facebook campaign entry. People who don’t watch X Factor tend to complain that the show’s eventual winner will get an easy ride to number one. These are the same people who spend their time illegally downloading twenty albums a week and not bothering to go out and support the artist they’re stealing from.

Therefore, this gives them a twisted platform to step on and complain that the “real” music they listen to never enters the charts. A few years ago, dweebs on Facebook launched a campaign to hijack Joe McElderry’s chart bid by getting Rage Against The Machine to number one. They succeeded. Big sodding whoop.

It still seems weird that Amy Winehouse is dead. Passing away only a few months ago, there was an initial sales burst of ‘Back to Black’ which is always weird. Why buy a record when the artist has just kicked the bucket? Not like they’re going to be around to reap the benefits. Anyway, the difference between Winehouse and Nirvana is that she was reported to be working on new material. Regardless of the songs being the completed article, they’re about to be released in the form of twelve track album “Lioness.” A mix of new recordings and old demos, the first single will be a cover of Ruby & The Romantics song, “Our Day Will Come.” Cynics may call it a cash-in, but some of the albums profits will go towards a charity to help addicts.

According to reports, these are the latest odds for the musical dead:

“A Facebook campaign was launched earlier this year to help the band’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ to the Christmas Number One spot ahead of the winner of this year’s X Factor and bookmakers Ladbrokes have responded by naming the track as the second favourite at 4/1. Amy Winehouse is given odds of 12/1 to top the chart.”

What’s this? Only second favourite to claim the top spot? Have 2Pac or Jam Master Jay got a release to drop around the festive period? No you div, you’ll never stop the X Factor single Christmas release train as X Factor part timer Amelia Lily is favourite to win the show and release a crap cover version at odds of 7/2.

That’s it, go spoil a young girls dream by campaigning for old musicians who’ve had their glory in the charts. As pointless campaigns go, this rules supreme.

Follow hecklerspray on Twitter or join our Facebook group if anyone is still daft enough to use it

A couple of new Amy Winehouse tracks have emerged online and on the radio (yes, people still listen to the radio unbelievably) and they are both getting a decent reception from fans.

It goes without saying that some people will be complaining about posthumous releases and others will STILL be banging on about her drink and drugs problems like that was ever a reason to not like someone’s music.

Anyway, you can listen to the tracks over the jump if you’re quick. Someone is bound to take them offline soon.

On ‘Like Smoke’, Winehouse teamed up with (Nasty) Nas on Like Smoke which was originally recorded in 2008 and debuted on BBC Radio 1Xtra.

Meanwhile, Our Day Will Come was played by DJ Chris Moyles on his breakfast show this morning.

Both are pretty decent and certainly don’t dent her back-catalogue negatively, so everyone should be pretty pleased with the results. The songs will feature on Amy’s posthumous album, Lioness: Hidden Treasures, which will be released on December 5.

£1 from every sale will go to the Amy Winehouse Foundation.

RWD Mag have new track Our Day Will Come (here) and other new track, Like Smoke, featuring the always tremendous Nas can be heard by clicking below.

Amy Winehouse ft. Nas – Like Smoke by azuredamus

Follow hecklerspray on Twitter or join our Facebook group if anyone is still daft enough to use it

At the moment, ‘Sexy’ Dr. Conrad Murray is facing an uphill struggle in an American court as he and his team of lawyers attempt to prove he didn’t give Michael Jackson enough painkillers to take down a herd of elephants. The trial is barely getting started and we’re beginning to tire of boring experts telling us whether it was possible for Jackson to top himself.

Until surprise witnesses like the Cadburys Caramel Bunny are brought in for a testimony, we’re not really bothered about what’s happening.

However, in non-Michael Jackson criminal news, a ghoulish evening related to the king of pop is happening soon. That’s right, Hallowe’en is fast approaching. How about replicating Jackson’s famous ghostly pale appearance? Or going that extra mile and recreating his legendary wonky nose? You might think we’re taking a cheap shot at the Thriller video; but we’re not. He came up trumps according to search engine statistics.

People often accuse us of making childish jokes about Michael Jackson being an innocent paedophile, plying kids with wine and having a monkey as a pet but in reality, you people out there reading this are the ones that are sick in the head.

We know that the internet never lies.

