Metallica frontman James Hetfield has revealed that a song from their new album was inspired by Amy Winehouse
Winehouse’s death influenced the track Moth Into Flame from Hardwired… to Self-Destruct
He explained: “Just watching that [Amy] movie was extremely saddening – how her life went from such a lively joyous person, to someone who was just trying to escape the reality of where she was.”
As Winehouse fans are aware, a major component of her story in the film — particularly once her personal life started to spiral out of control — was the constant undue attention she received from British paparazzi. Dependent on the press to keep her in the spotlight but obviously unwell, Winehouse stayed in a vicious feedback cycle that ended in her death.
In pointing the finger at fame, Hetfield made it clear he also holds the tabloid press responsible.
“It really hit me in the one part of the movie where she was lost in her mind, it seemed, and she was just leaving her flat in England. The press were just hanging out in front of her place all the time, snapping these pictures of her.
“They don’t notice – they wouldn’t say, ‘You look skinny, you look unhealthy.’ There was a total misconnection with reality.”
“It's a sad movie. Fame can be a dark, dangerous drug. Everybody wants a piece of you. It changes your view of the world.”