Famed Irish-born singer Sinéad O’Connor, who is best known for her world music hits such as “Nothing Compares 2 U”, died on Wednesday (July 26) at age 56. The singer was found “unresponsive” at her home in London just after 11 a.m. on Wednesday and pronounced dead at the scene.
Her family confirmed her death in a statement to RTE: “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,” reads the family’s statement.
O’Connor is survived by three of her four children, with her son Shane preceding her in death in 2022 in the Irish town of Bray.
Sinéad O’Connor Death Explained
According to a statement released by Metropolitan Police, cops responded Wednesday morning to a report of an unresponsive woman at a residence in the southeast part of the UK capital. When officers arrived, they found Sinéad O’Connor already dead, but they tried to revive her, though nothing could be done. While her death is not considered suspicious, the coroner will perform an autopsy to determine O’Connor’s cause of death.
Early Life And Struggles
Born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1966, O’Connor’s life was marked by both triumph and tragedy. She had a difficult childhood, marred by abuse from her mother, who she lived with after her parents separated when she was eight.
“She ran a torture chamber,” O’Connor once tearfully told Dr. Phil of her late mom, Johanna O’Grady.
“My earliest memory, she’s telling me I shouldn’t have been born. She didn’t want me … She was a person who took delight, would smile in hurting you.”
At 15, O’Connor spent eighteen months at a Magdalene Asylum for “fallen women” due to her truancy and shoplifting. Despite the challenges of her childhood, she found solace in music. After moving schools, she recorded a four-song demo. She eventually formed the band Ton Ton Macoute, dropped out of school, and moved to Dublin..
In 1987, at the young age of 20, O’Connor made her debut in the music world with her album “The Lion and the Cobra.” It was her second single, “Mandinka,” that allowed her to break into the US market, performing the song on Late Night with David Letterman and earning a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.
Her rise to stardom escalated with her 1990 album “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got,” featuring her unforgettable rendition of “Nothing Compares 2 U.” The song became a global sensation, topping charts in Ireland, the UK, and the US. Its haunting music video earned her the distinction of being the first female artist to win an MTV VMA for Video of the Year. While she received Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, she withdrew her name from consideration.
Throughout her career, O’Connor released a total of 10 studio albums and collaborated with various renowned artists, such as Bono, Massive Attack, Mary J. Blige, and Roger Waters. In 2014, she released her final album, “I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss.”
Earlier this month, O’Connor shared on her Facebook page that she had moved back to London and was finishing a new album planned for release next year. She also revealed plans to tour Australia and New Zealand in 2024, followed by Europe and the US in 2025.
In light of O’Connor’s death, countless musicians and public figures have shared tributes honoring the Irish singer and her legacy. However, Morrissey says many of the tributes are “insulting” and “disingenuous.”
“You hadn’t the guts to support her when she was alive and she was looking for you. She had only so much ‘self’ to give,” Morrissey said of O’Connor. “She was dropped by her label after selling 7 million albums for them. She became crazed, yes, but uninteresting, never. She had done nothing wrong. She had proud vulnerability … and there is a certain music industry hatred for singers who don’t ‘fit in’ (this I know only too well), and they are never praised until death – when, finally, they can’t answer back.”
You can read the full statement on his website.
Update from the New York Post and Consequence contributed to this report.
