Sinead O’Connor, RIP

Sinead O’Connor, RIP

RIP

norman lebrecht

July 26, 2023

The iconoclastic Irish singer Sinead O’Connor has died at 56, her family have announced.

No cause is yet known.

The Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said her music ‘was loved around the world and her talent was unmatched and beyond compare’.

Comments

  • May says:

    There is no doubt that she suffered greatly. That being said, I feel she single-handedly ushered in the climate of mentally ill people who are thrust into the public arena and who succeed by displaying more and more neurotic behaviour. She paved the way for a generation of « victims « who should have been receiving treatment instead of garnishing fame.

    • Paul Bradshaw says:

      The media and the public did this. You can’t blame one outspoken individual for such things…..She succeeded as an artist before the media started jumping on her every comment. The media didn’t have to give her a platform for her thoughts, but they did and made a lot of money out of doing so. The public lapped it up and caused the media to keep going. She’s certainly not the first person with such issues to become famous!

  • Lawrence Kershaw says:

    What a tragedy. Huge talent, extraordinary human being and a genuine icon. Troubled, of course, but many of the greats often are.

  • Zarathusa says:

    She hasn’t been the same since her son’s suicide last year. How utterly tragic! An extraordinary life-long talent who could never successfully deal with the legion of demons that haunted and destroyed her musical career time after unfortunate time! RIP, my angel! May you find relief and peace at last!

    • Una says:

      No mother expects to bury their kids before them, and there is no greater loss in life than loseca child but then through suicide, even worse. One is always left wondering if it could have been avoided by those left behind. May they both rest in peace. A great loss.

      • Sue Sonata Form says:

        I have a friend whose son killed himself in February; his father had to cut him down. The man was 45 and had endured years of drug addiction. As a child he was a lovely young fellow and my children went to school with him.

        Despite the horror and grief of the family I feel sure that this man is in a better place now. That’s one thing to keep us sane with suicide in these instances; the pain was unbearable and now it’s not.

        If it’s accidental that’s even more horrific.

  • A.L. says:

    ‘…her talent was … beyond compare.’
    Nothing compares to you

  • Brettermeier says:

    Rest in peace.

  • Roland says:

    This is very sad. Obviously her wounded soul didn’t get over losing her son who committed suicide 11/2 years ago. 30 years ago she showed her rage against the Catholic Church by tearing a picture of the pope publicly into pieces. In times of ‚Me too‘ her courage would have been praised, but 30 years ago, unfortunately it meant the end of her career. With ‚Nothing compares to you‘ she will stay in our hearts. May she rest in peace!

    • zayin says:

      If a musician were to rip up the current pope’s picture today, the conservative wing of the Catholic church would join in and the liberal wing would shrug.

  • Dominic Stafford says:

    Anyone who’s heard The Lion and The Cobra knows that she was a huge talent. It is all such a shame. Her abuse at the hands of her mother, then at the hands of the Roman Catholic church, and her determination to see that those who came after her would be safe – all of these are remarkable. RIP.

  • Simon says:

    Although a song writer of moderate success, her only real hit was written by the genius that was Prince. He recognised that her true talent was vocal and she brought something unique to his opus. A troubled soul with many personal issues and family problems, and which of us is without those. A sad loss on those terms, if nothing else.

    • Paul Bradshaw says:

      Before making a comment like that, you should have done some research. She had 9 top 40 UK singles, either on her own, or as a collaborator. Many of her songs were hits all over the world. Most of her albums charted highly in many countries, including the US. She collaborated with numerous important artists, including, in the classical sphere, the Irish Chamber Orchestra. Also, Prince did not choose her to sing that song, she chose to sing it herself. She and Prince met once AFTER she had that hit, and they had a big fight!

  • EW says:

    I’m sad to hear of her passing, RIP Sinead. She kept on recording and made a lovely record of traditional Irish songs called Sean Nos. Worth seeking out, IMHO.

  • djb12345 says:

    A terrible loss. There’s a clip on YouTube of her singing “first time ever I saw your face”. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard.

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