Sineád O’Connor, the acclaimed Irish singer and activist, has died at the age of 56, according to a statement from her family given to Irish TV and radio broadcaster RTÉ (via The Irish Times).
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time,” reads the statement from O’Connor’s family. Currently, no cause of death or date has been given.
O’Connor is survived by three of her children. A son, Shane, passed away last year at the age of 17.
Throughout her music career, O’Connor — who changed her name to Shuhada’ Sadaqat after converting to Islam in 2018, but performed under O’Connor still — released 10 total studio albums, her most popular being her second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, which featured a cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
The cover turned O’Connor into a superstar, becoming a No. 1 hit in more than 20 countries and spending four weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 in 1990 upon its release, while also garnering a handful of Grammy nominations.
Following her music career, O’Connor is best known for her now-infamous appearance on an episode of Saturday Night Live in 1992. During her performance, she sang a cover of Bob Marley’s “War,” substituting lyrics to mention child abuse at the hands of the Catholic Church. At the end of the performance, O’Connor held up a photo of Pope John Paul II and ripped it in half.
ComingSoon sends condolences to O’Connor’s family and friends at this time.
