Sinéad O'Connor Dies at 56, Music World Mourns

Sinéad O'Connor, the controversial, bald, angelic-singing firebrand who took an obscure Prince song and made it her own has died.

Known for tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live as well as completely owning the Prince-penned "Nothing Compares 2 U," the Irish singer was abused by her mother as a child and suffered PTSD as a result of it.

O'Connor's songs were as intense as she was, often rallying against sexism, world hunger, and the Catholic Church's refusal to get serious about the horrific child abuse happening under its own roof.

Sinead on SNL in 1992. She was banned from the program for her unscripted act of protest.

She was “proud to be a troublemaker," she stated. O'Connor's idealism, grit, and undebatable talent inspired many in the entertainment industry who praised her memory on Twitter on Wednesday, July 26.


Several artists covered O'Connor's "Black Boys On Mopeds" including R.E.M. who performed it five times in the summer of 1999.

Sharon Van Etten covered the song 44 times.

Kindred spirit, Billy Bragg who played on the Glastonbury 2013 bill with Sinéad:

Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins wrote:

Bryan Adams who toured a bit with Sinead:

Tegan and Sara who grew up with Sinead's music

Patrick Dexter, Irish cellist

Memorable performances:

1990: Roger Waters put together an all-star cast for a special performance of The Wall in Berlin, Germany to commemorate the demise of the Berlin Wall. Sinead sang "Mother" backed up with members of The Band

1992: Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary, Madison Square Garden: Just two weeks after she ripped up the photo of the Pope on SNL, the New York crowd that packed the Garden greeted Sinead with boos as she was ready to sing. Sinead took a pause, and blasted through the lyrics of a different Bob, Marley in this case. She sang a version of "War" unaccompanied and then received an embrace from Kris Kristofferson.

1995: Shane MacGowan and The Popes re-record "Haunted," a song Shane originally wrote for the film Sid & Nancy with Cait O'Riordan as the female voice. This time he sings opposite Sinead for the newer version that appeared on the Two If by Sea/Stolen Hearts soundtrack. This was taped for the TV show, The White Room.

Sinead singing with Shane, and his band, ironically called The Popes.

2020: Her final performance. Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz, California.

For years Sinead did not perform her biggest hit, "Nothing Compares 2 U." But near the end of her life she brought it back to her set.

"Milestones" was the last song she'd sing for an audience.

I slept outside in the dog shed
Because you wouldn't let me keep my ipad
I've had less rights as a woman
than the dog - it's my eternal form



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