Sinéad O’Connor, the Irish singer known who was as much known for her personal life and activism, has died, aged 56.
“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 singer’s family said in a statement, confirmed by RTE.
O’Connnor’s cause of death remains unknown at this stage.
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Releasing her debut album, The Lion and the Cobra in 1987, it wasn’t until her second album in 1990, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, that cemented her as a well-known artist.
It was O’Connor’s rendition of Prince’s “Nothing Compare 2 U” released on the second album that rose her to fame.
The cover earned O’Connor multiple Grammy nominations and winning her MTV’s video of the year and best video by a female artists award.
What O’Connor did away from the microphone though equally made her name known to the world.
She was known for her outspoken views on religion, sex, feminism and war.
A critic of the Catholic church, O’Connor made headlines when she tore up a photo in October 1992 for tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II while appearing on “Saturday Night Live”.
In 2018, O’Connor converted to Islam and changed her name to Shuhada’ Sadaqat but continued to perform under her birth name.
O’Connor was also open about her battles with mental health, publicly revealing she has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
In 2017 she posted a video to Facebook saying she was only alive for the sake of others, and if she had it her way, she would be “gone”.
Later in 2022, her son, Shane, died by suicide, and she after tweeted, “no point living without him” and was then hospitalised.
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