The family of Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor, who became famous for covering Prince's song "Nothing Compares 2 U," has announced her death Wednesday (July 27) at the age of 56.
"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad," O'Connor's family said in a statement, as quoted by local media. "Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time."
The cause of her death was not disclosed.
Upon news of her death, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, the country's openly gay leader, led the tributes to the singer, saying her music was "loved around the world" and her talent "unmatched and beyond compare." Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Micheál Martin described O'Connor as "One of [the country's] greatest musical icons" who was "deeply loved" by Ireland and beyond.
She is survived by her three children. A fourth child, Shane O'Connor, died aged 17 in 2022 after he allegedly committed suicide.
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Meteoric Rise of a Divisive Figure
Born in 1966, O'Connor's childhood was marred with difficulties and struggles, especially due to her allegedly abusive mother. Her music dream started when a nun in a church-sponsored institution gave her a guitar, which prompted her to begin busking on Dublin's streets.
She released her first album in 1987.
Looking back, O'Connor admitted music was the one that "saved" her as she did not have "any other abilities" in Ireland during its darkest hour, which historians called "The Troubles."
During her whole music career, she released 10 studio albums, while her cover of "Nothing Compares 2 U" was named the top global single in the 1990 Billboard Music Awards, the Irish Times reported. She also won three Grammy nominations and Rolling Stone magazine's 1991 artist of the year for the Prince cover.
She was a lifelong non-conformist, saying she shaved her head in response to record executives pressuring her to be conventionally glamorous. However, her political and cultural stances and troubled private life often overshadowed her music, the Associated Press reported.
Right after her success, O'Connor drew controversy and divided opinions about her in both her music and public life.
In 1992, she tore a photo of Pope John Paul II on the NBC show Saturday Night Live as an act of protest against the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandals, a matter that is still haunting the Vatican to this day.
She also boycotted the Grammys when she was nominated for her Prince cover, saying she did not want "to be part of a world that measures artistic ability by material success." She also refused to perform the US national anthem before her American concerts, which drew her further public scorn.
Final Years
In the early 2000s, O'Connor transitioned her branding from being a "bad girl" into someone seeking into spiritualism, activism, and mental health advocacy.
In 2007, O'Connor sat down with Oprah Winfrey and revealed her bipolar disorder diagnosis and her struggles with suicidal thoughts and overwhelming fear.
She also voiced support for other young female performers who were facing intense scrutiny at the time, such as Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus.
Known for her shaved head or short hair for most of her career, O'Connor wore a hijab after converting to Islam in 2018 and changed her name to Shuhada Sadaqat.
In 2021, she released "Rememberings," a memoir about her life as a musician and as a person, while a film about her life was released in 2022, directed by Kathryn Ferguson.
One of her final appearances before her death was her accepting the inaugural award for Classic Irish Album at the RTé Choice Music Awards earlier this year. She received a standing ovation as she dedicated the album "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" to "each and every member" of Ireland's refugee community.
"You're very welcome in Ireland. I love you very much and I wish you happiness," she said.
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