Microsoft apologise for ‘crass and vile’ Winehouse ‘download’ tweet

Executives at Microsoft have issued an apology for urging followers on Twitter to buy Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back To Black’ album.

Washington: Executives at computer giant Microsoft have issued an apology for urging followers on Twitter to buy Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back To Black’ album through the retailer’s online store following her tragic death.A PR representative for Xbox, owned by Microsoft, took to the social networking platform hours after the ‘Rehab’ singer was discovered dead at her London home on July 23 and encouraged fans to make the purchase on Zune, the firm’s entertainment marketplace.

“Remember Amy Winehouse by downloading the ground-breaking ‘Back to Black’ over at Zune,” Contactmusic quoted the rep as tweeting. Twitter followers immediately began to bombard the page with complaints, with several labelling the message “crass” and “vile”. Microsoft bosses have now insisted they had no intention of using the troubled star’s passing as a marketing ploy and they have issued a solemn apology via Twitter. “Apologies to everyone if our earlier Amy Winehouse ‘download’ tweet seemed purely commercially motivated,” the message reads. “Far from the case, we assure you. With Amy W’s passing, the world has lost a huge talent. Our thoughts are with Amy’s family and friends at this very sad time,” it added. Meanwhile, Winehouse’s Grammy Award-winning record shot to the top of the iTunes charts around the world after news of her death broke, with sales of the album increasing 37-fold in her native U.K. ANI