LONDON – Toxicology tests showed there were no illegal substances in British singer Amy Winehouse’s system when she died last month aged 27, her spokesman said yesterday.
In a statement, he added that alcohol was present, but that it could not be determined what part, if any, it had played in her death.
“Toxicology results returned to the Winehouse family by authorities have confirmed that there were no illegal substances in Amy’s system at the time of her death,” the statement read.
“Results indicate that alcohol was present but it cannot be determined as yet if it played a role in her death.” It added that Winehouse’s family was awaiting the outcome in October of the inquest into the Rehab singer’s death.
The Grammy-winning pop star had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, and it was widely assumed that they played a part in her death, although one report quoted family sources saying it could have been caused by sudden alcohol withdrawal.
The soul singer, famed for her beehive hairstyle and erratic behaviour on and off stage, was found dead at her home in north London on July 23rd.
Winehouse’s last filmed performance was in Serbia in June, when she was jeered as she struggled to perform her songs and stay upright. On some tunes, the audience did most of the singing. The gig, posted on YouTube, prompted her management to cancel all scheduled performances and give the performer as long as it took to recover. – (Reuters)