I've written about this before. Even though I believe the situation was far too complex to just put the blame on one single person, I do have a bad feeling about Raye Cosbert. She should have stayed with Nick Shymansky and her childhood friends. Some of her latter "friends" and colleagues seemed more interested in money. Compassion vs Greed? I believe she could have made it through with her genuine friends without a career hiatus.
Jane Winehouse made an great interview recently (https://youtu.be/9mUtUiG_O90) where she mentioned that it is a misconception that Amy was forced, for economical or any other reason, to go on stage. If she was on stage, it was Amy herself who wanted to be there. Obviously, there were many times when Cosbert should have flat out refused.
As for stopping her career completely - No. Myself, a music addict, naively believe music is the best remedy. She could have continued in a more low-key way - no press interviews or large tours, just quietly making music in her own phase. It makes me very sad to hear her friends describing that she was even beginning to loose her healing connection to music. I love Sam Beste's quote about how music was like a person to her, a person she needed and would die for. Ultimately, she found something even more important than music - Blake...?
Edited by MingusMonk&Amy, 09 March 2020 - 10:29 AM.