Nothing Compares 2 U singer Sinéad O’Connor has died at the age age of 56, reports from Ireland are saying, just 18 months on from the tragic death of her
Nothing Compares 2 U singer Sinéad O’Connor has died at the age age of 56, reports from Ireland are saying, just 18 months on from the tragic death of her 17-year-old son.
In a statement, the singer’s family said: ‘It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad.
Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.
‘The Irish singer is survived by three children. Her son Shane passed away last year at the age of 17.
In her final social media post, Sinead tweeted a picture of her late son and wrote: ‘Been living as undead night creature since. He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul.’
As reports of Sinead’s death broke, fans and stars took to social media to remember the talented artist and pay tribute to her legacy.
Dara O’Briain told his Twitter followers: ‘Ah sh**e, Sinead O’Connor has died. That’s just very sad news. Poor thing. I hope she realised how much love there was for her.’
‘Sinead was the true embodiment of a punk spirit. She did not compromise and that made her life more of a struggle. Hoping that she has found peace,’ The Charlatans singer Tim Burgess penned on Twitter.
Former X Factor stars Jedward tweeted: ‘Rest in Peace Sinead O’Connor very sad to hear the news Irish True Irish Icon of our Generation! We only just met her this year and she was in good spirits, a very welcoming person with a big heart.’
Born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O’Connor in Dublin on 8 December 1966, O’Connor rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra, and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a new arrangement of Prince’s song ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’.
After her parents divorced when she was eight, O’Connor claimed she was physically abused – detailed in her song ‘Fire on Babylon’ – and she has consistently advocated on behalf of abused children.
At the age of 20, while recording her first album, The Lion and the Cobra, she became pregnant by her session drummer John Reynolds.
They had a son, Jake, and married in 1987.Her first album was hailed ‘a sensation’, reaching gold record status and earning O’Connor a Grammy nomination.
Upon the release of her second album – 1990’s I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got – she had formed the identity with which we’ve come to associate her – in particular, her trademark shaved head.
Her mental health issues began to come to light when, in 2007, she disclosed on The Oprah Winfrey Show, that she’d been diagnosed with bipolar disorder four years earlier, and had attempted suicide on her 33rd birthday in 1999.
Then, in 2012 O’Connor announced on her website that she was ‘very unwell’ having suffered a breakdown towards the end of 2011.
However in 2014, she said she was not in fact bipolar and would later blame her mental state on the lack of hormone-replacement therapy following a hysterectomy.
Aside from her music, O’Connor used her voice to raise awareness for charities, issues and causes throughout her career.
However, the singer was at the centre of many controversies during her long career.
Most notably, in 1992, she used a performance on Saturday Night Live to protest child abuse, ripping a picture of Pope John Paul II while singing the word ‘evil’.
In January 2022, Sinead O’Connor shared the heartbreaking news on Saturday that her teenage son has passed away.
Confirming the devastating tragedy on Twitter, the 55-year-old musician paid tribute to her 17 year-old son Shane O’Connor – calling her late child the ‘light of [her] life’.
Shane’s sad passing comes just days after a police search – and a desperate plea from his doting mum – began, following the teenage’s disappearance being reported earlier this week.
‘May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace,’ a devastated Sinead wrote within her moving online tribute to her late son – whom she shared with musician Donal Lunny.
