» R.I.P. ABORT Magazine™ - Canadian Counter-Culture

R.I.P: Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch, Passes away after a long battle with Cancer, Aged 47

May 4th, 2012 Filed under: R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

(Photo: Wikipedia – Fabio Venni)

(Boston.com) – Adam Yauch, the gravelly voiced Beastie Boys rapper who co-founded the seminal hip-hop group, has died at age 47.

Yauch’s representatives confirmed that the rapper died Friday morning in New York after a nearly three-year battle with cancer.

Also known as MCA, Yauch was diagnosed with a cancerous salivary gland in 2009. He had undergone surgery and radiation.

At the time, Yauch expressed hope it was “very treatable,” but his illness caused the group to cancel shows and delayed the release of its 2011 album, “Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2.”

The Brooklyn-born Yauch created the Beastie Boys with high school friend Michael “Mike D” Diamond. Originally conceived as a hardcore punk group, it became a hip-hop trio after Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz joined.

Copyright © 2004-2012 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.

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R.I.P – Levon Helm, Vocalist and Drummer of the Band dies aged 71

April 19th, 2012 Filed under: R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

(Photo: Wikipedia – David Gans)

Levon Helm, singer and drummer for the Band, died on April 19th in New York of throat cancer. He was 71.

“He passed away peacefully at 1:30 this afternoon surrounded by his friends and bandmates,” Helm’s longtime guitarist Larry Campbell tells Rolling Stone. “All his friends were there, and it seemed like Levon was waiting for them. Ten minutes after they left we sat there and he just faded away. He did it with dignity. It was even two days ago they thought it would happen within hours, but he held on. It seems like he was Levon up to the end, doing it the way he wanted to do it. He loved us, we loved him.”

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R.I.P – Dick Clark, Host of American Bandstand passes away aged 82

April 18th, 2012 Filed under: R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

(Photo – Wikipedia)

(CTV.ca) – Television icon Dick Clark, the host of “American Bandstand” who went on to ring in the New Year with millions of television viewers for nearly four decades, has died. He was 82.

Clark’s spokesperson, Paul Shefrin, confirmed that Clark suffered a heart attack at Saint John’s hospital in Santa Monica on Wednesday morning, a day after undergoing an outpatient procedure at the facility.

He had been a mainstay of American living rooms for decades, first as the host of “American Bandstand” from 1957 to 1987, which introduced rock ‘n’ roll to millions of teenagers.

The show earned him the nickname “America’s oldest teenager,” not only for his infectious enthusiasm for the music, but also for his boyish good looks.

Clark wasn’t one to rest on his laurels, though. He started Dick Clark Productions, which created countless wildly successful programs for television. Those shows include “The $25,000 Pyramid,” “TV’s Bloopers and Practical Jokes,” and the American Music Awards.

Clark may be best known to younger viewers for his iconic “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” which he started in 1972.

“There’s hardly any segment of the population that doesn’t see what I do,” Clark told The Associated Press in 1985.

“It can be embarrassing. People come up to me and say, ‘I love your show,’ and I have no idea which one they’re talking about.”

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R.I.P – Legendary 60 Minutes Anchor Mike Wallace dies at 93

April 8th, 2012 Filed under: R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

(CBC.ca) – CBS newsman Mike Wallace, the dogged, merciless reporter and interviewer who took on politicians, celebrities and other public figures in a 60-year career highlighted by the on-air confrontations that helped make 60 Minutes the most successful prime-time television news program ever, has died. He was 93.

Wallace died Saturday night, CBS spokesman Kevin Tedesco said. On CBS’ Face the Nation, host Bob Schieffer said Wallace died at a care facility in New Haven, Conn., where he had lived in recent years.

“All of us at CBS News and particularly at 60 Minutes owe so much to Mike,” said Jeff Fager, executive producer of 60 Minutes and chairman of CBS News.

‘Around CBS he was the same infectious, funny and ferocious person as he was on TV. We loved him and we will miss him very much.’—60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager

“Without him and his iconic style, there probably wouldn’t be a 60 Minutes. There simply hasn’t been another broadcast journalist with that much talent. It almost didn’t matter what stories he was covering, you just wanted to hear what he would ask next.

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Jim ‘Father of Loud’ Marshall, founder of Marshall Amps dies, aged 88

April 5th, 2012 Filed under: R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

(Photo: Penmachine – Wikipedia)

Marshall Amps have released the following statement:

It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved founder and leader for the past 50 years, Jim Marshall. While mourning the Guv’nor though, we also salute a legendary man who led a full and truly remarkable life.

