Winehouse's father pleads with government over rehab (AFP)

LONDON (AFP) – Amy Winehouse's father went to parliament on Monday to plead for more state-funded drug rehabilitation centres as his family waits for toxicology test results on the British singer's death.

Mitch Winehouse discussed plans to tackle a gap in treatment services and wider drugs policy with Crime Minister James Brokenshire.

"I want to involve myself in things that would be important to Amy," the taxi driver said.

"This isn't only important to me, this is important to our whole country.

"There's hundreds of thousands of young people in situations today that could be avoided, and these are our future policemen, doctors and lawyers and solicitors, that we could help."

Winehouse, 27, was found dead at her north London home on July 23. Her death remains unexplained, with toxicology test results due within the next three weeks, although it is not being treated as suspicious.

The soul singer's sultry vocal talents were often overshadowed by her drink and drug addictions, and her best-known single, "Rehab", detailed her troubles and reluctance to undergo rehabilitation treatment.

"I think there is a new emphasis and thinking within the government to try and get treatment in at the sharp end rather than money being wasted through the criminal justice system," Mitch Winehouse said.

"There was one rehab centre for juveniles, Middlegate, which has just shut down because of a lack of funding.

"We were in the fortunate position of being able to fund Amy to go into private rehab, but this is about people who can't afford it."

Fans of the soul star sent her back on top of this week's British album chart, which came out Sunday.

Grammy Award-winning album "Back to Black", which first reached number one in 2007, returned to the summit while Winehouse's debut release, "Frank", recharted at number five. A box set of the two albums entered the chart at number 10.

The singer also occupied five spots on the singles chart top 40 with the song "Back to Black" reaching number eight.

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Mitch Winehouse takes rehab case to UK parliament (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) – In the wake of singer Amy Winehouse's death, her father Mitch went to Westminster on Monday to press politicians to do more for young people needing help with drug and alcohol problems.

"This isn't about Amy because we were in a fortunate position of being able to fund Amy to go into private rehab -- this is about people that can't afford it," he told reporters.

Amy Winehouse struggled with drinking and drug problems throughout much of her career before being found dead in her north London home last month.

The cause of her death at the age of 27 has not yet been determined and officials await results of toxicology tests.

Former taxi driver Winehouse, 60, was meeting Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, and Home Office minister James Brokenshire.

Britain's only National Health Service (NHS) rehabilitation center for young people, Middlegate, in Lincolnshire, closed last year, leaving young addicts facing either waits of up to two years for NHS treatment or hefty bills at private clinics.

"Rather than money being wasted through the criminal justice system, there could be a reallocation of funds," Winehouse said.

"There was one rehab center for juveniles and that's just shut down through lack of funding so we need to look at that. We need to be able to help our children."

Newspaper reports said Winehouse, who gave evidence on drug abuse to Vaz's committee in 2009, plans to win backing for a rehab unit to be named after his daughter.

Her best-known album "Back to Black" shot back to the top of the British albums chart Sunday in the wake of her death.

(Reporting by Stephen Addison)

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Rehab exec thinks Winehouse wanted to join "27 club" (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – The co-founder of Passages Malibu treatment center thinks that Amy Winehouse's "membership" in the so-called 27 Club may have been by design, not just an eerie coincidence.

Since the 27-year old British singer's body was found on Saturday, much has been made of the fact that she was the same age as Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix when she died. It's a group that's been dubbed the 27 Club or the Forever 27 Club.

"I think Amy Winehouse may have secretly wanted to be part of the 27 Club," Pax Prentiss, the co-founder of the California rehabilitation center, told TheWrap. "Amy was on a dark path and she may have glamorized the idea of being part of that group."

A preliminary autopsy has yet to determine what caused Winehouse's death, but regardless, Prentiss thinks that the singer never received the kind of treatment she needed for her very public struggles with addiction. He maintains that the centers she attended were focused on getting Winehouse clean instead of dealing with her motivation for turning to drugs and alcohol in the first place.

"I believe she was dealing with deep psychological pain," Prentiss told TheWrap. "To get her sober and keep her sober rather than treat her for alcoholism, you have to go to the root cause. The drinking and the drugs are a symptom of deeper problems."

Prentiss never treated the "Rehab" singer, but he said that based on footage of one of her final stage performances in Serbia, Winehouse appeared to be abusing multiple drugs.

In Winehouse's case, the emotional heartbreak that she mined so beautifully on her multiple Grammy-winning album "Back to Black" was both a tribute to her artistry and a sign of a deeper vulnerability that may have allowed her to access those feelings in her songs, but also led to her undoing.

