Despite the fact that she isn’t exactly fit as a fiddle, Amy Winehouse will indeed be performing at Nelson Mandela’s 90^th b-day bash in Hyde Park on Friday night.

The Daily Mail has “…the pictures to prove” that Thursday’s rehearsals went swimmingly, as the beehive buzzed her way through “Valerie,” “Rehab” and a cover of “Free Nelson Mandela” alongside the Soweto Gospel Choir.

“She was very perky and was joking on with her band and sound team,” a source who attended the run-through disclosed. “This was the old Amy, and she is clearly keen to just get up on stage and do what she does. She is starting to get very bored in the clinic where she is being treated after her collapse, so is very much looking forward to her two performances.”

“The whole place stood still when she took to the stage – security guards, sound engineers, lighting people – everyone stopped in their tracks to watch her perform,” the insider added.

Although Amy did spend an entire hour-and-a-half practicing, she snubbed both a photocall and an invite to Mandela’s birthday party dinner Wednesday evening.

What gives?

Back to Thursday, before heading to rehearsals the singer stopped off at London’s Pentonville Prison to visit incarcerated hubby Blake Fielder-Civil, and afterwards popped into a convenience store for a few travel-size bottles of vodka and Jack Daniels whiskey.

Well no wonder Winehouse was so “perky” upon arrival!!

Let’s just cross our fingers that she keeps the partying down to a bare minimum; Friday’s gig is meant to breathe life into her currently-idle career, not deflate it.

~Carolyn French~