Jim’s ascent into the history books as ‘the Father of Loud’ and the man responsible for ‘the Sound of Rock’ is a true rags-to-riches tale. Cruelly robbed of his youth by tubercular bones, Jim rose to become one of the four forefathers responsible for creating the tools that allowed rock guitar as we know and love it today to be born. The ground breaking quartet also includes the late, great trio of Leo Fender, Les Paul and Seth Lover – together with Jim, they truly are the cornerstones of all things rock.

In addition to the creation of the amps chosen by countless guitar heroes and game changing bands, Jim was also an incredibly humble and generous man who, over the past several decades, has quietly donated many millions of pounds to worthy causes.

While the entire Marshall Amplification family mourns Jim’s passing and will miss him tremendously, we all feel richer for having known him and are happy in the knowledge that he is now in a much better place which has just got a whole lot louder!

Rest in Peace & thank you Jim.

Your memory; the music and joy your amps have brought to countless millions for the past five decades; and that world-famous, omnipresent script logo that proudly bears your name will always live on.

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R.I.P – Whitney Houston, found dead at the Beverly Hilton Hotel – Aged 48

February 12th, 2012 Filed under: R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

Photo: Wikipedia

(Los Angeles Times) – Whitney Houston, a willowy church singer with a towering voice who became a titan of the pop charts in the 1980s and 1990s but then saw much of her success crumble away amid the fumes of addiction and reckless ego, has died. She was 48.

Kristen Foster, a publicist, announced Saturday that the singer had died, and police sources later confirmed that she was found unresponsive in her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel about 3:30 p.m. Paramedics performed CPR on her, but she was pronounced dead about 4 p.m., Beverly Hills Police Lt. Mark Rosen told KTLA News. An investigation into the cause of death is pending.

On Thursday afternoon at the hotel, Houston drew the attention of reporters and security staff with her erratic behavior, dripping sweat and disheveled clothes. The singer was disruptive at that day’s rehearsals for music mogul Clive Davis’ annual Grammy industry party and showcase; that party at the Hilton on Saturday night was supposed to include a performance by Houston.

Late Saturday, Davis told those assembled at the party that he had a “heavy heart” and was “personally devastated” by Houston’s death, but “simply put, Whitney would have wanted the music to go on, and her family has asked for us to carry on.”

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R.I.P – Soul Train Creator and Host Don Cornelius dead, aged 75

February 1st, 2012 Filed under: R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

Photo: Soultrain.com

(New York Times) – Don Cornelius, the smooth-voiced television host who brought black music and culture into America’s living rooms when he created the dance show “Soul Train,” was found dead at his home in Los Angeles early Wednesday in what appeared to be a suicide, the authorities said. He was 75.

Police officers responding to a report of a shooting found Mr. Cornelius’s body at 4 a.m. on the floor of his house on Mulholland Drive with a gunshot wound to the head. It appeared to have been self-inflicted, said Ed Winter, the Los Angeles County assistant chief coroner.

He was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The police said they had ruled out murder and were talking to relatives about Mr. Cornelius’s mental state.

“Soul Train,” one of the longest-running syndicated shows in television history, played a critical role in spreading the music of black America to the world, offering wide exposure to musicians like James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson in the 1970s and ’80s.

“ ‘Soul Train’ created an outlet for black artists that never would have been if it hadn’t been for Cornelius,” said Kenny Gamble, who with his partner, Leon Huff, created the Philly soul sound and wrote the theme song for the show. “It was a tremendous export from America to the world, that showed African-American life and the joy of music and dance, and it brought people together.”

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R.I.P – Blues singer Etta James passes away due to complications from Leukemia, aged 73

January 20th, 2012 Filed under: R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

Photo: Roland Godefroy – Wikipedia

(New York Times) – Etta James, whose powerful, versatile and emotionally direct voice could enliven the raunchiest blues as well as the subtlest love songs, most indelibly in her signature hit, “At Last,” died Friday morning in Riverside, Calif. She was 73.

Her manager, Lupe De Leon, said that the cause was complications of leukemia. Ms. James, who died at Riverside Community Hospital, had been undergoing treatment for some time for a number of conditions, including leukemia and dementia. She also lived in Riverside.

Ms. James was not easy to pigeonhole. She is most often referred to as a rhythm and blues singer, and that is how she made her name in the 1950s with records like “Good Rockin’ Daddy.” She is in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Blues Hall of Fame.

