Amy Winehouse will not be on hand for the Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb. 10) in Los Angeles, after her visa application to enter the United States was rejected by the American Embassy in London.
This will surely be derided as puritanical and premature in Europe and the UK. From the NYT blog The Lede:
Her application seemed in doubt on Tuesday, when she exited a rehabilitation clinic in London after 11 days to meet with embassy officials. A day later, she was questioned by police regarding a video that appeared to show her smoking crack cocaine.
“Amy has been progressing well since entering a rehabilitation clinic two weeks ago and although disappointed with the decision has accepted the ruling and will be concentrating on her recovery,” a statement distributed on her behalf said.
Ms. Winehouse’s absence will raise questions for the event’s organizers, who must prepare for her to win at least one of the six awards she’s up for. The nominations include all four of the most prestigious categories: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best New Artist.
Organizers also have a severe shortage of drama as well, according to a critic for the Chicago Tribune who penned an essay, “Why the Grammys really need Amy Winehouse.”
“Would the British singer get out of a rehab clinic in time to perform her hit ‘Rehab’ on the nationally televised awards show?,” Greg Kot asked. By now he must know the answer, which like all bad news, came in threes: “No, no, no.”
Ms. Winehouse was by no means the first musician to face restrictions on her global travels. Snoop Dogg was barred from Britain in 2006 and Australia in April, when he was set to co-host the MTV Australia Awards.
Previously
Amy Winehouse
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2007/04/amy_winehouse.html
Friday Night Jazz: Amy Winehouse http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2007/12/friday-night-ja.html
Sources:
February 7, 2008, 4:44 pm
Amy Winehouse Denied Entry to U.S.
MIKE NIZZA
http://tinyurl.com/2uvqsm
Why the Grammys really need Amy Winehouse
Greg Kot
Chicago Tribune, February 3, 2008
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-0203_music_coverfeb03,1,7704835.story
Just what she needs, a trip to LA.
The Nixon administration wouldn’t let John Lennon in the country, and this administration won’t let Amy in the country. Interesting contrast that two criminal enterprises on a global scale kept a couple of musicians with petty drug violations out of the country.
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yawn, who cares. OD already Amy
This will surely be derided as puritanical and premature in Europe and the UK.
nah i don’t think so. the public seem to be tiring of her and the british press certainly slate her. not that the UK seem to mind the druggies, take Kate Moss who was a regular heroin user with her boyfriend whathisname, even being filmed taking it, then shortly after she gets a huge contract with TopShop, a big clothes store for younger girls. pretty disgusting putting her up as a role model if you ask me.
Europe and Canada regularly deny US citizens from entering their countries due to all variety of reasons as we do theirs. The only difference in this case is this person is somewhat well known and it was reported by the media. So please spare us the false morality play – eh?
I’m a current serving U.S. foreign service officer working now in the Consular Section of an American Embassy. Our hands are bound by U.S law — specifically, the “Immigration and Nationality Act,” written and amended by Congress. If someone has a documented criminal past in the U.S. or elsewhere, we have to go through certain steps to see if they’re qualified to receive a U.S. visa. It’s not just the Department of State that decides this, but also the Department of Homeland Security. And if we get this decision wrong, we can be dragged in front of Congress to explain ourselves.
Trust me, we’re extremely careful and considerate when handling high-profile cases such as Amy Winehouse’s. She’ll have a right of appeal to the State Department in Washington, DC, too. So, it might still be possible for her to get a visa.
Now, imagine the flack we will get for not letting her into the country. Puritanical, perhaps (most other countries have similar laws on the books against drug use, too). But what would people say about State Department officers allowing a known (and very recent and high-profile) drug user to enter the country against U.S laws?
Amen Micheal
We must be short on news today
gary – Is it cold where you are? Settle down sunshine. Saw Amy on a webcast recently and her voice was very ragged. She’s in the right place at the moment. Back to Black is definitely Grammy material, a nice mix of grounded r&b grooves and some breathless and visceral songwriting. It’ll be grammys in cyberspace.
Well at least there won’t be a crack shortage in LA now.
Barry,
Why doesn’t Amy just come into the country like everyone else – thru Mexico or walk accross the border in Vermont?
Michael,
“But what would people say about State Department officers allowing a known (and very recent and high-profile) drug user to enter the country against U.S laws?”
