Record label chief feels guilt over Amy Winehouse's death

The president of Amy Winehouse’s record label still feels “pangs of guilt” about the singer’s death and is more sensitive to his artists’ wellbeing ever since.

Darcus Beese, head of Island Records, was the keynote speaker at the inaugural Music Cork conference, a three-day event that hosted panel discussions on the industry with contributions from agents, managers, and record label representatives.

“It’s made me super sensitive to an artist having a bad day,” Mr Beese told attendees at the Clayton Hotel on Lapps Quay. “You forget about the fragility of people’s minds. Whether it is the artists or people in the workplace. They could have serious problems, whether it be depression or addiction, and you have to be a bit more sensitive to it and a bit more understanding.”