Universal Music Took A Moral Stance By Destroying All Unreleased Amy Winehouse Recordings

Most people agree Amy Winehouse was a talented — albeit tortured — soul. Her music was straight from the heart, with songs like “Rehab” and “Back to Black” a personal experience into the life and times of Amy Winehouse. However, if you think there might be more unreleased music coming out any time soon, think again.

According to Billboard, Universal Music destroyed all of Amy Winehouse’s unpublished recordings. U.K. chairman and CEO of Universal Music David Joseph took a moral stance when it came to deciding whether to keep or destroy Amy’s unreleased songs.

“Taking a stem or a vocal is not ­something that would ever happen on my watch. It now can’t happen on anyone else’s.”

While Universal Music may not release any more of Amy Winehouse’s recordings, they did immediately after her death in 2011. Lioness: Hidden Treasures was a collection of Winehouse’s outtakes. There was also a third album mapped out but not recorded. Amy Winehouse had recording time blocked out with music producer Salaam Remi and musician (and Amy’s producer) Mark Ronson for later in 2011 — sadly after the singer died. Remi also announced that Amy had finished the writing process for songs to be included on the new album just weeks before she died.

“She probably finished the writing ­process a few weeks before she passed. As far as I could see, we had 14 songs. Whatever needed to happen, it was right there.”

There was, however, at least one song that was saved. Remi gave documentary filmmakers footage of Amy reciting the lyrics to an unreleased song she had written, “You Always Hurt the Ones You Love.” In the same documentary (entitled Amy), Mark Ronson likens Amy Winehouse to Mozart.

“We have this stereotype of young Mozart. Lightning strikes his head and then he furiously ­scribbles for two hours and has a concerto. She’s the only person I saw who was ­actually like that.”

Any Winehouse died from alcohol poisoning on July 23, 2011 at the age of 27. Her hit song, “Rehab,” is now considered her greatest cry out for help. The documentary based on Amy Winehouse’s life, Amy, is due for release in the U.S. on July 3, 2015.

Are you sad to know that there will never be any more new Amy Winehouse music released? Or is destroying her music the right thing — morally — to do? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!

[Image credit: Getty Images / Graham Denholm]