The Myth of the "Troubled" Artist*

(*I used the word "troubled" specifically because it is problematic, but all too recognizable.)



After a disastrous show in Belgrade last week, Amy Winehouse has cancelled the rest of her "comeback" tour.

Amy Winehouse is withdrawing from all scheduled performances," spokesman Chris Goodman said. "Everyone involved wishes to do everything they can to help her return to her best and she will be given as long as it takes for this to happen." Winehouse had previously cancelled two concerts, in Istanbul and Athens, following a concert that Belgrade press described as the worst in the city's history.

The video, shot at the Belgrade show, made the rounds of the blogosphere as fans supplied the expected, "What a waste," or made crass jokes about drug abuse. I watched about a minute of her slurring and stumbling over the words of "You Know That I'm No Good" before I got that sick feeling of recognition. For years a singer-songwriter whose alcohol-fueled shows rivaled that Belgrade show and then some. This was long before YouTube where a bad show could become an internet meme in a few hours. Drunken, slurry performances become the stuff of legends only though word-of-mouth or a few swapped boots between fans. (Those who read this site regularly can figure it out.) A large chunk of this man's identity, at least professionally, was tied into being that "beautiful, damaged genius." And while volumes have been written about the romanticization of drug and alcohol abuse in the music industry, the trope of the troubled artist lives on.

Another thing I need to bring up is how female artists are viewed differently from their male counterparts when they fall down the rabbit hole. Recently, I think of Britney Spears's very public (and very televised) breakdown, but also Courtney Love (at various times), or all the way back to Janis Joplin. In contrast, Kurt Cobain or Jeff Buckley are held up as icons or martyrs while women are pitied.