Time and time again, the legacies of extraordinary artists are milked for every profitable dollar long after their deaths. Now it looks like the one and only Amy Winehouse could be the latest legend to fall into the ethically dubious realm of holograms.
Amy’s father Mitch told Reuters a tour is being organized with a hologram of the late singer taking center stage. Winehouse died tragically in 2011 of alcohol poisoning, but that doesn’t mean we need to bring her back simply so she can run the festival circuit.
The mastery of Amy, while she was alive, was her uncanny ability to bare her soul to an audience through extraordinary lyricism, her deeply captivating voice, and jazz/bluesy arrangements. Her gripping and raw performance is something unlikely to ever be duplicated, especially not by a hologram.
“Fans have been clamoring for something new from Amy, but really there isn’t anything new,” Mitch Winehouse said. “We felt this would be a tremendous way for Amy both to revisit her fans through a hologram, and also an incredible way to raise money for our foundation.”
He’s talking about The Amy Winehouse Foundation, which was established following her death to help young people struggling with drug addiction. Notably, Amy’s father told the singer she didn’t need help for her drug use or to go to rehab.
The Amy hologram tour is expected to kick off sometime in 2019 and could last for up to three years. A digitized Winehouse will be accompanied by a live band and original voice recordings.
The hologram is still being worked out with the company BASE Hologram to make sure it can accurately capture the essence of Amy’s live performance. Ultimately, the Winehouse family will decide whether or not to approve the show.
“To see her perform again is something special that really can’t be put into words,” Mitch said. “Our daughter’s music touched the lives of millions of people and it means everything that her legacy will continue in this innovative and groundbreaking way.”