Thanks to the world wide web, we’ve won the lottery more times than we can remember, had long lost Chinese ancestors inform us our next of kin wants to shower us with yen and best of all, we’re always offered free technology for clicking on a website at the right time! So how do we know about Jackson then? Someone cleverer than us used some kind of fancy-dan internet technology-searchy-majigger to find out.

With the results below, here’s why they would put the fear of God into any children who went trick or treating round their houses. And if you want to achieve the look, just follow our handy style advice:

1) Michael Jackson (31%)

Get someone who’s partially blind to butcher your hair, lightly smash your cheekbones with a claw hammer until that sunken in effect takes place and top off with a smearing of hooker lipstick. Or the innocent blood of children.

2) Katy Perry (25%)

Some people say women are fake creatures who hide behind layers of makeup, fake tan, hair extensions, enhanced boobs, botox and false nails. Katy Perry certainly proves how these tips and tricks can work wonders for you.

3) Charlie Sheen (14%)

Prepare for Halloween by spending the entire morning and afternoon snorting a bucket load of cocaine, #winning, drinking tiger blood and mincing around with porn stars, prostitutes and mistresses. It won’t tire you out at all. While you’re at it, you might as well have some cocaine for dinner too.

4) Barack Obama (12%)

If you searched “Barack Obama” + “costume” then you’re an idiot. Obama is the coolest bloke in the world; anyone attempting to cover themselves in shoe polish to vaguely look like him is an idiot.

5) Snooki (11%)

A picture says a thousand words.

6) Amy Winehouse (7%)

Looking zoned out on booze and drugs generally happens to people at the end of the night, so you may end up doing what Amy Winehouse did all of her career; beginning with promise and professionalism but ending as a tragic reminder of what social poisons do to you.

Just say no to the heroin, okay?

So there you have it, readers. Using our handy guide you too can look like your favourite celebrity nutjob this Hallowe’en.

Follow hecklerspray on Twitter or face dire consequences or ‘Like’ us on Facebook or BUY ONE OF OUR T-SHIRTS OR WE’LL KILL EVERYONE YOU LOVE… & your little dog too!

Today would have been Amy Winehouse’s 28th birthday, but as you know, she passed away and joined that grotty bedsit in the sky known as the 27 Club.

Before she parted, she recorded a duet with Tony Bennett (ten times the singer Frank Sinatra could ever be, thanks to being able to sing 20 notes, rather than Blue Eyes grand total of two), which proved to be her final recording.

Now, on her birthday, the record has been released and you can have a listen to it over the jump. It’s actually very, very good (which is rubbish for us who would like nothing more than to be nasty about it).

The duet, Body and Soul, will see its profits going toward the Amy Winehouse Foundation which of course, was set up by Amy’s father Mitch.

That also launches today, and aims to help other people struggling with addiction and, naturally, Amy had her troubles with that.

Mitch is adamant that his daughter was clean at the time of her death though.

He said:

“Through her own determination, she stopped taking drugs three years ago. I’d been speaking about that for the last three. No one would listen to me. They thought she was still taking drugs. She was clean for three years. But clearly the drugs did take their toll.”

Gah. There’s not many opportunities for jokes here is there? Let us just listen to the song and swim in its loveliness.

Perhaps notice Tony Bennett’s creosoted skin too.

Follow hecklerspray on Twitter or else we’ll kill you in your sleep or join our Facebook group if anyone is still daft enough to use it or BUY ONE OF OUR STUPID T-SHIRTS OR WE’LL KILL EVERYONE YOU’VE EVER LOVED!

Amy Winehouse hasn’t been dead a month and already, we’re painted into a corner, forced to make light of it all. We kinda wanted to be respectful for a little longer but alas, the world works in such a way that we’re now required to mercilessly tear her death a new one.

See, despite the fact she’s barely cold, there’s plans to turn her into a television show already. Imagine that! A touching portrait of a troubled and talented young woman, broken up with commercials for WKD and toilet roll.

Of course, the family are bang into the idea of making some money on all this ‘famous cadaver’ thing.

A family source (aka, someone who once met one of the Winehouse family briefly in a pub years ago) said:

“The feeling is there wouldn’t be an actress under 30 who wouldn’t want to play her”

‘The first job is to get financial backing from co-production companies in the States. Some are showing interest because it’s a sure-fire money-spinner. They know anything Amy-related is going to be a huge success.”

