Amy Winehouse booed and jeered

Amy Winehouse was booed and jeered to tears during her first performance of 2009.

The troubled singer appeared to be intoxicated when she played at the St. Lucia Jazz Festival on Friday (08.05.09) and after cutting her set short disgruntled fans vented their anger towards her.

Amy - who is currently staying on the Caribbean island as she attempts to overcome her problems with drink and drugs and write new material - started to sob before collapsing on stage amid the jeers.

One unhappy fan said: "Amy could barely stand up, she didn't know the words to her songs. It's a disgrace. She was so drunk she didn't know where she was. She's a lost cause."

Amy, 25, played for just 45 minutes and the final track she attempted to sing 'Valerie' was finished by her band without her. Sources claim the main reason behind her binge drinking is the hurt she is still feeling following her split from estranged husband Blake Fielder-Civil, who is allegedly expecting a baby with another woman.

One insider told Britain's Daily Star newspaper: "Amy was drinking heavily before the concert, she was really nervous about performing after so long. "She is still very upset about Blake and was over-emotional. She is really disappointed that fans were booing her off stage."

However, a spokesperson for the singer blamed her shambolic performance on the weather, saying: "Amy would like to express her disappointment that weather forced the abandonment of her show at the St. Lucia Jazz Festival. The set started well, but as the heavens opened, a number of technical difficulties occurred on stage, culminating with the lighting rig failing for two songs. In addition, rain began to flood the technical wings at the side of the stage which caused sound problems. Amy and the band tried to soldier on but the set had to be cut short.

"Amy is very disappointed as St. Lucia has been wonderful to her and its people have welcomed her with open arms, but circumstances beyond anyone's control meant that this special show did not go as planned."

Amy is planning to buy a house on the island - where she spent three months on holiday at the beginning of the year - so she can record her long-awaited third album in peace without the temptations of the London party scene.