Sinead OConnor, punk protest singer, has passed away at the age of 56

Sinéad O’Connor has passed away at the age of 56 years old. Her son Shane O’Connor died in January 2022, and reportedly Sinead was never the same after his death. Her family released a statement after Sinead’s passing: “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.”

I’m from a generation which fell in love with her delicate Irish voice on her cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” and I’m also part of the generation which didn’t understand her protest against the Catholic Church. In 1992, she was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, and after a cover of Bob Marley’s “War,” Sinead ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II. The outrage was HUGE. It changed the course of her life, it changed the music industry. Years later, we understand. We understand what the Catholic Church did. We understand how many pedophiles and abusers were hiding in the Church. We understand how the Church destroyed lives and families in Ireland. Looking back on that SNL moment now, more than 30 years later… it was so prescient, so punk-rock, such a “burn this f–ker down” moment.

Sinead’s life in her later years was chaotic – she still released music under her birth name, but she converted to Islam and for a while, she changed her name to Shuhada’ Sadaqat. She was married four times and she was a mother to four children.

for all us street kids, for all us wildlings, when sinead got huge, it felt like one of us made it. It was incredible. im not trying to compare myself or anyone else to sinead, she is one of a kind, but thats what it felt like to me. like she was one of us. she was like billie…

— Flea (@flea333) July 27, 2023

Sinead was a force of nature. A brilliant songwriter & performer whose talent we will not see the like of again. Such passion, such intense presence & a beautiful soul, who battled her own personal demons courageously. Be at peace dear Sinead, you will forever be in our hearts. t pic.twitter.com/lJVhGfuTPA

— tori amos (@toriamos) July 26, 2023

The biggest impression Sinéad O’Connor made on me was her performance at the Bob Dylan tribute show a few days after she ripped up the pope’s pic on SNL. She doubled down on her criticism of the church even while being booed by all of Madison Square Garden – she was 26 & so brave pic.twitter.com/Q5vASO2Zs7

— c a i t l i n (@hello__caitlin) July 26, 2023

Sinead O’Connor played Gay Pride in 1988, alongside Erasure, just a month after Section 28 had been passed.
Pride back then was much more of a protest, lesbians and gays were treated as 2nd class citizens.
Performing at Pride was a sign of allyship, when there were few to be had. pic.twitter.com/vJOF8q7LX9

— Matthew Hodson (@Matthew_Hodson) July 26, 2023

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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