And there are mutterings that Lady Gaga has already been approached to play Amy.

A mole told a tabloid some outrageous fibs:

‘Lady GaGa worshipped Amy and would love nothing more than to transform herself into her idol on the big screen.

‘She’d be spot on performing Amy’s songs and has got the right look and bolshy attitude. GaGa’s management team had been discussing possible film ventures before Amy’s untimely death. But there’s only ever been one role she wants and that’s to play Amy.’

Gaga has said that she went blonde because people used to mistake her for the late singer, so… er… that’s conclusive as anything right?

Either way, this is all a nonsense as there is only one woman who should be playing Amy Winehouse, and that’s Janice from Friends.

They could have her saying OH. MAI. GOWD. as she transcends to heaven.

Follow hecklerspray on Twitter or join our Facebook group or BUY ONE OF OUR STUPID T-SHIRTS!

Green Day are one of those grotty bands that people love hating. They’re derivative as hell and sell out huge jumbodomes, grinding the gears of everyone who likes supposedly more adventurous bands.

Of course, this is hilarious to your average Green Day devotee. While you mew about innovation and Liking The Real Thing From ’76, they’ve been to a dozen shows, got drunk, danced around and generally had a dumb gas. Who is the loser here, really? And that makes them more irritating, right?

And even though Green Day tend to apply maximum volume to everything, over the years they’ve occasionally shown a softer side (Waa! Boo! Hiss!), which they’ve revealed again with a new tribute song for Amy Winehouse, which you can hear over the jump if you’ve got nothing better to do.

The new track, which they debuted at a small show (the Tiki Bar 1700 Placentia in Costa Mesa, California if you’re interested), is called ‘Amy’ and is quite obviously a song about the late singer.

The lyrics aren’t quite up to the standard of Winehouse’s brutal self-confessionals, but y’know, anyone expecting that from Green Day is a tool.

At one point, the song says “27 gone without a trace” and mentions the bloody ballet shoes, as well as “did you tattoo a lucky charm?” which basically means that we’re correct in assuming that ‘Amy’ is about Amy Winehouse.

You can’t really knock them for it, unless of course, you’re under the illusion that this is just hollow opportunism from a band that doesn’t really give a flying hoot.

Anyway, listen to it here, okay?

Follow hecklerspray on Twitter or join our Facebook group or BUY ONE OF OUR STUPID T-SHIRTS!

You’d have to have a heart of coal to not care a jot about the passing of Amy Winehouse. That, or you’re indulging in an exercise in nose-pulling by saying cruel things for the sake of it, just to wind everyone up.

What kind of scumbag would do that sort of thing, eh?

Still, while we all scurry around the floor crying and braying, Blake Fielder-Civil is taking a little from column A and a little from column B as he’s more than prepared to show how inconsolably hurt he is by all this, mixed with a need to rinse Winehouse’s cadaver for a few quid. He’s approaching the world of Paul Burrell, the arena of the overwrought vulture.

So remember when Blake said that, on hearing of his ex-wife’s death:

‘I’m inconsolable… my tears won’t dry.’

Well, it has been reported that his tears may well have completely dried up and his reddened cry-eyes have been replaced with dollar signs.

Blake, currently crapping in a bucket while serving a 32-month sentence for robbery and possessing an imitation firearm, married Amy in 2007. The marriage was… eventful… and unsurprisingly, they divorced.

However, one of those cheeky insiders has come forward and said:

‘He’s prepared to betray Amy because as far as he’s concerned, he needs to get what he’s owed’

‘He took hundreds of photos of her in all sorts of states as well as secretly videoing her.

‘Blake had already got stuff written down for the book, but back then he harboured hopes of getting back together with Amy, so decided to keep it for the right time.’

Good grief. Sounds lousy, presuming that this isn’t a load of cobblers made up by scum like us.

Follow hecklerspray on Twitter or join our Facebook group or BUY ONE OF OUR STUPID T-SHIRTS!

When any popstar dies, it isn’t unusual for record companies to rush release some previously unheard tracks, and that is exactly what is happening with the late Amy Winehouse who could see at least a dozen unheard tracks hitting the shelves.