"I don't know what Amy's issues were, but I do know from experience that artists have a tendency to be sensitive," Prentiss said. "They're talented yes, but the outside world affects them differently and they're prone to turn to drugs in order to cope with the pressures put upon them.

"I think Amy had an image that she was a tough rock 'n' roll girl, but she was delicate, sensitive and she needed help," he added.

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Britain's "Rehab" singer Amy Winehouse dies aged 27 (Reuters)

LONDON (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."

"BACK TO BLACK"

The British singer was discovered by soul singer Tyler James at the age of 16 and in 2003 her debut album "Frank" was released, to general acclaim.

Her second album "Back to Black" was released in October 2006 and reached the No. 1 spot in Britain and earned her five Grammy awards, pop music's equivalent of the Oscars.

The album produced a string of memorable tunes, including "You Know I'm No Good," "Love Is a Losing Game" and "Rehab," which contained the line: "They tried to make me go to rehab. I said 'no, no, no.'"

Born on September 14, 1983, to a Jewish family with a history of jazz musicians, Winehouse's personal life has filled Britain's tabloid newspapers.

Winehouse was photographed wandering the streets of London barefoot and in only a bra and jeans in 2007 looking confused, the same year she married Blake Fielder-Civil who spent time in prison for beating up a pub landlord. They divorced in 2009.

In 2008, the singer's father Mitch said she had developed the lung condition emphysema and warned it could kill her if she continued to smoke drugs.

Mitch, a taxi driver who launched his own musical career on the back of his daughter's success, was in New York when the news broke. British media said he was on his way back to London.

Tributes poured in for an artist whose personal troubles stole the headlines in recent years and thwarted plans for an eagerly-anticipated third album.

Soccer star and celebrity David Beckham told Sky News: "It's very sad, she was such a talented girl, and a girl with such a huge future. Our hearts go out to her family, her loved ones."

Sarah Brown, wife of former prime minister Gordon Brown, tweeted: "sad sad news of Amy Winehouse - great talent, extraordinary voice, and tragic death, condolences to her family."

Kelly Osbourne, a singer and television personality, also took to the micro blogging site, writing: "i cant even breath right now im crying so hard i just lost 1 of my best friends. i love you forever Amy & will never forget the real you!"

"RICH, SOULFUL VOICE"

The Recording Academy in the United States praised the singer, who brought elements of jazz and Motown back into the musical mainstream.

"Her rich, soulful and unique voice reflected her honest songwriting and earned her a devoted fan following, critical acclaim, and the genuine respect and admiration of her musical peers," said its president Neil Portnow.

Broadcaster and radio DJ Paul Gambaccini said Winehouse's early death was sadly no surprise.

"We have been dreading this news for some time, hoping against hope that she would turn herself around, but she showed no evidence of being able to do so," he told BBC TV.

"She just could not control herself. It's tragic because both (her) albums were superb. We have 40 years of Frank Sinatra records, it turns out we only have two Amy Winehouse records."

Daniel Rossellat, founder of the Paleo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland, where Winehouse had been due to perform before withdrawing from the tour, likened her to Janis Joplin, another gifted singer who died at the age of 27.

"It is the tragic end to a wonderful voice, similar to Janis Joplin both in destiny and in voice," he told Swiss television.

Singer Billy Bragg wrote on his Twitter page that Winehouse joined not only Joplin but also Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain -- who all died at the same age.

(Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, editing by Peter Millership)

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Winehouse was more than 'Rehab' caricature (AP)

NEW YORK – Amy Winehouse hadn't released an album in four years, hadn't had a hit in just as long, and when she performed on stage, the headlines she usually drew were for atrocious performances. She was an addict who, like so many performers before her, let her talents fall prey to a drugged-up lifestyle.

Still, she transfixed. Tabloids chronicled her many tribulations, and fans patiently waited for a third album, knowing that with that amazing voice, along with her bitterly honest lyrics, she could eventually return to form and be that riveting singer-songwriter who captured the world's attention with the self-revelatory "Rehab."

But on Saturday, as Winehouse's body was removed from her London apartment, it became clear that that much-anticipated rebirth from the depths of ruin would not occur.

With Winehouse's death at age 27 — joining the ranks of drug-addled rock stars Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison, who died at the same age — she is in danger of being remembered as a caricature, a life embodied one signature song, "Rehab."

But perhaps now, we can appreciate her for what she was — a dazzling, versatile singer blessed with a mind that produced lyrics that were coarse, hilarious, heartbreaking and revelatory, and always spellbinding.

