The votes have been counted and this week’s Tony Bennett Thursdays winner is…. Amy Winehouse.  It was a close win with only 2 votes for Winehouse and 1 vote for Mother Nature…although, the Mother Nature vote made me laugh uproariously, it will be added to the voting for next week. 

Winehouse is the UK’s loving gift to this pop-culture - a messy conglomeration of Brittney, Lindsay, and Courtney Love – with a dash of Ella or maybe even Frank thrown in there (just to mess with your head).  She was nominated for our highly prestigious award prior to being spotted (literally) covered in scabs while eating dinner on a stick Wednesday.  This may or may not have sealed the win for her, as the winning vote came in the same day the sighting was reported.  This was also the same day that discussions of her next rehab stint were reported.  How many rehab stops does this make for her?  I think I must be missing something with as much time as celebrities spend in rehab clinics… are they are coaxing starlettes in there with an offer for free Manolo Blahniks with every third stay?

Winehouse was originally nominated for Tony Bennett Thursday not for her intense, and perversely flaunted addiction issues, but for her creepy aesthetic (which could be kind of cool if she wasn’t so bizarre) and her dramatic flair for irony.  She accepted a Grammy via satellite when she was denied entry to the United States because of drug issues… the name of her record of the year?  “Rehab”  The singer has been booed off the stage at a number of concerts, yet she had last year’s best album?  Maybe the Grammy committee should have won this week’s Tony Bennett Thursdays… In any case, in a 2-1 vote Amy Winehouse is this week’s Tony Bennett Thursdays winner.  If the voters care to speak up, we would love to hear what compelled your voting!

You may or may not have noticed a new voting feature on the site for Tony Bennett Thursdays.  On the right hand side of the page you can nominate your own winner or vote for the nominated parties!  If you suggest a nominee using the “Other” feature, I will add it to next week’s list to open up voting.  Happy Voting!