Sinead O’Connor has died. In 1990 The Irish singer topped the charts around the world with her recording of Nothing Compares 2 U, a song that was written by Prince, but she made it her own.
The singer’s family announced her death in a statement but did not reveal how she passed away.
In 1987, Sinéad O’Connor released her debut album The Lion and the Cobra, which received critical acclaim and established her as a rising star.
However, it was her second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, released in 1990, that catapulted her to international fame. The album’s lead single, Nothing Compares 2 U, had been written by Prince and previously recorded by Paisley Park band The Family.
O’Connor’s version became a massive hit and remains one of her most iconic songs. The emotional intensity of her performances and her shaved head became trademarks of her image. Prince would later record his own version of the song.
Beyond her musical success, Sinéad O’Connor became known for her outspoken and often controversial nature. She used her platform to address various social and political issues, such as child abuse, women’s rights, and the influence of the Catholic Church in Ireland.
Her actions, including tearing a photo of Pope John Paul II on live television in 1992, sparked both admiration and backlash. O’Connor’s willingness to speak her mind made her a polarising figure but also endeared her to many fans who admired her fearlessness.
Throughout her life, O’Connor battled personal struggles, including mental health issues and difficult relationships. She was open about her experiences with depression and bipolar disorder, raising awareness and reducing the stigma surrounding mental health challenges.
Sinéad O’Connor’s recording output went far beyond her Nothing Compares 2 U, over the decades she recorded 10 albums and explored many different musical styles. Her output includes a collection of jazz standards with Am I Not Your Girl? while Sean-Nós Nua released in 2002 focused on traditional Irish songs, while 2004’s Throw Down Your Arms was a reggae record.
Her final album I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss was released in 2014. She released several more tracks in recent years including Trouble of the World in 2020.
She also appeared as a guest vocalist collaborating with many different artists including Massive Attack, Jah Wobble, Manu Dibango, Asian Dub Foundation, Peter Gabriel, Willie Nelson, Bomb the Bass and Ian Brown.
In a 2000 interview with Curve magazine O’Connor announced that she was a lesbian, but later retracted the statement. In 2005 she told Entertainment Weekly “I’m three-quarters heterosexual, a quarter gay.”
Much of O’Connor’s work discusses her relationship with Catholicism. In 2018 she converted to Islam, calling it “”the natural conclusion of any intelligent theologian’s journey.” The singer changed her name to Shuhada Sadaqat.
The singer was married and divorced four times. Her son Jake with music producer John Reynolds was born in 1987, the couple wed two years later, but separated shortly after.
In 1996 not long after the birth of daughter Brigidine O”Connor entered into a custody dispute with the child’s father, Irish journalist John Waters. The custody battle ended with the child living with her father. In 2001 O’Connor married British journalist Nick Sommerlad, but the couple split after 11 months.
In 2004 her son Jake was born, his father is musician Donal Lunny. In 2006 she gave birth to her fourth child Yeshua Francis Neil Bonadio, whose father is Frank Bonadio. In 2010 she wed for a third time to collaborator Steve Cooney, the marriage ended less than a year later.
The singer’s fourth marriage was to Irish therapist Barry Hedge. The couple married in Los Vegas in early 2012, only to split up a week later. Sinead later announced they had reunited, but it is not known how long they stated together after that.
Last year in January the singer’s son Shane, who she lost custody of in 2013, died at the age of seventeen of suicide.
Tributes to the singer have been posted by musicians around the world. Tori Amos described O’Connor as a “force of nature”.
“Sinead was a force of nature. A brilliant songwriter & performer whose talent we will not see the like of again. Such passion, such intense presence & a beautiful soul, who battled her own personal demons courageously. Be at peace dear Sinead, you will forever be in our hearts.” Amos posted to social media platform X.
Billy Bragg said O’Connor was “braver than brave” while tributes also came from Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Flavor Flav, Yusuf, the singer formerly known as Cat Stevens, Bryan Adams, and Transvision Vamp singer Wendy James.
Irish President Micheal Higgins praised O’Connor for her authenticity and talents as a singer.
“To those of us who had the privilege of knowing her, one couldn’t but always be struck by the depth of her fearless commitment to the important issues that she brought to public attention, no matter how uncomfortable those truths may have been.”
Higgins said O’Connor was one of Ireland’s greatest and most gifted composers, songwriters and performers of recent decades, “one who had a unique talent and extraordinary connection with her audience, all of whom held such love and warmth for her.”
OIP Staff
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