Female pop icons on such opposite ends of the spectrum. Katy Perry, the quintessential California girl, bubbly and bright. Amy Winehouse, the tormented soul from Camden, England. What did the ladies share in common? Russell Brand. Katy’s husband, Amy’s confidante, a lovable ruffian who has battled his own demons and is now spreading the message that it’s never too late to intervene when a loved one needs you.

Katy recently spoke with Good Morning America about the tragic passing of Winehouse, 27, saying she feels “grateful” her husband overcame his addictions, which included heroin and other drugs. The hitmaker says her appreciation of Brand’s almost decade-long sobriety grew even more after the gifted Winehouse was lost at such a young age this past weekend.

Speaking about Amy, Katy said: “My heart felt really sad. My husband, who has been clean and sober for almost nine years, you know, I see him working a program and working on himself every single day. And I see how much work it takes to be clean and sober when you have, you know, addiction on your hands.

“It gave me a real a gratefulness for my husband, who got clean when he was 27. I feel really sad and I just hope she finds peace.”

Russell, for his part, took to his blog almost instantly to pay tribute to his friend, calling her a “f*cking genius” and warning others against the dangers of addiction. “When you love someone who suffers from the disease of addiction you await the phone call. There will be a phone call. We all know drunks and junkies and they all need help and the help is out there. All they have to do is pick up the phone and make the call. Or not. Either way, there will be a phone call.

He finished, “We have lost a beautiful and talented woman to this disease.”

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