Natalie Cole criticises Winehouse win

Natalie Cole has claimed that Amy Winehouse should not have won five Grammy Awards.

The singer, the daughter of Nat King Cole, insisted that rewarding Winehouse was setting a bad example to young fans.

She said: “I’m going on record as an artist who is able to critique her. I think she has a great talent but I don’t agree with the Grammys giving her those nods.

“I think it sends the wrong message, that even in the midst of her stupor of drugs she can get nominated for all these awards... It’s a slap in the face to musicians and artists who work very hard that they turn around and give it to someone who really obviously doesn’t have a grasp of what she has.”

Cole stressed that the issue of substance abuse should not be trivialised, saying: "I’ve been in this business over 25 years and I sacrificed five years of my own life on drugs and almost lost my life because of it. So I take great offence to almost see someone getting glory out of being in the position that they’re in."

The 58-year-old added: "She needs to get her life together and embrace her craft. She will lose it if she doesn’t get it together. Rehab is no joke, I was there for six months.”