November 27, 2011 10:21

Pulp's Jarvis Cocker: 'I think the press helped to kill Amy Winehouse'

Singer also hails Lana Del Rey for breathing life back into the UK singles chart

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Photo: PA

Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker has blamed the tabloids for contributing to Amy Winehouse's death.

He claims the constant media attention the late singer received on a daily basis forced her to turn to drink and drugs and he went through a similar situation during the height of his fame during the Britpop era.

Cocker told The Guardian:

Amy Winehouse passed away this year and it was all 'Drugs killed Amy Winehouse'. I think that the press killed Amy Winehouse as much as drugs did, because it sends people into that place where they've got no peace, and so they just try to escape. And sometimes you use drugs and drink to do that.

He added: "That atmosphere of fear that tabloids cause – and I experienced that a bit, back in the bad old days – it makes you not want to go out, and it makes you act more weirdly because it makes you more self-conscious, and it makes you want to get more off your head because you block it out."

Last month a coroner ruled that Winehouse died from excessive alcohol consumption, having consumed enough alcohol on the day of her death to render her more than four-and-a-half times over the drink drive limit.

Cocker also hailed Lana Del Rey for making the charts interesting again after 'Video Games' recently went into the Top 10.

He added: "I heard it on the radio and I legally downloaded it and then played it on my [BBC 6 Music] show and I suddenly thought, 'Wow, I'm playing something that's in the charts.'

"I got really excited about that because I was brought up on the charts and I have lamented their demise as a vital part of our British life. That's what I miss, that you used to get interesting things in the charts."

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