Illegal Downloads of Amy Winehouse Songs Costing Her Drug Dealers Millions in Sales
As one of the most popular musicians in the world, Amy Winehouse has sold millions of records. However, she is also one of the musicians hit hardest by illegal downloading and her inability to get paid off these downloads is costing her drug dealers millions of dollars in sales.
A man who goes simply by Spike is Winehouse’s supplier of ketamine and pharmaceuticals. He says he knows for a fact that over the past twenty-five months he’s lost out on almost ₤240,000 ($419,000) in sales. “Wino’s usually good for abaht 2,000 quid a week, but there’s been times when she’s wanted ter do almost double that, but doesn’t ‘ave the bangers ‘n’ mash. I kna she’d be good fer it if she was makin’ bread off those tossers that ‘re stealin’ ‘er music.”
McArthur, Winhouse’s cocaine dealer has noticed the same thing. He claims that Winehouse typically spends ₤5,000 – ₤7,000 ($8,700- $12,200) a week on cocaine and crack cocaine, but has personally lamented her inability to spend more on it until she gets another check from Island Records. Specifically, he told us, “I’ll clock her wif a ‘uge pile of Charlie (cocaine) in front of ‘er, but there will be tears in ‘er eyes. So I’ll ask ‘er what’s wrong, and she’ll look at me wif ‘er sad eyes and say, ‘I wish I ‘ad more blow’. It broke me heart to see it.”
The lack of earnings also impacts other areas of Winehouse’s career. When her check from the record company isn’t enough to get her the drugs she needs, she books a concert because she knows it’ll be a hefty pay day. However, she also has no intention of giving the paying crowd anywhere near a decent show. “She shows up, collects ‘er check, gives it ter one of her mates, then slurs ‘er way through three songs and leaves.” says Gino Ellison, who is in charge of booking acts for some of the hottest clubs in London. He claims that he’s been burned by Winehouse not once, not twice, but three different times, and that he has to continue to take the offers seriously, because when she shows up to perform, it’s a guaranteed sell out.
While most of the blame can be put upon the user actually downloading the album, Winehouse’s dealers also blame sites like OiNK (before it was raided), Limewire, and The Pirate Bay for making it so easy for people to illegally download the music. Nigel Billingham, who supplies Winehouse with marijuana and opium, has nothing but disdain for these organizations saying, “Those sites take their hands and put it right into me wallet. I’ve got kids ter feed, well, that’s not entirely true, but i’ve got a lifestyle ter support and these fuckers ‘re keepin’ me from doin’ that.”
The losses have led the dealers to pool their efforts to hire a lobbying firm that is working with parliament to crack down on the illegal downloading of music.
