Last October, Base Hologram announced they had partnered with The Winehouse Estate to create an Amy Winehouse hologram world tour; one which would celebrate the musical legacy of the late soul legend.
The original plan was to take the show around the globe this upcoming fall, however, due to “some unique challenges and sensitivities,” it has been postponed.
An official statement was issued on Base Hologram’s Twitter on Tuesday evening explaining the company’s decision behind this re-assessment.
“We are putting the tour on hold until we determine the best path to a creatively spectacular production that would properly honour Amy’s legacy at its highest caliber.”
The statement did not expand on or detail any of the “challenges and sensitivities.”
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After an influx of backlash from Winehouse fans last year, the company made it clear that the “ambitious event” needed to be worked on delicately and in an extremely respectful manner.
“Base Hologram is committed to remembering Amy Winehouse and her legacy in the most celebratory and respectful way possible,” their spokesperson wrote.
Billboard recently reached out to the company’s CEO, Brian Becker, for a comment regarding the delay. “Sometimes in developing this type of highly ambitious event, we encounter some unique challenges and sensitivities that cause us to take a step back,” he said.
“We promised to celebrate [Winehouse’s] life in the most respectful way possible — as we did with Roy Orbison and Maria Callas — and to ensure we keep that promise, we are putting the tour on hold while we plot out a creatively spectacular production fitting of her remarkable career.”
“Developing our productions is a cross between a Broadway show and a concert spectacle which requires creative engineering and that type of creativity does not necessarily follow a schedule,” concluded Becker.
The tour was originally announced at the 2018 Amy Winehouse Foundation gala in London by her father, Mitch Winehouse, and the CEO of production at Base Hologram, Marty Tudor.
“We felt ready to bring Amy’s incredible talent back to the spotlight [and] give her fans a chance to experience her music again. This is a wonderful way to bring focus back to her musical legacy, as well as raising funds for the Amy Winehouse Foundation,” said Winehouse.
The Winehouse hologram concert isn’t the first produced by the L.A.-based hologram company.
Base Hologram launched the North American In Dreams tour last October, featuring a hologram of the legendary Roy Orbison.
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The rise in interest for hologram tours has sparked a lot of controversy among many music lovers, including issues of consent, ethics and overall quality.
A number of social-media users took to Twitter to share their thoughts on Base Hologram’s Winehouse project.
The Rehab singer died at the age of 27 as a result of accidental alcohol poisoning. She was found unresponsive by her bodyguard in her Camden Town home in London, on July 23, 2011.
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Although no concert dates were initially slated, the tour is now expected to commence in 2020 at the earliest.
Updates will be made available on the official Base Hologram website.
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