Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: image, pr, public relations, visa, winehouse
Amy Winehouse’s visa was denied as she attempted to come stateside in order to attend the Grammy awards this year. However, she will still perform at this Sunday’s show via satellite.
Is it just me or is the government getting pickier concerning who they will let in the country? This is not the first time Winehouse has been unable to appear in the US “due to visa issues.” Nor is she alone in her plight. London based rappers M.I.A. and Lily Allen have also suffered from not being granted entry into the US.
It seems that M.I.A. has lyrics that mention LTTE, deemed a terrorist organization by the US government, and I guess Winehouse just plain isn’t conducting herself like a lady, with her chaotic personal life increasingly upstaging her music.
Anyone directing public relations efforts with a client like Winehouse must constantly be releasing official statements concerning her status simply to avoid the rampant rumors that will inevitably fill-up any information vacuum. Also, these missed performances let down the fans as much as the artists themselves. A show cancellation is not the greatest memory one can hope to linger in the minds of their supporters.
As this scenario demonstrates, artists personal lives are converging with and affecting their professional careers for better or worse. Look to Britney Spears for an ideal case study of the effects of personal shenanigans on one’s professional image.
As such, PR practitioners need to give their clients a helpful clue: ANYthing is fair game!
