Nothing Compares 2 U: Irish Singer, Songwriter, and Activist Sinéad O'Connor Passes Away
Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor has passed away at the age of 56, as reported by The Irish Times. Her family issued a statement saying, "It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and request privacy at this very difficult time."
The cause of O'Connor's death remains unknown. She leaves behind three children, including her 17-year-old son, Shane, who passed away last year.
In her final social media post, the singer shared a photo of her late son and wrote, "Since he died, I've been living like a ghost. He was the love of my life. We were the love of each other's lives. He was my whole life. I don't know how to live without him."
The renowned Dublin-born vocalist released 10 studio albums in her career. Her song "Nothing Compares 2 U" was named the world's number one single in 1990 at the Billboard Music Awards. Her version of the ballad, originally written by musician Prince, topped charts worldwide and earned her three Grammy nominations.
The music video for "Nothing Compares 2 U," directed by English filmmaker John Maybury, predominantly featured close-up shots of O'Connor's face as she sang the lyrics, becoming equally iconic as the song itself.
Despite her remarkable musical talent, O'Connor became more known over the years for openly expressing her social and political views. In 1992, she made headlines after tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II on the American TV show Saturday Night Live.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said, "Her music was adored all over the world, and her voice was truly unmatched."
Irish President Michael Higgins praised O'Connor's "authenticity" and her "beautiful, unique voice."
He added, "Ireland has lost one of its most outstanding and gifted songwriters and performers of the last 10 decades."
Born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor in Glenageary, County Dublin, in December 1966, the singer endured a difficult childhood. In her adolescence, she was placed in the Dublin An Grianan Training Centre, once one of the notorious Magdalene laundries, initially created to detain young girls considered morally wayward. It was there that a nun bought her a guitar and arranged for music lessons, which eventually led to the start of O'Connor's music career.