She was also comfortable, and convincing, singing pop standards, as she did in 1961 with “At Last,” which was written in 1941 and originally recorded by Glenn Miller’s orchestra. And among her four Grammy Awards (including a lifetime-achievement honor in 2003) was one for best jazz vocal performance, which she won in 1995 for the album “Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday.”

Regardless of how she was categorized, she was admired. Expressing a common sentiment, Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote in 1990 that she had “one of the great voices in American popular music, with a huge range, a multiplicity of tones and vast reserves of volume.”

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R.I.P – Former Death Row Records Executive John Atterberry dies of gunshot wounds, aged 40

December 12th, 2011 Filed under: News/Calendar/Industry, R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

(Huffington Post) – John Atterberry died Monday after being shot last week by a rampaging gunman in the heart of Hollywood, a hospital spokeswoman said.

John Atterberry, who had worked with the Spice Girls, Jessica Simpson and others, died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center shortly before 5 p.m. Monday, spokeswoman Simi Singer said.

The 40-year-old executive was shot in the face and upper body as he drove his Mercedes-Benz during Friday’s random attack.

Atterberry was the only seriously injured victim of 26-year-old Tyler Brehm, who police say fired nearly 20 bullets in the air and at cars as he screamed that he wanted to die. He was killed by police minutes later.

Copyright © 2004-2011 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.

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R.I.P – M.A.S.H / Dragnet star Henry Morgan passes away aged 96

December 7th, 2011 Filed under: R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

(LAtimes.com) – Emmy Award-winning actor Harry Morgan, who played the crusty yet sympathetic Col. Sherman T. Potter in the sitcom “MASH” and the hard-nosed LAPD Officer Bill Gannon in the television drama “Dragnet,” died Wednesday. He was 96.

Morgan died at his home in Brentwood after a bout with pneumonia, his daughter-in-law, Beth Morgan, told the Associated Press.

Morgan’s eight-year run on “MASH,” the pinnacle of his seven-decade acting career, began when he was 60 and had already appeared on the Broadway stage, in dozens of television shows and more than 50 films.

Three years after it debuted, he joined the show in 1975 as commanding officer of the unorthodox 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, which patched together the wounded during the Korean War.

When the 2 1/2-hour “MASH” finale aired in 1983, 77% of the people watching television were tuned in, making it the most widely watched show in history.

Shortly before the final episode was broadcast, Morgan told The Times, “There’ll never be another ‘MASH.’ There’s nothing in the way of doing your best work on this set, absolutely nothing.”

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R.I.P. – Edward Scott “E.S.” Day, Editor-in-Chief of ABORT Magazine.

November 18th, 2011 Filed under: News/Calendar/Industry, R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

(Photo - Scott Alexander)

….and the winner of the “MOST HONEST/BIGGEST FUCKING MOUTH” JUNO AWARD Goes to…

Edward Scott Day, Feb 3, 1968 – Nov 14, 2011

It is with great sorrow and heaviness of heart that we announce the passing of our dear friend, mentor, and Editor In Chief of Abort Magazine, Edward Scott Day. He was found at home in his bed on Tuesday morning, and likely passed on Monday evening of multiple health complications. E.S., Scott, or Scotty to his close friends, was quite simply a force of nature, a man whose personality was so large that even a casual meeting left a permanent impression. For those of us lucky enough to spend time with Scott, whether as staff for the most honest and up front magazine online, or as friends just chilling like villains in the batcave, his presence was, and still is like a constant ringing in our ears. For most of us, Scott was the guy who not only gave us the tools and contacts to take our creative efforts higher, he was the nagging editor who just wanted to light a fire under the collective asses of Vancouver, Canada, and beyond… Scott’s inimitable and often ragged-edged voice was like a skeleton key that could unlock any door, whether with sweetened eloquence or venomous vitriol, and his razor sharp wit was always ready to flip the tables and turn rage into hilarity.

Abort Magazine is truly a testament to Scott’s incredible energy and drive. He coped with many health problems through the years with a tenacity, bravery, and refusal to admit defeat that still astounds his friends, and knowing that his time would be brief he focused his energies on creating a legacy, not just for himself, but for everyone he guided and inspired. As a friend, he was one of the kindest, most generous and caring people you could ever meet…beneath an exterior so brutally honest it could peel paint! His wide ranging talents and tastes shine through the pages of Abort – he was a drummer, DJ, and lover of all types of music, as well as one of the greatest interviewers and music journalists that Canada has ever seen.