A spokesman for her label says that Winehouse had put down the “framework” of around a “dozen” new songs.

But will they be up to scratch compared to Back To Black, the LP that Winehouse always wanted to make and, perhaps, surpassed even her own expectations? We’ve seen with posthumous Michael Jackson releases that, without the artist’s input, these releases can leave the listener wanting. Badly.

Winehouse had been recording bits and bobs for the last three years, non of which have been deemed good enough for release as yet.

The record co. spokesman says:

“Amy had expressed an interest in getting back into the studio, and after some consultation everyone thought that would be a positive thing and a distraction from the other things she was dealing with.”

“She had put down the bare bones of tracks and some were further along than others.”

“People were getting very excited, quite frankly they were really good. We heard rough cuts and they sounded like vintage Amy.”

Amy’s management are reported to believe that there’s “masses” of material lying around, which suggests that there may well be more than one album’s worth.

Speaking months ago, Winehouse said of new material:

“It’s going to be very much the same as my second album, where there’s a lot of jukebox stuff and the songs that are … just jukebox, really.”

Here’s hoping that a producer is drafted in who can do justice to Winehouse’s work. We’re looking at Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings cohorts.

Follow hecklerspray on Twitter or join our Facebook group or BUY ONE OF OUR STUPID T-SHIRTS!

Say what you like about Kelly Osbourne, but… no, seriously. Say whatever you like. We’re not Kelly Osbourne so we’re not going to defend her. That’s because she’s rather fond of doing it for herself.

See, Kelly has had a privileged but awkward upbringing, and so, as some coping mechanism, developed a really loud mouth.

If you go after her, she’ll probably huff and puff and yell your house down. So, when an ex of hers starts slating her on twitter, she’s not likely to take it lying down is she? Especially when she’s still grieving over the loss of her friend, Amy Winehouse.

Osbourne has had many run-ins with her ex-fiance – Luke Worrall – and this week, he really did pick a lousy time to start airing the dirty linen.

At some point, he obviously remembered that his ex had just lost a mate, and hastily deleted his tweets aimed at Kelly. Sadly for him, she’d already seen them.

After returning and seeing what he wrote, she responded:

“@luke_worrall you’ve made it very clear u only dated me 4 my life style but s*** tweets about me the day im @ a funeral u have hit a new low.”

Fair enough. She wasn’t done though.

“@luke_worrall it was fine when my Kellyphant ass was paying 4everything wasn’t it? i just didn’t think u could get much lower but u did #wow.”

Kellyphant? Crikey. That’s beneath even us!

Follow hecklerspray on Twitter or join our Facebook group or BUY ONE OF OUR STUPID T-SHIRTS!

Amy Winehouse’s death was felt sincerely by many, including her ex-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil. He’s riddled with anguish, invariably soundtracked by a chorus of boos from those who need someone to blame for Winehouse’s troubles.

However, Blake believes he could have saved Amy.

Get ready to launch your rotten tomatoes and insults because, we’re imagining you’ve already made your mind up about the whole situation haven’t you?

Blake’s dad, Larry Fielder reckons that his son knew better than anyone about the extent of Amy’s drug addiction. This is probably because he helped it along and joined in, which is hardly helpful.

However, Blake had planned to stage an intervention of sorts…  just as soon as he got out of jail, of course. And that doesn’t happen ’til March, 2012.

Too long to wait, clearly, as Winehouse was living on borrowed time.

And seeing as Blake and Amy were co-dependent junkies, it seems incredibly unlikely that Fielder-Civil would have been equipped to sort Amy out, regardless of any changes he may have made in prison.

It’s fair to assume that Amy’s irregular working life would’ve usurped any of Blake’s intention and the couple would have fallen into bad old habits.

Larry adds further that, shortly after Amy died, Blake called him crying hysterically. Does he blame himself a little? Probably. But what’s done is done and shit-slinging won’t fix the situation will it?

Well, not until a reasonable amount of time has passed when it’ll be then safe to make jokes about it all.

Follow hecklerspray on Twitter or join our Facebook group or BUY ONE OF OUR STUPID T-SHIRTS!

