93 votes

Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor dies aged 56

17 comments

  1. aphoenix
    Link
    The absolute chutzpah to stand on live TV and rip up a picture of the Pope is still awe-inspiring all these years later, but Sinead O'Connor is so much more interesting than just that moment. What...

    The absolute chutzpah to stand on live TV and rip up a picture of the Pope is still awe-inspiring all these years later, but Sinead O'Connor is so much more interesting than just that moment. What a troubled, inspiring, and interesting person - I recommend reading about her here for some information about her life, and definitely check out some of her albums if you haven't heard anything beyond "Nothing Compares 2U".

    40 votes
  2. AgnesNutter
    Link
    I have a very early memory of seeing Nothing Compares on tv and being completely enchanted by her. I thought she was the absolute height of coolness with her shaved head, it opened up a whole new...

    I have a very early memory of seeing Nothing Compares on tv and being completely enchanted by her. I thought she was the absolute height of coolness with her shaved head, it opened up a whole new world of femininity for a girl who loved barbies and dolls and pink.

    She was so ahead of her time. Now, post #metoo, she’d be lauded for speaking out like she did. Instead people laughed at her. She was an activist at a time when that was something fringe and shameful in the media. For all her troubles, she remains a deeply inspiring woman, reminding everyone, but women especially, to make ourselves be heard. To say what needs to be said and damn the consequences.

    25 votes
  3. [8]
    Sodliddesu
    Link
    Damn, article doesn't say what happened (understandable) but going only a year after her son it could've just been a broken heart.

    Damn, article doesn't say what happened (understandable) but going only a year after her son it could've just been a broken heart.

    10 votes
    1. [6]
      boxer_dogs_dance
      Link Parent
      It could also have been suicide. I read a couple different articles. None say exactly what happened.

      It could also have been suicide. I read a couple different articles. None say exactly what happened.

      6 votes
      1. [2]
        Sodliddesu
        Link Parent
        I shudder to think it might be that but 56 is pretty young. Then again, the world has lost plenty of people unexpectedly and I could see her being a private person if she was fighting something.

        I shudder to think it might be that but 56 is pretty young. Then again, the world has lost plenty of people unexpectedly and I could see her being a private person if she was fighting something.

        4 votes
        1. boxer_dogs_dance
          Link Parent
          At the end of the day, she was a great person who had strong influence for good in the world and brought joy to people through her music.

          At the end of the day, she was a great person who had strong influence for good in the world and brought joy to people through her music.

          5 votes
      2. [3]
        grumble
        Link Parent
        I've definitely seen a lot of the less reputable news sources provide thinly veiled implications of that. Gratefully, the good ones remained objective.

        I've definitely seen a lot of the less reputable news sources provide thinly veiled implications of that.

        Gratefully, the good ones remained objective.

    2. Good_Apollo
      Link Parent
      We don't know yet but given her mental health struggles and saying she was suicidal at times coupled with her own son taking his life not long ago I wouldn't be surprised to learn she followed...

      We don't know yet but given her mental health struggles and saying she was suicidal at times coupled with her own son taking his life not long ago I wouldn't be surprised to learn she followed suit with her ideations.

      5 votes
  4. [2]
    HCEarwick
    Link
    She was the first person I ever saw live in concert, Mann Music Center in Philly during the summer of 1990. Still one of my favorites after all these years.

    She was the first person I ever saw live in concert, Mann Music Center in Philly during the summer of 1990. Still one of my favorites after all these years.

    8 votes
    1. AgnesNutter
      Link Parent
      I saw her in the early 2010s. Wasn’t she just magical on stage?! Such a presence

      I saw her in the early 2010s. Wasn’t she just magical on stage?! Such a presence

      3 votes
  5. [2]
    vili
    Link
    For a couple of decades, Sinead O'Connor was one of those artists that I had a lot of respect for but didn't quite connect with artistically. This changed with her 2014 album I'm Not Bossy, I'm...

    For a couple of decades, Sinead O'Connor was one of those artists that I had a lot of respect for but didn't quite connect with artistically. This changed with her 2014 album I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss, which instantly became one of my favourite albums. Something about it just clicks with me so perfectly, and it also functioned as the gateway through which I began to appreciate her whole musical output, basically working backwards chronologically.

    Sadly, it ended up being her last release. But if you are looking to explore her career, and the early, more popular albums don't for some reason quite do it for you, I just wanted to suggest giving I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss a try.

    6 votes
  6. [2]
    cfabbro
    Link
    Related video from Letters Live that I found quite touching: Ferdinand Kingsley reads a father's letter about Sinead O'Connor

    Related video from Letters Live that I found quite touching:
    Ferdinand Kingsley reads a father's letter about Sinead O'Connor

    In July 2023, following the tragic death of Sinead O’Connor, an incredibly moving letter was published in The Telegraph by a reader named Philip Woolcock.

    Ferdinand Kingsley joined us at 2023's Wilderness Festival in Oxfordshire to read it.

    2 votes
    1. AgnesNutter
      Link Parent
      That’s beautiful. Thanks for posting

      That’s beautiful. Thanks for posting

      3 votes