She was known for her powerful and beautiful voice, her outspoken political activism, and the personal struggles she faced over the years. Her family announced her death, but no further details or date were disclosed. The statement read, "It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Sinéad O'Connor."
O'Connor's recording of "Nothing Compares 2 U" became one of her biggest successes in the early 1990s. She challenged gender norms in the music industry by defying expectations of how women should sound and appear.
Her debut album, released in 1987, was a remarkable achievement not only because of her beautiful face gracing the cover but also her shaved head and delicate hands crossed protectively over her heart. The album's title, "The Lion and the Cobra," references a verse from Psalm 91 about faith's power and protection, which was significant in O'Connor's life during that time.
"I grew up in seriously abusive conditions, and my mother is the kettle," O'Connor told NPR in 2014. "So much child abuse consists of being voiceless, and it's a wonderful healing thing to make a sound."
O'Connor began making sounds in the homes of troubled young people, having herself left Catholic schools and fallen into a cycle of shoplifting. But a kind woman gave her a guitar, and she began to sing, first on the streets of Dublin and later with the big band In Tua Nua.
She caught the attention of U2's guitarist The Edge, who signed her to the Ensign/Chrysalis label. Her second studio album, "I Don't Want What I Haven't Got," released in 1990, achieved double platinum status, largely due to the immensely popular love song written by Prince: "Nothing Compares 2 U."
What "I Don't Want What I Haven't Got" represented was a raw expression of O'Connor's emotions and her anger at social injustices. She famously declined her four Grammy nominations, calling them too commercial and stating, "to kill the human soul." She was banned from performing in New Jersey after refusing to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" with its lyrics praising bombs exploding in the air.
0 Comments