Amy Winehouse's father and her husband Blake's parents debated how to cure
their children's drug addiction live on the radio this morning. Giles and
Georgette Fielder-Civil were interviewed on BBC Radio 5.
On what will happen to their son Blake and his wife
Georgette: “I think they both need to get medical help before one of them, if
not both of them, eventually will die.
Giles: “And we’re concerned that if one of them dies the other will die -
they’re a very close couple and if one dies through substance abuse the
other may commit suicide.”
Fan boycott
Giles: “We would urge Amy’s fans to send a message to Amy that her addiction
and her behaviour is not acceptable.
"In the music industry it seems to be acceptable and accepted but we
would ask Amy’s fans to send a message that this is not acceptable and that
they must stop this continued drug abuse.
“A lot of fans can send messages to particular websites I believe . . . but
perhaps it has come to the point where - and I wouldn’t want any harm to
come to Amy or Blake obviously - but perhaps it is time to stop buying
records. . . to send that message, because by doing that it affects the
record company and then the record company may take notice.
“I just want them to get help and get better; I don’t know what the answer is.”
The music industry needs to take responsibility
Giles: “I believe that the record company have a responsibility – they could
either cease the contract and say, 'until you sort yourself out we’re not
doing any more work together' or [take] responsibility and make the pair
enter a proper rehabilitation unit where they cannot leave until they’re
sorted out.
“Georgette and I believe strongly that there shouldn’t be any awards made for
Amy. . . We shouldn’t be condoning her addiction by rewarding her with these
particular awards.”
On coming to terms with the couple's drug addiction
Giles: “We weren’t really aware of the severity of the problems until about
three weeks ago when it particularly hit the headlines."
Georgette: “It’s denial. . .”
Giles: “Yeah, I think it’s abject denial. They don’t see themselves as having
a problem and they’re quite aggressive in their defence of themselves and I
think both sets of families are concerned that this denial will lead to
something more severe and ultimately something much more final”
Giles: “Georgette and I both believe that they are drug addicts and they don’t
believe they are. I think they believe they are recreational users of drugs
and they are in control, but it seems to Georgette and I that this is not
the case. We've spoken to other people and clearly they are addicts and I
think it's now time for them - and us as well, but certainly for them - to
take responsibility and realise that this is a serious problem.”
“They are taking cocaine and we believe - and please bear in mind that we’re
not that experienced in any of this - that they are taking crack, and we
believe there has been instances of heroin use although we can’t be certain
about any of this."
Trying to stop their dealer
Giles: “We’ve identified one source of supply, and this source is close to the
couple and we’ve shared that I information with Amy’s family and with the
record company, we've also shared that information with the Metropolitan
Police.
“They’ve said they will collate information and take action when required.
What I did ask them to do was to contact the source of supply and, as it
were, let that source know that the police were aware, because I hoped that
that would put a stop to it. I also confronted the source of supply myself
and asked them to stop as well.
“That person admitted it - there was no denial.”
What were they like before the addiction?
Giles: “They are a lovely couple, they are a lovely and friendly and generous
couple they are very loving to each other and they are very loving to their
families, but we now have to think about the times we’ve seen them before
and think was that normal, were they under the influence, what is normal? We
think there’s a spiralling decrease in their non-use of drugs, certainly
since they were married and probably before that."
On babysitting for Blake’s little brothers, aged 13 and 14
Georgette: “It will never happen again – we told Blake that the boys will not
be spending any more time with them. I’m afraid they abused our trust.
Tragically, they both took drugs [when looking after the boys].
“Every minute of the day we’re worried about them both. . there are times I
just wish Blake would come home and be with the family.
“We love him very, very much and we urge him to get some help.
Is the media portrayal that Blake is responsible for the drug use accurate?
Georgette: “That’s absolutely not true at all, I find that very hurtful. I
think both of them have a problem, I don’t think it’s about blame - it’s
about getting the help that they both need.”
Giles: “We think they are both to blame. We know for a fact that Blake is not
to blame for introducing Amy to drugs in any way at all."
Drugs are everywhere in music world
Giles: “It’s much more important that we and their friends and the record
company act in a much more pro-active way to help them get rid of this and
certainly to get better.
“They’re living in a world where access to drugs is easy.
“Why don’t the record company do more – we’ve shared the information about one
of the sources of supply to the pair and the record company haven’t done
anything yet. We believe the record company should be pro-active in helping
the couple to get better. At the moment they seem to be hiding behind a
label that the pair are not drug addicts that they are exhausted or
whatever. . . We urge the record company to do something.”
Is it good for the record company to see the couple in the newspapers
everyday?
Giles: “I think that we couldn’t speak on behalf of the record company but I
think there are a lot of people that surround the couple who do have a
vested interest.
“There is a saying that all publicity is good publicity so I don’t know what
their thoughts are on the matter. We have tried to contact the record
company again but we have received no reply.
“I think at the moment they are seen as a couple who display sorts of
behaviour that can be seen almost as entertaining, especially for the
tabloid newspapers – I think it’s about time that their friends and their
professional colleagues say to them, enough is enough.”
How will their son react to this interview?
Georgette: "He’ll be very, very cross. He’ll say that we betrayed him,
but if he seeks professional medical advice then he will realise that it was
done out of love.”
So, why do the interview?
Georgette: “I want to save them.”
After hearing the interview Mitch Winehouse called the radio station
Will a boycott help?
Mitch: “Will it do any good? No. . . People are clutching at straws. There’s
only one way out of this, and anyone with drug experience will tell you, the
only way out is not sectioning them, not locking them up; at some point they
are going to reach rock bottom, and at that point they will say, 'I don’t
want to do that any more'.”
How are they now?
Mitch: “We are not talking about people who are in imminent danger of death.
“It’s a horrible situation, and our family, and Blake’s family, are living
through hell.”
What think when you saw the pictures of the couple scarred and bleeding
this week?
Mitch: “I thought that here are two people that are completely out of control,
and yet an hour later they are walking back to the hotel arm in arm.
“As a parent, it was sickening, worse than sickening. I wanted to die,
but I can’t die, I have a family and friends, and loved ones who need me.”
