Rumour has it Amy Winehouse's husband Blake Fielder-Civil has demanded a million pound pay off in order to agree to a quickie divorce.
As previously reported, Winehouse has reportedly been planning to divorce her husband ever since his recent release from prison. According to the News Of The World, Fielder-Civil has said he wants a million off his possibly-soon-to-be-ex, otherwise he'll write a tell-all book about their relationship. They quote one of those sources as saying: "He's so two-faced. He just wants a pay-off. Money's his driving force". It should be noted, however, that another source told the tabs last week Fielder-Civil wasn't interested in Amy's money, so I'm not so sure we should believe either of these stories too much just yet.
What we can reliably tell you, though, is that Amy Winehouse will not be the subject of a new course at the University Of The West Of Scotland. This despite reports to that effect on Friday. It seems reports of Winehouse Studies 1 came about as a result of that previously reported educational project involving Island Records, in which the diverse and rather interesting history of the one time independent record company is being studied as part of cultural and music courses at universities and colleges around the country, to coincide with the label's 50th anniversary. As an Island-signed artist, Winehouse may come up, but she's not the primary subject of the course.
As reported on Friday, University Of The West Of Scotland course leader Allan Dumbreck was quoted in a Times Online interview last week in such a way as to suggest his students were studying Winehouse in isolation. He was quoted thus: "Amy Winehouse is a great example of the potential pitfalls in the music industry. She is recognised as a multi-award-winning great artist. But the by-product of that lifestyle can be stress and illness. We would look at how the industry is often not a supporter of longevity".
But a spokesman for the wider Island education programme told CMU this weekend: "Allan Dumbreck, in the interview that was quoted out of context, was talking about the Island 50 Music Education Project, in which around 50 contemporary music colleges and courses nationwide are participating. Co-ordinated by promotions company 1917, on behalf of Island Records, the label is currently a subject of intense study over the entire academic year building up to its 50th anniversary in May. With a wealth of resources provided by the label, students will indeed take a look at Amy Winehouse's work, as they will also look at work by artists such as Keane, Tom Waits, Bob Marley, U2, Cat Stevens, Free, Grace Jones, Stereo MC's, PJ Harvey, Pulp, Steve Winwood, Tricky, Toots and the Maytals and many many more".
He continued: "Tutors at the colleges are using the resources provided to look at all aspects of the music industry during this case study, and we have talked to a wide array of Island staff past and present as well as artists, managers and journalists in order to give them as in depth an insight as we can. It's a groundbreaking study of a seminal label that is providing a great contribution to the education programme".