But then again, it's one of the most surprising, because we've been witnessing her slow-motion decline ever since we've known her. It's the only way we've ever known her, so none of her self-destructive antics leading up to this were really all that surprising when they occurred. Winehouse punched a fan? Poor fan! She's lost a frightening amount of weight? What a druggie. She got booed off stage in Serbia? Man, is she a joke. The saddest thing about this tragedy is that Amy had to die to finally surprise us.

When Winehouse was first introduced in the U.S. in 2007 with her single "Rehab," off her album Back to Black, her darkness felt like a schtick -- it was a new, edgy reinvention of the 50s girl group dynamic, and a singer using her bad-girl appeal wasn't any cause for alarm. This was Winehouse's year -- she cleaned up at the Grammy Awards in 2008, snatching Record of the Year for "Rehab," Best New Artists, and Song of the Year for "Rehab."

But critical acclaim aside, Winehouse had built her image as one defined by drugs, alcohol and general misbehavior, and what came in the four years following Back to Black fit nicely into that image. Besides, who really worries about a rock star who does drugs, starts fights and gets wasted? This created an odd dynamic where her behavior was indirectly encouraged and ridiculed -- keep doing what you do, and we'll pay attention to you... for a little while at least.

To be fair, not everyone shrugged off the warning signs. Back in 2007, many began sounding off on Winehouse's decline, suggesting it would end in tragedy and likening it to a "slo-mo car crash." But the novelty of her behavior soon wore off, as did the concern. Winehouse acting out just became expected. After all, did she really "deserve" our attention in a constructive way? She hadn't given us a record since Back to Black, so why should we care if she makes a fool of herself on stage -- again -- even if she is clearly on some substance? The most recent incident in Serbia just became more fodder for ridicule instead of a real cause for concern.

Aside from Frank -- Winehouse's 2003 debut album that broke her onto the UK scene -- and collaborations with other artists, Back to Black was all we really had of her. We can likely expect an album -- of the songs that were expected to be released on an album in January of this year -- will surface sometime soon. But for someone with such limited contributions, Winehouse's influence has still been felt, with the likes of Adele crediting her with making her path to fame "a bit smoother." For now, it's Back to Black.

“She has the most natural jazz voice” - TONY BENNETT
THE GUARDIAN today quotes Spin magazine music editor Charles Aaron was quoted as saying: "Amy Winehouse was the Nirvana moment for all these women. They can all be traced back to her in terms of attitude, musical styles or fashion."

But last week the optimism began to evaporate. Veteran singer Tony Bennett, who recorded a song with her for his new album of duets, said he was "praying" for Winehouse. In an interview with the Guardian, Bennett said: "Of all the contemporary artists I know, she has the most natural jazz voice, but I'm worried about her and I'm praying for her.

"She'd help everyone by sobering up and cleaning up her spirituality."

"The little white Jewish Salt 'n' Pepa"

ISLANDPACKET.COM "Born in 1983 to taxi driver Mitch Winehouse and his pharmacist wife Janis, Winehouse grew up in the north London suburbs, and was set on a showbiz career from an early age. When she was 10, she and a friend formed a rap group, Sweet 'n' Sour - Winehouse was Sour - that she later described as "the little white Jewish Salt 'n' Pepa."

She attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School, a factory for British music and acting moppets, later went to the Brit School, a performing arts academy in the "Fame" mould, and was originally signed to "Pop Idol" svengali Simon Fuller's 19 Management.

The size of Winehouse's appeal was reflected in the extraordinary range of people paying tribute as they heard the news, from Demi Moore -- who tweeted "Truly sad news ... May her troubled soul find peace" -- to chef Jamie Oliver, who wrote "such a waste, raw talent" on the social networking site. Tony Bennett, who recorded the pop standard "Body And Soul" with Winehouse at Abbey Road Studios in London in March for an upcoming duets album, called her "an artist of immense proportions." "She was an extraordinary musician with a rare intuition as a vocalist and I am truly devastated that her exceptional talent has come to such an early end," he said. Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood said he was dedicating Saturday's reunion performance of his band The Faces to Winehouse. "It's a very sad loss of a very good friend I spent many great times with," he said.

"Juiciest" story is also the "Jew-iest"

Calling her a “Tabloid Trainwreck” on the INTERFAITHFAMILY.COM website back in Feb 2008, Nate Bloom wrote a delightful piece of Winehouse’s six Grammy nominations in that year:

Will Winehouse Show?

The "juiciest" story leading up to the 2008 Grammys is also the "Jew-iest": will British pop sensation and tabloid trainwreck Amy Winehouse appear at the awards?

Winehouse is nominated for six major Grammy awards, including record of the year ("Rehab"); album of the year ("Back to Black"); and song of the year ("Rehab"). After spending the past year ignoring pleas to get help for her out-of-control drug and alcohol abuse, Winehouse finally is in rehab. Some sources say that her friend and producer, Mark Ronson, convinced her. Winehouse previously ignored an open letter from her mother to get help, a letter which cited Amy's "strong Jewish heritage."