Amy Winehouse announced earlier this week that she would cancel her forthcoming U.S. tour due to “health issues,” while her hubby says they will go to a “retreat” (i.e. rehab).
The British singer’s publicist announced Tuesday that certain “health issues” had determined Amy to postpone her planned U.S. and Canadian dates.
“Due to the rigors involved in touring, Amy Winehouse has been advised to postpone her upcoming September U.S. and Canadian tour dates,” publicist Tracey Miller said in a statement.
“Plans are being made to reschedule her U.S. tour for early 2008. Until then, Amy has been ordered to rest and is working with medical professionals to address her health.”
Her publicist added that her European and U.K. tour dates in October and November remain in place and that fans who have already bought tickets in America can get refunds at point of purchase.
It has been a difficult summer for the stick-thin singer. It started out happily enough, when she married on-and-off-and-on-again boyfriend Blake Civil-Fielder in late May, in Miami, Florida, in a somewhat secret ceremony.
The following months were sprinkled with accounts of her public display of drunkenness. In early August, Amy was rushed to the hospital after collapsing from a cocktail of alcohol, ecstasy, cocaine and Ketamine.
Her publicist said at the time that she suffered from “severe exhaustion,” but it wasn’t long before both Amy and her husband of three months entered a rehabilitation facility, only to leave it again.
Earlier this month, Blake Fielder-Civil told BBC Radio that the situation was not as serious as it appeared. “The reports about Amy and drugs aren't true to that magnitude.”
“Me and Amy are getting better,” he told BBC Radio. “Don't worry. She's being looked after. She's going back to this retreat. She's determined to get well. It's not as bad as everyone thinks, but she's fine. She's loved and looked after.”
Blake also defended himself: “Everyone thinks that everything that's happened to Amy is my fault,” he told British tabloid The Mirror. “I'm portrayed as the bad guy. But I just want everyone to know that I love her so so much.
“She's so precious to me, she's my wife and I want to take care of her -that's why I'm taking her back to rehab.”
While Amy recovers at the “retreat,” she might well miss the MTV Video Music Awards, on Sept. 9, in Las Vegas. She is nominated for three awards: best female artist of the year, best new artist and video of the year (for “Rehab”).
Her label, Island Records, has not commented this one way or another.