Scott’s life, while brief, was so full of events and stories that it would fill several books, and in the near future, some of us will be compiling these anecdotes into a more full tribute to our dear friend. As for myself, I just want to say that for almost six years now, Scott has been my best friend. We have laughed, cried, fought, made up, worked like madmen, relished in our triumphs and commiserated our failures. I have seen him through long stays in the hospital and nights when I would leave thinking I’d never see him again, only for him to bounce right back with renewed vision and unstoppable force. I regard Scott as family, which may not be too much of a stretch as my Great-Grandmother was a Day. Scott was proud of his Irish Newfoundlander roots, and it was always funny to hear the accent come out when he was talking to family…or extremely pissed off!

Dear Scott, the number of people whose lives you touched is uncountable, and for those of us close to you, you will be forever in our hearts, and minds, and ears. I will miss the sound of your voice, the sharp edge of your mind, and your warm friendship more than I can say, and most of all I’ll miss the rainy afternoons spent laughing over roast chicken and good sativa. I love you bro, I know you’re in a beautiful place now where you can interview whoever you want and eat fried chicken by the bucket load, and I know your spirit will be here to keep us all on track for the rest of our lives. Rest In Peace Scott, you deserve it.

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R.I.P. – HEAVY D., DEAD AT 44

November 8th, 2011 Filed under: News/Calendar/Industry, R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

(RollingStone.com) – Heavy D, the former leader of the hip-hop group Heavy D and the Boyz, has died at the age of 44. The rapper was rushed to a hospital in Los Angeles earlier this afternoon and was pronounced dead at 1 p.m. PT. Police are investigating his death but there are no signs of foul play.

Heavy D, born Dwight Arrington Myers, broke into the music industry with Living Large, his first record with the Boyz, in 1987. He went on to even greater success with the hit “Now That We Found Love” in 1991, and recorded theme songs for the television series In Loving Color and MADtv. In recent years, D recorded a series of reggae fusion albums.

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R.I.P. – Joe Frazier, Ex-Heavyweight Champ, Dies at 67

November 7th, 2011 Filed under: News/Calendar/Industry, R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

(NY Times) – Joe Frazier, the former heavyweight champion whose furious and intensely personal fights with a taunting Muhammad Ali endure as an epic rivalry in boxing history, died Monday night. He was 67.

His business representative, Leslie Wolff, told The Associated Press in early November that Frazier had liver cancer and that he had entered hospice care.
Known as Smokin’ Joe, Frazier stalked his opponents around the ring with a crouching, relentless attack — his head low and bobbing, his broad, powerful shoulders hunched — as he bore down on them with an onslaught of withering jabs and crushing body blows, setting them up for his devastating left hook.

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R.I.P. – Andy Rooney, Dead at 92

November 5th, 2011 Filed under: News/Calendar/Industry, R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

(NY Times) – Andy Rooney, whose prickly wit was long a mainstay of CBS News and whose homespun commentary on “60 Minutes,” delivered every week from 1978 until 2011, made him a household name, died on Friday in New York City.

He was 92 and lived in Manhattan, though he kept a family vacation home in Rensselaerville, N.Y., and the first home he ever bought, in Rowayton, Conn.
CBS News said in a statement that Mr. Rooney died after complications following minor surgery.

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R.I.P. – GWAR Guitarist Cory Smoot Found Dead

November 3rd, 2011 Filed under: News/Calendar/Industry, R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

(National Post) – Cory Smoot, otherwise known as Flattus Maximus and guitarist of the cult metal band Gwar, was found dead this morning by his band mates.

“It is with a sense of profound loss and tragedy that the members of Gwar must announce the passing of their longtime guitarist and beloved friend Cory Smoot, also known to thousands of metal fans worldwide as Flattus Maximus. Cory was found deceased this morning as the band prepared for a border crossing,” Gwar’s frontman Dave Brockie, also known as Oderus Urungus, said in a statement.
Smoot’s cause of death remains unexplained, and there has been no decision made regarding the band’s remaining North American tour dates, or Gwar’s future as a band.

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R.I.P. – Mikey Welsh (Ex-Weezer Bassist) Dead at 40

October 9th, 2011 Filed under: News/Calendar/Industry, R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

(NYDailyNews | Photo -Facebook) – Mikey Welsh, the former bassist for Weezer, was found dead in a Chicago hotel room on Saturday, authorities said.

The 40-year-old was found unconscious and not breathing at the Raffaello Hotel at 1 p.m., when staff checked his room when he failed to check out, Chicago police spokeswoman Laura Kubiak said. Autopsy results will be available Sunday afternoon, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said. Authorities said there was no indication of foul play.

Weezer posted a message on its website, saying Welsh’s time with the band was “vital, essential, wild, and amazing.” “A unique talent, a deeply loving friend and father, and a great artist is gone, but we will never forget him,” the statement said. Welsh was supposed to watch his former bandmates play Chicago’s Riot Fest on Sunday.

“I’m excited to see the boys, hang out and have some fun,” he wrote on his Facebook page earlier this month.

Welsh replaced original Weezer bassist Matt Sharp when the Los Angeles-based alternative-rock band first re-grouped following a hiatus in 1997.

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R.I.P. – Tough guy actor Charles Napier dies aged 75

October 6th, 2011 Filed under: News/Calendar/Industry, R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

(BBC) – US actor Charles Napier, who portrayed a succession of movie tough guys, has died at the age of 75.

The square-jawed former paratrooper made his film debut in sexploitation director Russ Meyer’s Cherry, Harry and Raquel! in 1971. He went on to play a country singer in The Blues Brothers and acted opposite Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs. Napier died at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital and leaves three children.

Born in Scottsville, Kentucky, in 1936, Napier served in the the US Army before becoming an actor. His first major role came in 1980, when he played Tucker McElroy, lead singer of The Good Ol’ Boys in The Blues Brothers.

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R.I.P. – Steve Jobs, Dead at 56

October 5th, 2011 Filed under: News/Calendar/Industry, R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

(LA Times) – Steven P. Jobs, the charismatic technology pioneer who co-founded Apple Inc. and transformed one industry after another, from computers and smartphones to music and movies, has died. He was 56.

Apple announced the death of Jobs — whose legacy included the Apple II, Macintosh, iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad.

“We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today,” Apple said. “Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.”

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R.I.P. – Jani Lane Dead: Warrant Singer Dies At 47

August 12th, 2011 Filed under: News/Calendar/Industry, R.I.P., Uncategorized by Editor in Chief

(Huffington Post/Photo – Sleazeroxx.com) – Jani Lane, the former lead singer of the metal rock band Warrant, has died in Los Angeles. He was 47.

Officer Sara Faden says Lane’s body was found Thursday in a Woodland Hills hotel. She had no immediate information on the cause or circumstances of his death. With his long blond hair and tight leather outfits, Lane embodied the excess of 1980s “hair metal” rock bands. He joined Warrant in 1984 and wrote such hits as “Heaven,” “Down Boys” and “Cherry Pie.”

He had an on-and-off relationship with the band, leaving it in 1992 before returning and quitting again several times.

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R.I.P.: Amy Winehouse, Dead at 27

July 23rd, 2011 Filed under: News/Calendar/Industry, R.I.P. by Editor in Chief

(Reuters) – Amy Winehouse, one of the most talented singers of her generation whose hit song “Rehab” summed up her struggles with addiction, died in London on Saturday at the age of 27.

The Grammy winner, famed for her black beehive hair, soulful voice and erratic behavior on and off stage, was found dead at her new home in Camden a month after a shambolic performance in Serbia forced her to cancel her entire European tour.

Police were called to the address at around 1500 GMT and nearly five hours later the body was removed for a post mortem after it appeared she had lost her battle with drink and drugs.
“Inquiries continue into the circumstances of the death,” said police superintendent Raj Kohli. “At this early stage it is being treated as unexplained and there have been no arrests in connection with the incident.”

He said reports that Winehouse had died of a suspected drugs overdose were speculation at this stage.
Family members had long warned that Winehouse’s lifestyle, which saw her in and out of rehab and blighted her career as a live and recording artist, could be her downfall.
Her last filmed performance was in Serbia in June, when Winehouse was jeered by the crowd as she struggled to perform her songs and stay upright. On some tunes, the audience did most of the singing.

The gig, posted on the YouTube video sharing site, prompted her management to cancel all scheduled performances and give the performer as long as it took to recover.
Winehouse’s record label Universal said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened at the sudden loss of such a gifted musician, artist and performer. Our prayers go out to Amy’s family, friends and fans at this difficult time.”

Around 50 shocked fans and onlookers as well as camera crews and photographers gathered behind police tape blocking off the leafy street where Winehouse had just moved into a new house.

A few left flowers, candles and a teddy bear. One note of condolence read: “Beautiful Amy, night night, sleep tight.”

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