The new issue of SPIN magazine is a great read with a reasonable cover story on Duffy, the Welsh warbler following in Amy Winehouse’s musical footsteps, if not the habitrail that connects Crackhouse to her dealer. The cover bears the tag "Who’s Afraid of Amy Winehouse?" above Duffy’s name, and writer Amanda Petrusich notes that Duffy "seems a little too predestined to pluck Winehouse’s puke-spattered tiara from the gutter."
But this incredible feature on D’Angelo is the issue’s highlight, an account of the once-great R&B singer’s drop, sans parachute, into substance abuse and anxiety, told through a cast of producers and Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson of The Roots. (Check the mug shot.) Combined with the Duffy cover—which wouldn’t carry the same heft without the beehived Brit’s misbehavin’—the entire issue seems to raise a great question: How does a musician return from career annihilation?
Crazysexyfool: Winehouse establishes the new model for nutso musicians.
Really, D’angelo and Winehouse aren’t too different. Both were leading figures in genre revivals—male-led R&B and ’60s soul, respectively. Both released an acclaimed record during their mid-20s (Voodoo and Back in Black), and each nabbed multiple Grammys for their efforts.
There are two interesting variables here: First, D’angelo’s mess began before the era of documenting celebrity breakdowns; second, he hasn’t ever returned from his mess, or persisted in spite of it, in the Beckett sense of things. Wino hasn’t stopped yet; I mean, did you see Miss "Back in Crack" perform at Nelson Mandela’s 46664 Concert?
Are managers just getting better at dealing with collapsing stars? When are a celebrity’s actions unforgivable? Does it have to be seen in person to be believed, like Cat Power’s local meltdown before her glamorous rehab tale?
And, just to lighten the tone: What is your favorite rock star meltdown?
