Dean Piper's World » Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse takes a punt on Kristian Marr

Dean Piper — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 14:18:52 +0000

Amy Winehouse must be feeling a bit flush these days. That would explain why she’s ploughing a truckload of cash into her friend Kristian Marr’s future as a singer.
I hear Amy has given Kristian – who used to date Sadie Frost – a “blank cheque” to record his debut solo album.
A pal of the pair tells me Amy’s grown close to Kristian and he’s decided to lend him a helping hand with breaking into the music industry. The source tells me: “Amy and Kristian have known each other for years and she really believes he’s a talented guy that could break into the business and be a success. She’s told him to do whatever he needs to do and try and get an album together. Amy said not to worry about the cost and she’ll pick up all the studio costs. It’s likely to cost upwards of £50,000 so he’s extremely grateful for her help.” What a nice friend Amy is!

Amy Winehouse to appear on Strictly Come Dancing – as a backing singer!

Dean Piper — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:04:03 +0000

She may still be stumbling around town having the odd booze bender. But it appears Amy Winehouse is a lot more together than we all thought. She’s preparing to make her TV comeback with a live performance this September. Amazingly it’s not going to be stumbling and mumbling across a stage at a end of a summer festival… it’s going to be in front of millions of viewers on BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing.

Yes, you heard me correctly. The beehived ex- junkie is supposedly going to pull herself together enough to appear as a backing singer for her 13-year-old goddaughter Dionne Bromfield in late September.

Metropolis Management have been having talks for weeks with Strictly and are close to signing on the dotted line. Dionne – who is Amy’s first signing to her brand new record label – will sing her debut single while Amy and Zalon hold court behind her as professional dancers perform a routine to the studio audience.

A source close to Amy reveals: “She’ll do anything to help Dionne become a huge success, and Strictly was just too big an opportunity for them to not take. Amy immediately agreed to doing it despite only recently getting off the drugs.

“Obviously everybody’s extremely nervous about the appearance but the team are confident Amy could make it work and really do some good for Dionne. She’s promised to not mess it up on the night.

“Strictly have made it a priority to sign Amy and will stop at nothing to have her. X Factor have upped their game with the likes of Madonna and Robbie Williams in talks. So bagging Amy would be a real coup.”

Dionne – I wish you well. I just hope this isn’t a Britney-on-X-Factor-style performance… remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Guy Ritchie, David Cameron and Tom Parker Bowles – all in one night!

Dean Piper — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:31:29 +0000

I popped along to Tramp nightclub on Jermyn Street in London last night and spotted film director Guy Ritchie and Conservative party leader David Cameron deep in conversation. I suppose it’s not exactly a massive surprise – considering Guy’s stepmother is Shireen Ritchie, chairwoman of the Kensington and Chelsea Conservative Association. The pair were enjoying drinks at the launch of the debut novel Citizen- by Charlie Brooks (the future husband of Sun editor Rebekah Wade). Apparently it’s a good read….

After the bash at Tramp I headed over to Maddox nightclub where I enjoyed a fabulous meal with club owner Fred Moss. I was surprised by just how great the food is at Maddox. I had an amazing prawn starter and a medium/rare fillet steak to die for. Everything was cooked to perfection and melted in the mouth!
Maddox is the London venue everyone’s talking about right now too. In the last two weeks alone they’ve had the likes of Kate Moss, Sadie Frost, Noel Fielding and Amy Winehouse in for a few drinks and a bop! I’d definitely recommend dining there……

Following my dinner I swung by the second birthday party of Kitts nightclub in Sloane Square and said hello to Henry Conway – he was having a fabulous time. Then I popped into Raffles where guests from the Vogue and Gucci private dinner gathered aplenty! Sam Branson and a blonde (that didn’t look like his girlfriend) drank quietly at the bar, Tom Parker Bowles partied with model and social butterfly Sophia Hesketh whilst GMTV’s Michael Underwood played poker on a table. He looked like he was enjoying his gambling!

Check out the cool new British Music Experience exhibition at the O2!

Dean Piper — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:27:40 +0000

If you are into British music in anyway at all then you must visit the British Musical Experience at the O2.
This new permanent interactive music exhibition is all set to be as big a fixture as the O2 Arena itself, if you ask me. I popped along to the museum last week and was overwhelmed by the collection of Memorabilia!
Over 100 artists feature in the exhibition from The Beatles to Iron Maiden, from Cilla Black to Elastica, from David Bowie to Motorhead with in depth looks at musical genres from Skiffle to Reggae, from Rock n Roll to Blues, from Punk to Urban.

Although the exhibition is predominantly interactive it also features tonnes of pieces of memorabilia including David Bowie’s Ashes to Ashes clown suit and Ziggy Stardust costume, Noel Gallagher’s Union Jack guitar, Roger Daltrey’s Woodstock outfit and a vintage Amy Winehouse dress.

It is definitely the exhibition I would advise people to pop along too. And if you are trekking all the way to the O2 anyhow, then why not go a bit earlier and check out the BME beforehand! I caught up with eighties star Betty Boo last week who also loved what she saw. She told me: “The BME exhibition was amazing. It celebrates everything about British music – all genres. It’s pretty amazing and definitely the hottest new tourist attraction to visit. I also loved the fact I was in it!”
For further information on the BME visit www.britishmusicexperience.com.

Amy Winehouse is transformed for her Madame Tussauds debut

Dean Piper — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:23:04 +0000

London’s Madame Tussauds launched their latest celebrity incarnation this morning – they’ve waxed the Wino!

Just look how cool Amy could look if she got herself off the drugs, put on a little weight and let her scabby face heal up. She would be a vision. Unfortunately in real life it’s a different story though!