You shouldn't have to suffer for your art

I was really saddened to hear about Amy Winehouse's death. I wasn't a particular fan, although I respected her music - she obviously had something special. In hindsight, if you look at all the media coverage throughout her career, something like this seemed inevitable, but was it?

We generally like our artists to be tortured - it's much more interesting to read about a bad childhood, poverty or some sort of addiction than about the average person with their average dysfunctions. And watching those demons manifest themselves in such an amplified way - through the papers, the internet, or in front of a packed stadium, is even more intriguing.

But it's not an artist's job to be tortured, even though it might seem to be in the job description. It's their job to do what they do as best they can, like anyone else. We make a mistake - and sometimes tragically so - if, as artists or audience, we expect anything else.