Amy Winehouse "better known for being an idiot than for being a musician"

For those of you who don't know, Katie "KT" Tunstall is a celebrated Scottish rocker who made a name for herself in British music and got to be known in the States when American Idol contestant Katharine McPhee contacted her asking to use one of her most successful singles, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" as her choice for a Billboard-themed week. Ever since that break, KT's slowly getting to be known in North America as well. She's just released a new album called Drastic Fantastic and is talking to EW about handling new-found wealth and how artists shouldn't screw with the shot they've been given.

"I'm acutely aware that money can change you" she says, admitting that being rich can be a bit frightening. I'll say! "I don't want to change. I don't want new friends. I've got wicked friends. I don't want to go through that process of becoming a rock star and then going, 'S**t, I actually don't have much now apart from money.' But it's a nice problem to have" she concludes.

And obviously, because she comes from Britain (Scotland, more exactly) and she's very opinionated and of course, she has an opinion on Amy Winehouse - and the whole "drugged out celebrity" act that we see being played out in so many different ways and at so many different levels these days.

"[Amy Winehouse] is immensely talented" she states. "And all I f***ing read is how much she drinks and who she's married to. Unfortunately, she's embraced what everybody wants her to be". Yes, that's a very nice way of saying Amy's throwing her life away and she's incapable of taking control of her own life. "I'm sure lots of people would love to see me s***faced and on coke coming out of a club. But, right now, it feels like there's way too much at stake to f**k it up just because I would get better known for being an idiot than for being a musician".

Ouch! Yes, I'm not sure that was aimed directly at Amy, but it's got to hurt. And KT's not wrong - unfortunately, these days we do get to write more on how Amy is asking for a mile-long list of booze backstage than about how great her performances are. Just think of the MOBO's two days ago - and of the disaster that was Amy stumbling her way through two songs, drunk on stage, giggling foolishly and forgetting the lyrics.