Scan barcode
A review by bibliolucinda
My Amy: The Life We Shared by Tyler James
4.0
4.5 stars - I've read quite a few books about Amy Winehouse over the years, I've always loved her voice and her authenticity as an artist. This book hit me differently though, perhaps given I listened to the audiobook narrated by Tyler himself - his grief and heartbreak is incredibly raw and it's clear through his voice and narration that his love for Amy and their friendship could never dull over time. She's a complex figure, as most artists are, and this book showcases the brutal realities of addiction and self-destruction in both Tyler and Amy's lives. There's so many thoughts that I have on Amy, this book and the ongoing mythology surrounding her life and the personality of 'Amy Winehouse' - but for now, I'll just say this:
It seems like everyone is constantly releasing 'their side of the story' of life with Amy and having the opportunity to share their memories of her. The tragedy is that Amy herself will never have that opportunity to voice her own story and perspective with the world - not that I think she would have, in any way, entertained the idea of a 'tell-all' book; I'm 95% certain she would have called it a piss-take or called out anyone who suggested the idea for being a mug. Tyler makes it clear time and time again that she wanted a normal life and to grow old with her friends and have a family, whilst continuing to write songs and music. We had such a brief window of insight into her life and what she had experienced with the lyrics in her first two albums, and it's a window we will never have again.
10 years later and I still can't shake the hold Amy's story has over me; not for the tabloid personality and media circus that she became unfairly known for, and not for the countless recounts of personal histories from her friends and family (or the number of people who have wanted to capitalise on her popularity for monetary gain) - but for her music and the way she makes you feel a little less alone in the world when you listen to those vocals and the stories she gave us in the short time she was here.
So while I'm grateful to people like Tyler for sharing these stories so that Amy continues to live on in collective, shared memory, it's also bittersweet. Even if she'd never written another damn song, she still had so much life left to live. Although I never knew Amy, nor could I ever claim to understand the pain of her friends' and family's loss, I miss her. And after listening to Tyler's book, I know with painful certainty that there will never be another person or talent quite like her.
It seems like everyone is constantly releasing 'their side of the story' of life with Amy and having the opportunity to share their memories of her. The tragedy is that Amy herself will never have that opportunity to voice her own story and perspective with the world - not that I think she would have, in any way, entertained the idea of a 'tell-all' book; I'm 95% certain she would have called it a piss-take or called out anyone who suggested the idea for being a mug. Tyler makes it clear time and time again that she wanted a normal life and to grow old with her friends and have a family, whilst continuing to write songs and music. We had such a brief window of insight into her life and what she had experienced with the lyrics in her first two albums, and it's a window we will never have again.
10 years later and I still can't shake the hold Amy's story has over me; not for the tabloid personality and media circus that she became unfairly known for, and not for the countless recounts of personal histories from her friends and family (or the number of people who have wanted to capitalise on her popularity for monetary gain) - but for her music and the way she makes you feel a little less alone in the world when you listen to those vocals and the stories she gave us in the short time she was here.
So while I'm grateful to people like Tyler for sharing these stories so that Amy continues to live on in collective, shared memory, it's also bittersweet. Even if she'd never written another damn song, she still had so much life left to live. Although I never knew Amy, nor could I ever claim to understand the pain of her friends' and family's loss, I miss her. And after listening to Tyler's book, I know with painful certainty that there will never be another person or talent quite like her.