Amy Winehouse has missed out on the biggest night of her life, and it's all because of that darn 'Amy Winehouse getting hammered on crack' video.
Amy was supposed to be performing at the Grammys this weekend, but her request for an American visa has been denied, possibly because she'd explode the faces off every sniffer dog in a 50-mile radius the instant she landed at LAX.
Still, ever the trouper Amy Winehouse has vowed to do her Grammys performance live by satellite – just as soon as she's worked out whether her husband's prison or the confines of her drug rehab centre will make the more attractive backdrop.
You might have thought that it was fear of another near-fatal overdose that spurred Amy Winehouse on to seek treatment for her drug addiction, or possibly the shame of seeing herself apparently smoking crack on the front page of a newspaper. But it wasn't – Amy Winehouse supposedly only went to rehab because she wanted to play the Grammys so badly.
After a year that's seen her pull American tours and big American awards shows, the Grammys were meant to be Amy Winehouse's way of proving that she's still a talented singer underneath all the endless tabloid fluff. And since she notched up more Grammy nominations than anyone else, a performance during the ceremony would be Amy's crowning glory. All she needed was for America to grant her a visa.
Yeah, hasn't happened.
It was already touch and go whether Amy Winehouse would be granted a visa after she was arrested on a minor drugs charge in Norway last year, but there's a chance that the video of Winehouse appearing to huff down mouthful after mouthful of delicious crack after a night on the Valium, ecstasy powder and cocaine might have possibly made the US visa people a little bit nervous too. The Associated Press reports:
The Outside Organization, which counts the troubled retro-soul sensation among its clients, said in an e-mail that Winehouse — who shot to fame with the autobiographical single "Rehab" — was disappointed that her request for a visa had been turned down by the U.S. Embassy. "Amy has been progressing well since entering a rehabilitation clinic two weeks ago and although disappointed with the decision has accepted the ruling and will be concentrating on her recovery," the Outside Organization said. The statement didn't say why her application was rejected.
Of course, it's quite correct that Amy Winehouse should be refused entry into America – no musician who's ever so much as seen a drug has ever been allowed into America – but, undeterred, Amy Winehouse has decided to still perform at the Grammys by satellite.
That's bittersweet news, because satellite performances in awards shows never have any of the impact of the live performances. However, on the bright side Amy Winehouse can sing her Grammys song and go home, saving her the agony of sitting through all 13 arse-numbing hours of the ceremony like everyone else.
And, let's face it, if hearing the nominations for the Best-Engineered Polka Album Sleevenotes (Sans Serif) award getting droned out by the drummer from Aerosmith four hours into an already interminable show makes us want to turn to hard drugs, just imagine what a mess it'd leave Amy Winehouse in.
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