Legendary Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor has died aged 56, just 18 months after the death of her 17-year-old son Shane.
The tragic news broke on Wednesday (July 26) that the Nothing Compares 2 U singer had passed away, with her cause of death yet to be revealed.
It is understood at the time of her death the musician was thought to be spending time between Co Roscommon, Ireland and London.
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Her family revealed they were “devastated” in a heartbreaking statement which read: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad.
(Image: Redferns)
“Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar tweeted: “Really sorry to hear of the passing of Sinéad O’Connor.
“Her music was loved around the world and her talent was unmatched and beyond compare.
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“Condolences to her family, her friends and all who loved her music. Ar dheis Dé go Raibh a hAnam. [Rest in peace.]”
Comedian Dara O’Briain said: ‘Ah s****, Sinéad O’Connor has died. That’s just very sad news. Poor thing. I hope she realised how much love there was for her.’
The Irish singer – who changed her name to Shuhada’ Sadaqat in 2018 when she converted to Islam – is survived by her three children.
(Image: Ralph Dominguez/MediaPunch/MediaPunch/IPx)
However her son Shane died by suicide last year at the age of 17 after he had gone missing for two days.
He took his own life after going missing from where he was staying at the Tallaght Hospital in Dublin and it was later confirmed that his funeral would be held at the Newlands Cross crematorium in Dublin.
Sinead announced his death online, tweeting: “May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace.”
The musician’s final post shared a picture of her late son where she shared her heartache over his passing.
(Image: Twitter)
She captioned the touching post: “Been living as undead night creature since. He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul.
“We were one soul in two halves. He was the only person who ever loved me unconditionally. I am lost in the bardo without him.”
Born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O’Connor in the heart of Dublin on December 8, 1966, the songstress rose to fame in the late 80s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra.
(Image: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
She went on to achieve worldwide success in 1990 with her creative cover of Prince’s song Nothing Compares 2 U, which fans fell in love with.
The pop sensation had a difficult upbringing with her parents divorcing when she was just eight-years-old, with Sinead later claiming she was physically abused.
She detailed some of her experiences in her single Fire on Babylon and went on to advocate on behalf of abused children throughout her career.
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Her interest in the music industry first started in 1979, when the star was placed in Magdalene Asylum for 18 months at the age of 15 for shoplifting and truancy issues.
It was during her stay that she started to develop a love of composing and writing music before she was “discovered” by the drummer of the popular Irish band Tua Nua.
The group went on to take a risk on her and gave her a big break when she went on to co-write their song Take My Hand.
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Six years later while performing in a band called Ton Ton Macoute, the singer made the tough decision to move to London where she was signed to Ensign records.
At the age of 20 while she was still recording her first album The Lion and the Cobra, she became pregnant with her first son Jake with her session drummer John Reynolds before the couple tied the knot in 1987.
Her first album was hailed “a sensation” which went on to reach gold record status and earned her a Grammy nomination.
Following the release of her second album 1990s I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, she developed the stage performance we know her for today – particularly her signature shaved head.
It is understood that her decision to chop her locks was an act of defiance to speak out against traditional views of women.
She said: “I don’t feel like me unless I have my hair shaved. So even when I’m an old lady, I’m going to have it.”
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The album included the record-breaking hit Nothing Compares 2 U that catapulted her to superstar status.
The single was originally written by Prince for his side project, The Family, which went on to become the eighth most successful single of the 1990s.
It received worldwide recognition and earner her several Grammy nominations before she won her first award in 1991 for Best Alternative Music Performance.
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Sinéad was also named Artist of the Year by Rolling Stone magazine later that year.
In 1994 she was nominated for another two Grammy Awards for her release Universal Mother and toured with Lollapalooza in 1995.
The star pulled out of the tour when she became pregnant with Irish journalist John Waters and later gave birth to her second child, a daughter named Roisin.
Apart from children Jake and Roisin, she had a third child, Shane, in 2004 with musician Donal Lunny, and Yeshua, with Frank Bonadio.
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The singer went on to walk down the aisle to British journalist Nick Sommerlad in 2001, but their marriage was short-lived after the pair split three years later.
In 2010, she married her long time friend and collaborator Steve Cooney which lasted 12 months before they divorced.
Her fourth marriage was to Irish therapist Barry Herridge which was her shortest marriage to date, lasting just 17 days.
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When it came to her sexuality, Sinéad said in a 2000 interview that she was a lesbian and had three relationships with women in her life despite only publicly dating men. However years later she said she “was not in a box of any description.”
O’Connor is also a grandmother after her son and his partner welcomed a beautiful baby boy in 2015.
Her battle with her mental health began first came to life in 2007 when she appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show where she revealed she’d been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2003 and even attempted suicide on her 33rd birthday back in 1999.
(Image: Mark Doyle / SplashNews.com)
Then in 2012, O’Connor announced on her website that she was “very unwell” after she suffered a breakdown towards the end of 2011.
In 2014, she told fans that she was not in fact bipolar and later credited her mental state on the lack of hormone-replacement therapy following a hysterectomy.
Aside from her music, O’Connor used her platform to raise awareness for charities, issues and causes throughout her career.
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However the hitmaker was at the centre of many controversies during her lengthy career.
Arguably her most notable controversy took place in 1992 when she used a performance on Saturday Night Love to protest child abuse by ripping a picture of Pope John Paul II while singing the word “evil.”
In the late 90s, O’Connor was ordained as a priest and asked fans to be called Mother Bernadette Mary.
(Image: Getty Images)
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After releasing her 2003 double album She Who Dwells in the Secret Place of the Most High Shall Abide Under the Shadow of the Almighty, she announced her retirement from music.
But that wasn’t the end for Sinéad who came back with a bang two years later when she released a Reggae album in 2005 after she spent time in Jamaica in 2004.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
