Sinéad O’Connor, also known as Shuhada’ Sadaqat, was an acclaimed Irish singer-songwriter and activist who passed away on July 26, 2023 at the age of 56.
She rose to fame with her 1987 debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved international success with her 1990 album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got.
O’Connor was known for her powerful, unique voice and her outspoken activism on issues like child abuse in the Catholic Church.
In 1992, she famously tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live as a protest. She was an Independent Catholic priest who rejected the authority of Rome.
Siblings
O’Connor had four siblings.
Her brother Joseph O’Connor is a successful author. Eimear O’Connor, another sister, is a published author and scholar.
She also had two younger brothers: Eoin, who works for Sony Music Ireland and John, who is a psychotherapist.
Career
O’Connor’s career spanned over three decades and was marked by both commercial success and controversy.
She released her debut album The Lion and the Cobra in 1987, which featured her first hit single, Mandinka, and led to her television debut in the US on Late Night with David Letterman at the age of 21.
Her second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, released in 1990, catapulted her to global stardom with the iconic single, Nothing Compares 2 U.
The same year, she performed at Glastonbury Festival in the UK.
In 1992, O’Connor sparked global criticism when she ripped up a picture of Pope John Paul II during a performance on Saturday Night Live, a protest against child sex abuse in the Catholic Church.
This event, though controversial, cemented her reputation as a protest artist who used her platform to speak out on various issues, including human rights, Irish politics and mental health.
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Despite the backlash, O’Connor continued to release music and engage in activism.
She was ordained as a Latin Tridentine priest in 1999 and later converted to Islam in 2018, changing her name to Shuhada’ Sadaqat.
Throughout her career, O’Connor released nearly a dozen albums, collaborated with other artists, and contributed music to various causes.
Her final studio album, No Veteran Dies Alone, was due to be released in 2022 but was postponed following the death of her son Shane.
Awards
O’Connor won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Performance in 1991 for the album I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, a Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist in 1991 and a World Soundtrack Award in 2012 for the song, Lay Your Head Down.
She was also nominated for a Grammy Award in 1988 for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for her debut album The Lion and the Cobra.
In addition to these awards, O’Connor was dubbed the “first superstar of the 1990s” by Rolling Stone magazine.
He was highly regarded for her powerful, unique voice and her ability to tackle controversial subjects through her music.
Cause of death
O’Connor died of natural causes at the age of 56 in July 2023.
A London coroner’s office confirmed that she died from natural causes and has ceased its involvement in her death.
O’Connor was found unresponsive at her home in London and pronounced dead at the scene with the police stating that her death was not being treated as suspicious.
The singer’s family released a statement expressing their devastation and requesting privacy at the time of her passing.
Tributes poured in from admirers and fellow musicians, who celebrated O’Connor’s life and legacy.
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