Singer/songwriter and activist Sinéad O’Connor has died, aged 56

Singer/songwriter and human rights activist Sinéad O’Connor has died, aged 56, her family has confirmed in a statement.

While details surrounding O’Connor’s death have not been revealed, her passing at a relatively young age has surprised many.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad,” shared her family. “[We] are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”

Hailing from Ireland and going on to global recognition, Sinéad O’Connor released 10 studio albums including the worldwide number one LP I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (1990). Her hit singles included The Emperor’s New Clothes, Success Has Made a Failure of Our Home, I Want Your Hands On Me, and Mandinka.

But perhaps O’Connor’s most famous single was one she had no hand in writing: ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’, provided to her by Prince. The video has had 402 million views alone at time of publication.

In 1991, Sinéad won the BRIT Award for International Female Solo Artist and was nominated for four Grammy awards of which she won Best Alternative Music Performance for her seminal second album. The previous year, Billboard named the Prince-penned Nothing Compares 2 U the number one world single.

At the height of her success, the vocalist sparked controversy when she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live during a performance of Bob Marley’s War as a protest against sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church.

O’Connor changed her name to Shuhada Sadaqat in 2018 when she converted to Islam and released her last official album I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss in 2014. A follow-up No Veteran Dies Alone was announced in 2021 but was never unreleased.

Last year, she was the subject of the Showtime movie Nothing Compares.

Sinéad is survived by her three children Jake, Roisin and Yeshua. Her son, Shane, died last year aged 17.

Antonino Tati