Sinéad O'Connor

A rebellious, outspoken figure with one of pop's most ethereal and majestic voices, Sinéad O'Connor – born on December 8, 1966, in Dublin, Ireland - became a huge star in the 1990s producing multi-million selling albums and causing controversy wherever she went. Shaped by a turbulent childhood in Ireland during which she was placed in a strict Magdalene Asylum, Sinéad O'Connor found her singing voice with the band Ton Ton Macoute before moving to London and signing with Ensign Records. Her debut album, The Lion and the Cobra (1987), brought rave reviews and cult recognition, but it was her brilliant version of Prince's “Nothing Compares 2 U”, along with its teary video that brought massive success, reaching number 1 in 10 countries (including the UK and US). The success of the single propelled second album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (1990) to sales of over 7 million. The album was nominated for four Grammy Awards, but Sinead O’Connor withdrew her name from consideration, which was just one of many career moves that baffled fans and critics alike. She did win the BRIT Award for International Female Solo Artist that year but did not attend the ceremony. Her third album, Am I Not Your Girl?, was released in September 1992 and while it landed in the Top 30 in the US, UK, Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, New Zealand, and Switzerland, the album was not as successful as her previous album. The shaven-headed star caused even more outrage in October 1992 when she infamously tore up a picture of the Pope - as a protest against child abuse - while performing on the US TV show Saturday Night Live. This protest brough many complaints and she was booed offstage when performing at a 30th Anniversary Concert for Bob Dylan at Madison Square Garden. Her controversial stance on politics and religion began to have an adverse effect on her commercial success and her subsequent albums – Universal Mother (1994), Faith and Courage (2000), Sean-Nós Nua (2002), Throw Down Your Arms (2005), Theology (2007), How About I Be Me (And You Be You)? (2012), and I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss (2014) – were not as successful as her first three releases. Her passionate views on politics and religion remained just as fierce down the years, and despite never recapturing that level of commercial fame, she went on to work with acts as diverse as Pink Floyd, Christy Moore, and Massive Attack. Sinéad O’Connor, who had suffered from several physical and emotional issues over the years, was found dead in her home on July 26, 2023. She was 56 years old.