Christians pay tribute to singer Amy Winehouse

She was the first British singer to win five Grammies and was admired for her singing talent the world over.

Now Christians are joining fans, celebrities and the music industry in expressing their sadness over the premature death of Amy Winehouse.

The 27-year-old soul singer was found dead on Saturday at her London flat after years spent battling drug and alcohol addictions.

It is suspected that she died of a drug overdose, although a post mortem is reportedly due to be carried out on Sunday to determine the exact cause of death.

Church Army chief executive Mark Russell was among the Christians taking to Twitter to express their shock at her untimely death.

“Stunned by the news of Amy Winehouse, a tragic loss to us all. I hope Tweople will show some respect,” he said.

He later wrote: “Always felt Amy Winehouse seemed so troubled and lost. I pray for those who grieve for her now.”

Krish Kandiah, of the Evangelical Alliance and BibleFresh, said: “I am probably joining millions today who have just put on Back to Black to celebrate Amy’s genius. RIP Ms Winehouse.”

Wendy Beech-Ward, who has written songs with worship artist Vicky Beeching, tweeted: “Such a sad day. Amy Winehouse was such a talented young woman. RIP.”

Winehouse joins the list of famous singers who have died at the age of 27, known collectively as the Forever 27 Club. They include Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.

Musicians paying tribute to Winehouse on Twitter included Lily Allen and Jessie J.

Allen tweeted: “Its just beyond sad, there’s nothing else to say. She was such a lost soul, may she rest in peace.”

Jessie J tweeted: “The way tears are streaming down my face. Such a loss.”

Winehouse was one of the most trended topics on Twitter in the hours after her death, with 20 million users posting tweets about her at one point.

A tweet from Demi Moore reflects Winehouse’s truly global success as a music artist.

The actress tweeted: “Truly sad news about Amy Winehouse. My heart goes out to her family. May her troubled soul find peace.”

Singer Leanne Rimes tweeted: “RIP Amy Winehouse. So sad to see such a talent gone and her life end in tragedy. This makes me terribly sad.”