Just as Winehouse was so much more than a drug addict, her music was so much more — and richer — than "Rehab." Certainly, it was the song that made her a worldwide sensation — it also captured her record and song of the year at the Grammys in 2008. But the former teen celebrity came into her own as an artist a few years before, with the 2003 album "Frank." Whereas "Black to Black" relied heavily on a retro, 1960s soul groove, "Frank" harkened to an even earlier time. On the album, she enveloped a world inhabited by jazz greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington, yet decidedly modern: One song was titled "(Expletive) Me Pumps."

Her malleable voice had great range, and expertly embodied the emotion of the moment — from sassy defiance to lovelorn longing. The album made her a hit in her native Britain, and also made the spotlight white-hot on the singer, and her apparent demons.

Tabloids chronicled her drunken behavior, drug use, dramatic weight loss, and troubled love life — it was around this time she became involved with Blake Fielder-Civil, who would later become her husband, as well as her drug partner.

Though Winehouse would remain a fixture in the press, it would more than three years for "Back to Black," her next album, to come out. A triumph when it debuted in Britain in late 2006, its release in the United States was highly anticipated: At one intimate showcase before its release, VIPs like Jay-Z showed up to get a listen to the much-heralded performer.

Musically, Winehouse delivered. The album was considered one of the best of that year, and will likely be considered as one of the best of her generation. Delving into her own warped mindset, the album chronicled her troubled romantic life and the despair over it with sultry brilliance: Her drug troubles only took center stage once, on "Rehab" (A song "Addicted," about her love of marijuana, was left off the album's American edition).

"Rehab" was the album's biggest single, becoming a top 10 hit in the United States. While the album didn't spawn any follow-up hits, it was a cohesive gem that transfixed the music world.

Although she was a musical triumph, she became better known to the masses worldwide for her precipitous decline into the depths of drug addiction. When she put out "Back to Black," she declared herself sober: by the end of 2007, she was dealing with troubles with the law, failed attempts at rehab, erratic behavior, and canceled concerts.

Still, she was the belle of the Grammys in 2008 as she captured five trophies, including two of the night's most prestigious trophies for "Rehab." The fact that she could not attend the Los Angeles ceremony because she was in rehab — and performed from London after getting a brief reprieve from her facility — only crystallized her reputation as an extremely fragile, self-destructive persona.

The night, during which she won five trophies, was the highlight of her life, and a moment she could never recapture.

Instead of taking the path toward sobriety, Winehouse descended into more drug-induced madness. She appeared at concerts sporadically, and when she did, often gave incoherent, disheveled performances that angered the crowds. At times, she also flaunted her drug use in the media.

Musically, with the exception of an occasional recording here and there, she faded into the background, as other new talents — Adele, Lady Gaga — took her place as the sensation of the moment.

Still, many music fans were still waiting for her comeback. But with each moment that passed, it seemed unlikely that she would be able to get herself together for such an undertaking. Though a new album was teased for 2011, she clearly wasn't in any shape to sing; In June, she checked into a clinic that treats drug problems. Later that month, she canceled her European tour after embarrassing herself yet again with another disjointed mess of a performance in Serbia.

So, like so many deeply disturbed performers, Winehouse's life ends with no chance for another act: She becomes yet another cautionary tale that some will follow, and others choose to ignore.

But like Hendrix, Joplin, Michael Jackson, Judy Garland and other celebrities with tragic downfalls, her musical legacy — though ever so brief — will provide that comeback, for her musical legacy.

___

Nekesa Mumbi Moody is the AP's music editor. Follow her at http://www.twitter.com/nekesamumbi

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Lindsay Lohan sued over spat with rehab worker (AP)

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer Anthony Mccartney, Ap Entertainment Writer – 2 hrs 7 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – Court records show a rehab worker who was fired from the Betty Ford Center after an argument with Lindsay Lohan has sued the actress.

Attorneys for Dawn Bradley filed the lawsuit in Indio, Calif., on Thursday. Bradley claims she was seriously injured during a December altercation with the 25-year-old Lohan.

A full copy of the suit was not immediately available.

Steve Honig, a spokesman for Lohan, declined comment

Bradley's attorney Owen McIntosh says his client requires surgery on her wrist because of the injury.

Bradley, who is also known by her married name of Dawn Holland, was fired from Betty Ford Center after discussing the incident with Lohan on camera with celebrity website TMZ.

Prosecutors in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, declined to charge Lohan with battery.

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