The 2007 Travels of Amy Jade Winehouse

To provide a non-comprehensive abstract of the major performance related travels of Amy Jade Winehouse, during the year 2007.

The "non-comprehensive" label is necessary because it serves as CMA lingo, in case I missed any big ones. The "major" designation is necessary to help fans understand that AJW turned in numerous "minor" Jazz-niche gigs with her pals during the times she was not traveling with the big band. While many of those likkle appearances are categorized as "fun," they still constituted work and required additional travel.

As a onetime traveling guy, I can report that the adrenaline generated by performance tours is substantial. When things are going a bit rough on the road, all you can think about is that you wish you were at home. When you get home and things are not perfect, all you wanna do is get back on the road and milk the adrenaline monster again. The physical and psychological strain of the life is gross and there are few performers that are not adversely affected by the momentum of the magnetic and repellent yoyo.

By 2007, AJW was torn. On the one hand, she wanted to perform "wicked gigs in wicked places." On the other hand, she was contemplating what she wanted her future life to look like. In her head, she had a picture of the outyears and it lacked massive touring and rapid-sequence recording as a major detail. She wanted to settle down, raise babies, and be adored by a good man. When AJW joked about retiring to Las Vegas as the greatest "cover artist" in the history of the world, she was kidding on the square.

By the time her famelight started glowing hot, AJW had enormous responsibilities; her coworkers depended on her to help maintain their livelihoods. She also appreciated the freedom that financial success delivered to her; while much of AJW's money was spent on others, she also had no desire to be broke. Even when she recognized that the pressures of her work were not conducive to good mental and physical health, she knew that she was necessity bound to meet the obligations she had bargained for.

I often hear folks wondering why AJW would show up to perform when she was deep in the grip of the disease that would ultimately deprive us of her presence. "The show must go on" philosophy was branded deep in her head. AJW saw it as a matter of honor to abide by her promises to perform; she was no stranger to ambulance rides to and from venues. AJW was a "trouper" in the truest and most classic sense.

Obviously, the 2007 travels of AJW were very substantial. For most of that year, she had fun and delivered worldclass shows. She was the wunderkind; new fans were flocking and the love of early fans was being set in concrete. While I had loved AJW through the Frank Era, she stole my heart forever in 2007, when she refused to be beaten by the heat of that day in Grant Park. I saw what a real trouper looks like up close and in person. With apologies to Elvis, The Beatles, the Stones, Sinatra and all the other greats I have seen, if I could only keep one "musical memory," I would retain my recall of the JadeMermaid Princess on that mystical Chicago day.

This leaf is the first volume in a two-volume series. Volume Two - The 2008- 2011 Travels of Amy Jade Winehouse - is linked below. Volume One uses black-and-white abstract illustrations to depict the listed venues; the abstract pictures in Volume Two are in full color.

These volumes are not meant to be a "video record" of AJW's performances on her appointed rounds. Folks who want to see and hear the sundry music videos can simply use this account of the "historical record" to find the relevant flicks on youtube; tons of them are available. Part of "preserving the legend" is making sure that folks have easy access to the written record. I hope this series gives readers a glimpse into what the working life of Superstar AJW really looked like. It is too late for sympathy, but understanding that which history deems must be judged is always a good thing.