Amy Winehouse

On July 23rd, 2011, paramedics pronounced Amy Winehouse dead at the scene in a London Hotel.

She was 27.

The August 8, 2011 People magazine article covering her death finished with this paragraph:

“As much as her talent brought her fame and fortune, Winehouse had other aspirations; she often spoke longingly of being a mom. At her funeral July 26, Mitch (her dad) said, “Amy was very much looking forward to her future with Reg (her fiance).” But having a family of her own was something she’d sadly never attain. Says a pal: “She just wanted a normal life.”

Whitney Houston

On February 11th, 2012, paramedics pronounced Whitney Houston dead at the scene in a Los Angeles Hotel.

She was 48.

Jetro Da Silva, a former keyboard player for Whitney Houston, had the following things to say in an interview about her death.

“To me, she was not just a singer. I dare to say that she was a trumpet to the world. Her mission on this planet was bigger than just have a unique voice.”

“I remember a day off in Australia. We were all talking in the hotel lobby for hours; next thing we knew it was 2 a.m. Some had already left, but Whitney, a background vocalist, and two others were left. Suddenly Whitney said, “I want to be normal tonight. Let’s take a walk.” During the walk, we sang hymns and worshiped the Lord. When we returned to the hotel, she said, “Jetro, this is me. I love the Lord and love to worship Him. People don’t know me.””

The 4th of July

Today is a national holiday in the United States.

A day to celebrate independence.

A day to celebrate freedom.

Winehouse and Houston were both free to pursue their dreams of music superstardom and they did.

But somewhere along the line they lost focus and lost control.

They lost themselves and it cost them their lives.

You

My advice:

  • First, know who you are as a person.
  • Second, know what it is you truly want from life.
  • Third, know what unique offering you bring to the world.

NEVER lose sight of those three as you build your career.

Build your music career as if your life depends on it. Because it does.

About Steve Grossman: Former ACM and Grammy Award winning drummer. Author, teacher, speaker and Dale Carnegie Facilitator. Music career coach and mentor.

Website. Books.