So, Natalie Cole told People at a Grammy afterparty on Sunday night that the Recording Academy shouldn’t have given Amy Winehouse five Grammys because it sends the wrong message, rewarding the British singer’s "bad behavior." I’m not sure who out there thinks Winehouse is a role model in her personal life (as an artist, sure), but c’mon, there have been plenty of non-saintly artists who’ve won Grammys. And judging strictly by Winehouse’s music, she certainly belongs among Grammy company, just as Cole, who’s acknowledged her own battles with drug abuse, has deserved to be among the Grammy elite since her own Best New Artist win 33 years before Winehouse’s. (According to the New York Daily News, Ringo Starr overheard Cole’s complaint about Winehouse and said, "Man, those are some grapes.") It’s the Grammys’ job to recognize excellence based strictly on what’s on the disc, not to send any kind of moral, social, or political message. Now, being rewarded for capitalizing on the fame of your more-renowned father by recording duets with his unwitting corpse, that’s a better message to send, apparently.
Natalie Cole whines about Winehouse
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Comments (1-30) of 104 Add your comment
Natalie who?
Ms. Cole needs to get off her high horse. Is this not the same woman who was on the street corner with her child trying to buy some cocaine? Advice to Natalie: If you think all artists should not recieve awards while they have a drug problem then you need to be the first to give your Grammys back.
Because ripping off your deceased legend of a father is the better way to go, right Natalie? I think she was nominated based on her work, not life style, even the simplest of people understand that one.
Meow, Gary. Harsh, much? Both sides have a point. I think Amy’s going to be dead in the next year, personally. Sorry, but I do. Girl is hard-core addicted. But, she was the stand out talent this year and deserved the Grammy’s. As a former addict, Natalie understands that rewarding bad behavior can be a dangerous thing for an addict.
Sorry Gary – guess I wasn’t the only one with a good memory and a sense of irony to slam Ms. Cole’s career choice. My bad, readers, my bad.
Basically every musician we consider Genuis were/are drug users.
sad, but true…so why are we going to decide Winehouse is unworthy of her awards?
Her personal life may be in the crapper – but her album/singles were gold, and defined music this year.
Natalie Cole, daughter of the late American Standards hero Nat King-Cole, started using illegal yet recreational narcotics while in attendance at the University of Massechusettes at Amherst. Cole has admitted to using LSD, Crack cocaine, and Heroin. Her youngest son Robert nearly drowned in her swimming pool while she and her first husband the late Reverend Marvin Yancy were on a drug bindge. She even wrote a biography about her battle called “Angel On My Shoulder”. I am not sure why she whined. She won TWO Grammys in 1975 for best R&B vocal performance, female, and for best new artist of the year-and SHE WAS HIGH THE WHOLE TIME! Quit whining and give back the trophies if you have issues. Drug user musicians should not win awards yet some people like Eric Clapton fought back and are better than what they once were.
If they didn’t give out awards based on a nominee’s substance abuse, hardly any would be handed out.
Exactly, Nose. This is not a valid argument from Ms Cole. Congrats to Amy, due to her TALENT, which is all that matters in this case.
While I disagree with Natalie’s statements, c’mon; why does everyone have to drag her name through the mud to make their points? We’ll see where Amy goes from here, while Natalie Cole was/is a legend, long before that ‘Unforgettable’ CD.
I thought her statement was ridiculous even after I learned of her own addictions.
When a friend first told me about it almost a year ago, I told her I felt like I was listening to someone I’d be listening to for the rest of my life. Slowly but surely, Amy Winehouse the personality has overcome the artist in my perception of her.
The Grammy’s coming up have caused me to relook at Back To Black, and remember how great it is. They are a time to think of what the best records of the past year were, and that alone. If anything, I think that her addictions DID hurt her, she may have won 5 awards, but lost the big one to Herbie Hancock. It was a choice that seemed…safe.
No one is going to dispute that she needs to clean up her act. But the awards are based on her performance. Maybe she will realize that she was able to enjoy that moment because she wasn’t high at the time.
I think giving Grammys to Natalie Cole sends the wrong message, using her dead father to grab sympathy votes for “Unforgettable” and simply just rewarding lame crap like that.
I mean, even the Beatles were into drugs at the end there. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones- give Amy Winehouse a break- she seems to be doing better laying low for a while- no need to ruin a great moment for one of the few new young artists with some actual talent.
It’s like the crackhead calling the crackhead a crackhead. Shut up Natalie Cole, you have lost your relevance.
Ouch! Cole got a well deserved but extra brutal attack here.
Pot. Meet kettle.
Amy’s response…Who the “f” is Natalie Cole?
I think the Grammys got their reward in the form of the third lowest watched broadcast ever. I look forward to watching the Grammys on CMT in the not tooo distant future.
ouch. natalie cole just got beat… haha… mind your business bi***
Yes, Cole was wrong to say it. Bad judgement on her part. That being said, Winehouse reminds me a bit of Billie Holliday, and we all know how that ended. You could also make a comparison to Sid and Nancy. Sure, she has talent, but her lyrics are as depressing as she is so I can relate to Ms. Coles misguided statement about rewarding misfits. I think we can all agree that those who abuse drugs will lose unless they find the courage to stop. Now there’s a good reason to give out an award.
Natalie Cole has talent!!
This Amy person has no talent and I guess that just goes to show what the biz is all about now a days.
It’s all about the drugs and acting like a idiot!!!
Yes, we know, that singers, actors and all other entertainers don’t do drugs. WHATEVER!!! If awards were given only to entertainers who did not do drugs, didn’t drink, smoke, act out or display bad behavior or judgement then very few would qualify. Unfortunately, the entertainment industry is riddled with addiction as it has been for many years. It is not Natilie Cole’s place to make such a comment and awards have never been based on anything but talent and sales and will continue to be so.
Natalie, mind your own business.
ICBM: Talent or no talent, Natalie called the kettle black. That’s the point. It’s like when Whoopi Goldberg made the comment about Imus making a bad taste joke about the Rutgers Unviersity girls basketball team, yet she once got her ex Ted Danson to dress up in a minstrel costume.
Can you imagine what the history of pop music would be like without all the drunks, stoners and users? We would all be listening to nothing but Pat Boone, Josh Groban, and maybe Mouseketeer-era Britney and Justin. Sadly, great artists often end up self-medicating to deal with the insanity of fame. Not fair or laudable, but largely unavoidable.
Natalie who? is right. Her memory seems to be pretty selective.
Boohisss…
Frankly I agree with Natalie. Giving Amy Winehouse 5 Grammys and allowing her to perform at the Grammys definitely sends the wrong message to people young and old – that being a druggie is okay because you’ll be lauded by the industry and fans alike. Yes Natalie did drugs, but she cleaned up her act. I want to see Amy clean up her act and THEN we can give her the praise her talent deserves. Until then, I won’t listen to Amy’s music or buy her CDs. Nor will I condone anyone who demonstrates criminalistic behavior. There’s enough decent talent out there to praise without doling out anything to druggies and other criminals.
It was wrong for Natalie to say it, because Amy is getting help. It’s not like she smoked crack after winning. The girl is in rehab, and is taking the right steps toward recovery. Had natalie said this two months ago, then I’d agree.
Who knows, maybe the wins will push Amy towards recovery more. the look on her face when she won, and the way she grabbed her mom, were the actions of a little girl lost, finally realizing how lucky she is.
How did Rehab become a hit?? The lyrics are awful and the song itself is monotone and coma inducing. Amy Winehouse makes me want to throw up when I see her for how unhealthy she looks.
They are called the Grammy Awards not the What Would Jesus Do Awards.