Tributes pour in after legendary singer Sinead O’Connor dies, aged 56
Following the news of her tragic passing, Sinead O’Connor has been remembered as a ‘rebel and warrior’. The Irish singer’s family confirmed her death in a shared statement on Wednesday (26 July). “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad,” they said. “Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.” Police, who said she was found “unresponsive” and was “pronounced dead at the scene”, are not treating her death as suspicious.
O’Connor was best known for her classic 1990 ballad ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’, which is one of the most commercially successful singles of all time.
She was also notorious for her activism and political views, as well as her trauma and mental health struggles. During a 1992 appearance on SNL, O’Connor memorably protested the cover up of the Catholic Church sexual abuse cases as she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II.
O’Connor was met with widespread condemnation (including from Madonna) and her career suffered as a result. In her 2021 memoir Rememberings, however, O’Connor said she never once regretted her decision: “Everyone wants a pop star, see?
