An Amy Winehouse hologram is set to tour worldwide in 2019

Continuing the trend of digitally resurrecting dead musicians (whether they like it or not), a hologram of Amy Winehouse is set to tour worldwide in 2019, with remastered songs, a live band, and “theatrical stagecraft”.

The decision is a pretty strange one to say the least. On the one hand, it offers those who never got to see the singer perform live a chance to witness her act, but on the other it raises issues about using artists’ music (and their literal image) without their consent. When Amy Winehouse was found dead in her north London home in 2011, the idea of bringing someone back to life via hologram was barely conceivable.

Understandably, then, the announcement seems to have split her fanbase down the middle. Critics have called the hologram tour exploitative and urged organisers to let her “rest in peace”.

But Mitch Winehouse, her father – who publicly criticised the 2015 Academy Award-winning documentary on her life, but is backing the Base Hologram-led project – has expressed his enthusiasm for his daughter’s revival.

“To see her perform again is something special that really can’t be put into words,” he says. “Our daughter’s music touched the lives of millions of people and it means everything that her legacy will continue in this innovative and groundbreaking way.”

Additionally, Mitch Winehouse explained that the tour will support the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which educates young people about drug and alcohol misuse and aids the development of disadvantaged youth through music.

Base Hologram, the company that will be putting on the 75 to 110 minute show, already have a couple of similar holograms on the go. Their current “productions” are comprised of Roy Orbison – ”His voice was always immortal. Now the man himself is too,” their website reads – and opera singer Maria Callas. Their site talks about the “the wonder that you can bring to your audiences”, but mainly seems to focus on “the markets you can open” and other financial benefits, making the intentions for these resurrection projects pretty questionable.

In other news, a second documentary, Amy Winehouse – Back to Black, is on its way, slated to be released on DVD November 2. It will focus on the making of her final album and the meteoric (and damaging) rise to fame that it ignited.