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The Passing Insult Against Her Record Label That Set Amy Winehouse’s Career Down a Rocky Path: ‘It Killed the Buzz’

Amy Winehouse’s refusal to be anything but honest made her an everyday icon, but a nightmare for her management.

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To public perception, Amy Winehouse was an incredible talent with a tough personality. She didn’t hesitate to speak her mind, and she didn’t mince words. But to those who knew her, that tough outer shell was often a response to insecurity, doubt, and fear. Still, Winehouse didn’t let anyone see that, and her more inner struggles became public knowledge only after her death.

That prickly exterior as a coping mechanism paired with her blunt honesty sometimes got her into trouble, however. In a July 2015 feature in Mojo magazine, many people close to Amy Winehouse remembered her quick wit, intelligence, astounding musical talent, and, yes, her often smart-ass remarks about things she didn’t like.

One example dated back to the very beginning of Winehouse’s career. In 2003, she played “I Heard Love Is Blind” for a room of Island Records execs, nothing but her voice and guitar. She was 19 years old and had just been signed........

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