More Amy Winehouse news, and this time, something rather sweet in the face of the story’s obvious misery. This afternoon, Winehouse was cremated as music execs, band mates and friends and family got together to send the singer off at a synagogue in North London.

Her funeral was refreshingly small by celebrity standards, attended by around 150 people, which included Kelly Osbourne and Mark Ronson.

It has been reported that the service was understandably emotion, but also, rather funny in places and ending in something of a singsong.

Her father, Mitch, who has been in the public eye alongside his famous daughter for some time now, constantly questioned about Amy’s wellbeing, is reported to have said:

“Goodnight my angel. Sleep tight. Mummy and Daddy love you ever so much.”

This was coupled with a celebration of her life, including a “funny” eulogy, which saw Mitch “telling stories about her childhood” which saw everyone “laughing like a celebration – like they all remembered the stories themselves.”

The hour-long memorial service celebrated the Grammy winner’s life, with the late-singer’s rep adding:

“It was emotional, it was happy and it was sad. It was everything really.”

The service closed at 1.15 p.m., played out with one of Winehouse’s favourite songs – Carole King’s ‘So Far Away’, which saw everyone joining in at her father’s behest.

“Mitch encouraged everyone to sing to it and they did.”

Hopefully now, this story is over.

Follow hecklerspray on Twitter or join our Facebook group or BUY ONE OF OUR STUPID T-SHIRTS!

‘The 27 Club’ is one of the most depressing things in popular culture. That’s because its a construct of regrettably long-living music pundits, trying to put a glamorous slant on the needless, untimely death of a young person.

And so, Amy Winehouse has now ‘joined’ Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Janis Joplin in the number of people who have died aged 27. Looks like a cool, druggy, too-fast-to-live list, eh?

Well, no-one ever mentions other musicians that died at 27, like Linda Jones, the soul singer who died of diabetes or Helmut Köllen who died of incredibly boring carbon monoxide poisoning. No. It’s all pointless glamour which encourages lonely, successful people to destroy themselves for the sake of beatifying rock and pop. And it seems that Winehouse fell for it like many before her.

Her friend Alex Foden, who used to lived with Amy, said:

“Unfortunately, Amy had a very obsessive personality. She did everything to extremes, especially when it came to food and drugs. She loved food. But she’d either have binges – eating loads before running up to the toilet and getting rid of it all again – or she’d go up to four or five days without eating, surviving on alcohol, drugs and sweets. Amy always told me she thought she would die young and that she knew she’d become part of the ’27 Club’.”

And just imagine how gaspingly dull the 27 Club is. Brian Jones being immensely irritating, throwing pies at Jim Morrison tugging himself off in the bath while Cobain cries in a corner. Every single one of them being a crushing drug bore.

Now, Amy Winehouse is there (well, she isn’t. She’s dead. She has ceased to be and nothing lives on apart from her records) and perhaps offering everyone a line of coke.

See, her chum claims that she’d get through £1,000 worth of cocaine in one night… mainly because she was buying it for everyone else as well.

Alex explains:

“Amy was very generous so she’d pay for all the drugs – mainly coke, heroin and cannabis. At her worst she could get through about £1,000 worth of gear in 24 hours. Her limits were incredible, but she usually knew how much she could take.”

Sounds grotty.

“She was incredibly clean and tidy at home, and could be a real matriarch, looking after everyone and cooking for all her friends and family. At the heart of it, Amy was simply a lovely, bubbly Jewish girl who wanted to be loved.”

Alas, a lovely girl who didn’t know her own limits, ravaged by a selfish mental illness. Still, at least those vultures from the music press have got something to mythologise, eh?

Follow hecklerspray on Twitter or join our Facebook group or BUY ONE OF OUR STUPID T-SHIRTS!

When a young talented person dies, it always makes for the most arresting, gruesome spectacle. Away from the obvious sorrow of someone being taken too young, there’s a myriad of sideshows which compel like car-crashes.

What is most fascinating about the death of a young person is the reaction from those that didn’t know her at all. The response to the capsizing of a troubled mind is met with both over egged misery, needless anger, bad jokes and genuine sympathy.

And this weekend, when Amy Winehouse passed away, the gamut of emotions ran wildly, careering into each other in some kind of awkward grief Olympics.

