Yahoo News Brit Awards Nominee Jess Glynne: ‘Amy Winehouse Scared Me Off Drugs’
The spectre of Amy Winehouse’s fall from grace still hangs heavy for the generation of female singers she inspired.
Brit nomine Jess Glynne is no different, and has admitted she is “terrified” of drugs after Amy joined the grim ’27 Club’ in 2011 following years of class-A substance abuse.
Jess, 26, up against Amy for British Female Solo Artist at next week’s music awards, also blasted hangers-on who allowed the tragic singer to suffer.
The red-head, above, told today’s The Sun newspaper: “Amy was a massive influence on me, the biggest.
“It’s devastating because you look at where it did go wrong. I think really it’s about the people around you. I don’t think she had the right people who cared about her.
“And that’s why I’m so grateful for the people I have around me who care just about me as Jessica, not just as Jess Glynne.”
Jess is up against Amy, pictured performing above, at the Brits because the soundtrack to last year’s Bafta-winning documentary about the drug-addled singer’s life charted in the Top 40 between July 2014 and December 2015.
Amy died aged 27 – granting her entry into the ’27 Club’ of musicians who have died at the age, including Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin.
Janis Joplin, above, and Kurt Cobain, below, are two of the 27 Club Pictures: Getty Images
Jess added: “I’m a hypochondriac so I’ve never been able to do drugs. I’m too terrified. My health and wellbeing are so important. Without my health and sanity I’m nothing.”
Bisexual Jess did admit she has used alcohol as a crutch, especially when she broke up with the woman who inspired her debut single I Cry When I Laugh.
She said: “I had my crazy times when I was younger but I was never an alcoholic. It’s a lot harder doing it now on a hangover.”
Click below to watch Jess talk about her inspirations:
