Ronson dedicates gig to Winehouse

By Greg Cochrane
Newsbeat music reporter Mark Ronson has paid tribute to Amy Winehouse by performing a number of her songs at a show in London.

In his first gig since her death, the British producer and songwriter invited members of her backing band on stage for a version of Valerie.

Mark Ronson played the same song at the start of the gig with The Zutons' singer Dave McCabe, who originally wrote the song, on vocals.

"She made brilliant music, more than I'll make in my entire life," he said.

He co-produced Winehouse's successful second album Back To Black and peppered the gig with references to the singer.

He played her hit single Rehab during a short DJ set in the middle of the concert and was joined by Charlie Waller, lead singer of The Rumblestrips, for a full band cover of Back To Black.

'Genius'

"It's really lovely getting to play some music here for you tonight," Mark Ronson, 35, said from the stage. "That's what makes everything better.

"I went to her service yesterday (Tuesday) and there was a rabbi that spoke and he said that somebody's life is measured in deeds and not years and that's the best thing I heard yesterday.

Dave McCabe (right) from The Zutons sang Valerie with Mark Ronson

"The genius in that woman and what she shared with us is pretty special.

"I'm not going to get all morbid on you. It's just nice to be playing music to people who like good music. She is my sister, wherever she is."

The concert was held as part of the Greenwich Summer Sessions festival.

Fans who made it to the gig said Mark Ronson had got the tone just right.

"I thought he was quite respectful of her and her family," said Sasha Waxman from Lincolnshire. "It was quite emotional."

Neely Hannah from Skegness added: "The mood was sombre to start but he did well with it. When her former band members came on, that was really nice. It wasn't upsetting, it was quite uplifting."

Mark Ronson attended Amy Winehouse's funeral on Tuesday in north London with her family and close friends.

Police will have to wait up to four weeks for the results of toxicology tests to find out her cause of death.

The singer had recently cancelled all European tour dates after a concert in Serbia where she was booed off stage.

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Winehouse cancels two tour dates

19 June 2011 Last updated at 18:26 GMT Video of Amy Winehouse performing in Serbia.

Amy Winehouse is to cancel part of her European tour after the singer was booed for appearing to be too drunk to perform at a concert in Serbia's capital Belgrade.

She is pulling out of shows in Istanbul, Turkey, on Monday, and Athens, Greece, on Wednesday.

A spokesman said Ms Winehouse would like to apologise to fans, but "feels that this is the right thing to do".

The singer has struggled with addiction for some time.

Her spokesman added that Ms Winehouse will return home after agreeing with management that "she cannot perform to the best of her ability".

Her tour, which was originally scheduled to include 12 performances, is now due to resume in Bilbao, Spain, on 8 July.

'Strained notes'

The concert in Belgrade was the first of the tour, and for almost 90 minutes, Amy Winehouse mumbled her way through parts of songs, said the BBC's Mark Lowen.

He added: "She sang a few strained notes, before stumbling across the stage and at one point throwing her microphone to the floor.

"At times she left the stage altogether - her band attempting to fill in.

"She was frequently booed by the crowd. Many had paid up to €45 (?40) to see her in a country in which wages are some of the lowest in Europe, and their anger was clear."

The Grammy-award winning singer had been under strict instructions not to drink after recently finishing a course of alcohol rehabilitation in London.

Hotel staff on her European tour are said to be under orders to remove alcohol from her room.

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Winehouse comeback tour cancelled

Video of Amy Winehouse in Belgrade: courtesy Iva Tanackovic

Amy Winehouse has cancelled all her scheduled shows on her European tour, her spokesman has confirmed.

A statement said she would be given "as long as it takes" to sort herself out.

It follows her 90-minute comeback performance in Serbia at the weekend at which she was booed and jeered at the start of her European tour.

The singer initially pulled out of two festival shows in Turkey yesterday and in Greece tomorrow (22 June) but now all her gigs have been pulled.

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Everyone involved wishes to do everything they can to help her return to her best and she will be given as long as it takes for this to happen

Amy Winehouse spokesman, Chris Goodman

Her tour, which was originally scheduled to include 12 performances, had been due to continue in Bilbao, Spain, on 8 July.

The full statement said: "Amy Winehouse is withdrawing from all scheduled performances.

"Everyone involved wishes to do everything they can to help her return to her best and she will be given as long as it takes for this to happen."

The singer, 27, has had a long battle with drink and drugs which has overshadowed her music career in recent years.

In the run-up to her live return, she spent a week at London's Priory clinic.

Winehouse told Newsbeat in October that she had been drug-free for three years.

Amy Winehouse's breakthrough second album, 2006's Back to Black, won her five Grammy Awards and brought her worldwide stardom.

The singer has not released any new music since then but has collaborated with the likes of Mark Ronson and ex-Sugababe Mutya Buena.

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