An Amy Winehouse hologram was set to tour later this year with a live band—but the tour has since been postponed. BASE Hologram, the company developing the tour, said in a statement that the delay was due to “some unique challenges and sensitivities.”
In a further statement to Billboard, BASE chairman and CEO Brian Becker said the production was a “cross between a Broadway show and a concert spectacle which requires creative engineering.”
He added that in order to keep their promise to “celebrate [Amy’s] life in the most respectful way possible” the company was “putting the tour on hold while we plot out a creatively spectacular production fitting of her remarkable career.”
— BASE Hologram (@BASEHologram) February 20, 2019
The late singer’s family has been supportive of the tour, though some questioned whether it would be ethical.
Catherine Allen, who founded the arts venue virtual reality platform Limina Immersive and is an expert in VR ethics told the Guardian last year that moving forward, the conversation around holograms and consent will be a “hot topic.” Allen said: “As long as the person has consented it’s fine. And this is where it gets tricky with Amy.”
BASE announced last October that it was launching the tour in partnership with Winehouse’s estate. Early plans for the tour included raising money for the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which works to combat drug and alcohol abuse among young people.
Amy Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning in 2011 at the age of 27 after struggling with substance abuse and addiction.