This administration suddenly cares about U.S. laws ? Or the U.S. Constitution, or international laws, or the UN Charter and Geneva Conventions (both of which we remain signatories to), for that matter ?
Please.
She’s being treated as if she illegally invaded another sovereign nation under false pretenses or sumthin’.
Oh, wait, she’s not.
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VJ,
My reply to your comment is that those of us who work as government officials, commissioned foreign service officers, and civil servants — those of us who carry out our visa and immigration policy overseas and at the borders — don’t work for this administration, nor any administration. We all swear an oath on the Constitution.
We also work for the U.S. people/taxpayers. And we’re entrusted to carry out the laws passed by the people’s Congress, for better or for worse. Amy Winehouse is being treated under the guidelines set down in the Immigration & Naturalization Act (INA), passed by our Congress. She gets the same fair treatment any other known and/or convicted drug user receives. (See INA 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) for the exact law.)
michael – Like your swear an oath to the constitution quote. Could you send a memo up the chain of command on that please.
Thanks Michael. You guys are doing the right thing. A celebity n’er do well is still a n’er do well. Now if only our DOJ and SEC would understand that a high profile thief/criminal was still a thief/criminal we might be on our way to a truly grand society.
Michael,
“My reply to your comment is that those of us who work as government officials, commissioned foreign service officers, and civil servants — those of us who carry out our visa and immigration policy overseas and at the borders — don’t work for this administration, nor any administration. We all swear an oath on the Constitution.”
Too bad your superiors don’t take their oath as seriously.
“We also work for the U.S. people/taxpayers. And we’re entrusted to carry out the laws passed by the people’s Congress, for better or for worse. Amy Winehouse is being treated under the guidelines set down in the Immigration & Naturalization Act (INA), passed by our Congress. She gets the same fair treatment any other known and/or convicted drug user receives. (See INA 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) for the exact law.)”
Well.
Seems your overlords sold your entrustment down the river and granted Amy Winehouse a visa to enter the country after all, contrary to the guidelines. She subsequently told them where they could SHOVE it.
LOL
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Inspired by Mel Brooks for part of the headline??
—
Will you convert?
No, no, no, no
Will you confess?
No, no, no, no
Will you revert?
No, no, no, no
Will you say yes?
No, no, no, no
Now I ask in a nice way,
I said pretty please,
I bent their ears,
Now I’ll work on their knees!
—
VJ,
Please see my previous post where I write that, even after being denied a visa in London, “She’ll have a right of appeal to the State Department in Washington, DC, too. So, it might still be possible for her to get a visa.” From the news, it looks like the Department of Homeland Security in Washington granted her a waiver last Friday for her ineligibility per INA 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(I). It’s likely the Embassy in London asked Washington, DC to make a decision, given her high public profile and the importance her visit has to the U.S.
I don’t think she’ll want to tell anyone to “shove it,” since the visa will be valid for future visits to the U.S. — either as a tourist, for a business meeting, or to give a concert we might like to attend.
BTW, none of us in government service have any “overlords.” That’s a denigrating comment that threatens to cheapen the work of millions of Americans in public service. We’re not automatons — we can walk from this job at any time. We do the job b/c we believe in the oath we swore and the country we work for. You might not agree with the current administration — many of us don’t. But please remember we’re human beings and most of us work to treat others fairly. Amy Winehouse got quick and fair treatment, b/c our law — despite flaws — tries to accomodate people and make allowances for past legal problems without penalizing harshly. She got her visa because there are public servants administering the law who have a sense of fariness and decency.
Michael,
“I don’t think she’ll want to tell anyone to ‘shove it,’ since the visa will be valid for future visits to the U.S.”
You “think” wrong.
She DECLINED the visa.
“BTW, none of us in government service have any ‘overlords.’ That’s a denigrating comment that threatens to cheapen the work of millions of Americans in public service.”
Sorry, but don’t try and put that guilt trip on me. CLEARLY it is this criminal administration that has denigrated and cheapened our public servants.
“Amy Winehouse got quick and fair treatment”
That’s laughable.
“She got her visa because there are public servants administering the law who have a sense of fariness and decency.”
The administration flip flopped because it made them look bad. That’s the only possible manner in which to get these disgusting Neanderthals to do anything approaching the right thing, is to SHAME them into it.
January cannot come soon enough.
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I just got her album for Valentines Day – I was laughing at Rehab. ;^)