They Should Try Harder: Amy Winehouse Cancels Comeback Tour

By Vanessa Beatriz Soto

Troubled English diva Amy Winehouse famously sang "No, no, no!" about her handlers' repeated attempts to lock her up in a rehab facility. It seems those same handlers may shortly have yet another chance. After a disastrous opening night in Belgrade, Serbia, word is that Amy's big comeback tour -begun just days after leaving a week-long period of intensive inpatient rehab in London's exclusive, and very pricey, Priory clinic - is at an end.

It was supposed to be her triumphant return, fulfilling the promise of her career-launching 2007 album "Back to Black." Fans in impoverished Serbia had lined up to pay the equivalent of nearly $60 US to see Amy perform live in that nation's capital on Saturday, June 18. But when Winehouse took the stage more than an hour late, she greeted the eager crowd of more than 20,000 people with a shout of "HELLO, ATHENS!" and then slurred her way through the show, forgetting lyrics, leaving the stage over and over and forcing her bewildered backup singers to carry on the performance.

It was clear that her recovery lagged behind her management's plans for a comeback. The video, if you care to watch, is a real downer.  Her audience is shouting the lyrics to her, one line at a time, just to hear her sing them back. They clearly really want her to succeed, but she has already undermined herself to the point where recovering the night is impossible. Winehouse is a mess.

This morning, it was announced that several stops on the planned 12-city tour have been cancelled. Dates in Istanbul and Athens have been pulled, in the wake of dire comments from Serbian Minister of Defense Dragan Sutanovac, who called her performance "a huge shame and a disappointment."

Serbian fans have been putting clips from the disastrous show up on YouTube about as fast as Winehouse's label, UMG, can pull them down. I'm guessing that her fans in Greece and Turkey have mixed feelings today after learning that they won't be seeing Amy's concerts. After all, it's not likely they'd have seen much of her at her best, but on the other hand, its possible that if she doesn't get better - and soon- they might never have a chance. Amy's management released the following statement today:

"Despite feeling sure that she wanted to fulfill these commitments, she has agreed with management that she cannot perform to the best of her ability and will return home. … She would like to apologize to fans expecting to see her at the shows but feels that this is the right thing to do."

I've been listening to live recordings of Amy's performances on YouTube all day. She's so gifted and so obviously troubled. It would be a great loss if she were to suffer an accidental overdose, or simply eclipse her talents by abusing drugs and alcohol, and ultimately, herself. Amy, we're all rooting for you. Get it together - please!

Fans, do you have a message for Amy?

Tags Amy Winehouse, Back to Black, Concerts