Whether you’re a fan of pop music or not, it was clear to see that Winehouse wasn’t your average performer. In fact, she was one of the most influential popstars in a decade. While pop has flirted with the sound of ’60s pop for years, for the most part, it revealed itself in things like ‘Stop’ by The Spice Girls – fun, but ultimately tepid versions of the Motown sound.

However, when Amy Winehouse came alone, she reinterpreted it with a shot of hip hop and RnB, complete with that obvious love of jazz and blues which informed the ’60s soul sound. She wasn’t just someone a curio revivalist – it was clear she meant it… something you certainly couldn’t say about Duffy or Paloma Faith who enjoyed Winehouse’s inactivity thanks to personal problems.

Sadly, it was her personal problems that was most prevalent in our lives. Winehouse only released two LPs, leaving her often incredibly depressing antics to take precedent over the thing that made everyone sit up and take notice in the first place.

And it’s because of these personal issues, people seemed to take great glee at such an untimely death.

In amongst the usual stunned replies, there was a chorus of angry jeers which suggested that she almost deserved to die, mainly because she was in the awful grip of some terrible, terrible illness.

One common sentiment is that, should this have been the death of ‘just some smack head down the road’, no-one would care. While you could probably argue that if you wanted to, it simply isn’t true. The difference between ‘some junkie’ and Amy Winehouse, is that with the former, there’s a chance we’d simply never get to hear of it. The fact is though, that anyone who celebrates the death of a twentysomething, who died alone after battling a savage addiction, really ought to restock and question what it is they’re thrilled at losing.

That’s not to say we can’t joke. Events like this make people cope in different ways or, indeed, simply troll everyone else for a cheap laugh. We should know. We trade blows in the latter on a daily basis… and gallows humour won’t ever go away and nor should it.

That said, Winehouse’s passing is different. From each scab, brawl and drunken cock-up, we could all hoot because somewhere, there was this feeling that she was either being made to look more tragic by a press in need of column inches, or that she was actually going to turn this pain into more music and rid herself of this terrible demon.

However, as bystanders, we couldn’t connect with the illness. It was simply another macabre facet to a cartoon vision of what transpired to be an incredibly vulnerable young girl in too much pain to want to continue living.

And what is so sad is that Winehouse didn’t get to enjoy one of the things she helped to reignite. Pop music was in a sorry state of affairs for a while, and then, along came Amy with overtly commercial music that was actually okay for sneering musos to enjoy. She helped to kickstart the trend for great girlpop/girlgroups and the re-evaluation of pop in its purest form. Like many who lead the charge, she was always going to burn too bright to stick around for too long.

While it’s obvious that there are things going on in the world that are more momentous and strickeningly depressing, that’s not to say we can’t feel cut up about this particular tale. There’s a clawing sense of inevitability about the whole thing which never gets easier to handle.

Musicians who deal in pain often make the best music. However, we bury it under the choruses because we don’t want to think about the fact that one of the things that made them so special in the first instance may actually overwhelm them and take them away from us.

The sorrow and hurt in tracks like ‘Love Is A Losing Game’ and the confessional of ‘You Know I’m No Good’ wasn’t an act. That’s what made them connect. Like all great pop music, the implied strife and drama is what resonates in the listener… and when the bad news finally comes, there’s a strange sense of not having done anything to stop it. Elsewhere, voices hoot ‘Ha! She’s dead! Hahaha!’, not willing to recognise that they were probably weeping into their Corn Flakes when Elliot Smith or Kurt Cobain died.

So what have we lost? We’ve lost a woman who was a figure of fun to many or, indeed, a source of irritation for seemingly continuing to throw away the help that many offered. This is a common story. Addicts and their troubling behaviour are the mask of that dreadful sense of worthlessness that can blot out the sun and take away that last feeling of being of even vague value to a world that laughs every time you fall.

But really, the thing we’ve all lost is one of the most invigorating songwriters of a generation. She was trashy, dangerous and upsetting, but this was all coupled with an astonishing voice that was born of the things that ended up eating her whole, prompting onlookers to engage in a contest of grief and mockery of hurt.

And in those two things, we find the thing that really killed Amy Winehouse and it really is a terrible, terrible shame.

Follow hecklerspray on Twitter or join our Facebook group or BUY ONE OF OUR STUPID T-SHIRTS!