Nearly one year to the day after her shocking passing, we finally know exactly what took Sinéad O’Connor’s life.
After the beloved Irish singer was tragically found unresponsive in her London home last July, police opened an investigation but declared that her death was “not being treated as suspicious.” Updates were slim, but six months later in January, a representative for London’s Southwark Coroner’s Court confirmed to TMZ that the late activist died of “natural causes.” There weren’t many other details, but the coroner “ceased their investigation in her death” after coming to the conclusion.
But we now know exactly what those “natural causes” were.
On Sunday, multiple outlets cited her death certificate, which reveals the late 56-year-old passed away as the result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. According to the certificate, she was also battling a respiratory tract infection at the time of her death. The certificate officially declares her death as:
“Exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma together with low grade lower respiratory tract infection.”
So sad.
According to the Irish Independent, Sinéad’s death was officially registered by her ex-husband John Reynolds on Wednesday in Lambeth, London. The activist’s death was certified by Julian Morris, senior coroner for Inner South London.
It is an increasingly “grand tradition” in the genre of songwriting. Not to mention a rite of passage for any major pop star who stirs up enough controversy. That tradition being to “clapback” at the faceless blob known as “The Critics” (though some are simply trying to treat art with the seriousness it should be imbued with—but try telling that to a stan, or a celebrity as convinced of her perfection as Lana Del Rey). With Ariana Grande’s lead single from Eternal Sunshine, “yes, and?,” she revives this grand tradition with the help of the inspiration that came from being, let’s just say it, a homewrecker (a song title that’s already been used, to memorable effect, by Marina and the Diamonds [now MARINA], and appears on the list below). Repurposing the narrative to her benefit with a song that takes ownership of loving a certain babyface ginger dick, Ethan Slater. Best known, that’s right, for his portrayal of SpongeBob SquarePants in the musical of the same name (Grande always has a fetish for the wiry, slightly gay types).
While “yes, and?” can’t quite surpass a track like Madonna’s “Human Nature” in terms of its stinging qualities against the critics (e.g., “I’m not your bitch/Don’t hang your shit on me”), it’s definitely become instantly “up there” among the ranks of iconic clapbacks in song form. Below are a few other noteworthy ones from the past few decades, in no particular order.
“shut up” by Ariana Grande:Obviously no stranger to criticism by the time 2020’s Positions rolled around, it was fitting that Grande should kick off that album with the saucy “shut up.” A clear message to critics, tabloid headlines and online trolls alike, Grande’s directive was simple: “You know you sound so dumb (so dumb, so dumb, so dumb)/So maybe you should shut up/Yeah maybe you should shut up.” Elsewhere, she points out that those who tend to criticize tend to have the most time on their hands and are also plenty criticizable themselves. Thus, she adds, “How you been spendin’ you time?/How you be usin’ your tongue?/You be so worried ‘bout mine/Can’t even get yourself none.” That line about “using one’s tongue” also foreshadowed the lyric from “yes, and?” that goes, “My tongue is sacred/I speak upon what I like.” Because, apparently, it’s only okay when Ari does that, not critics.
“Without Me” by Eminem: Released as the lead single from Eminem’s fourth album, The Eminem Show, “Without Me” was a sequel, of sorts, to “The Real Slim Shady” from 2000’s The Marshall Mathers LP. By 2002, when The Eminem Show came out, Eminem was, even more than Grande, extremely well-versed in being caught in the melee of critics’ and politicians’ contempt. Not to mention the fellow celebrities/public figures Eminem was wont to name-check in his songs. In “Without Me,” that includes Dick and Lynne Cheney, Elvis Presley, Chris Kirkpatrick of *NSYNC, Limp Bizkit, Moby and Obie Trice (though Obie is only mentioned in reference to “stomping” on Moby). More than anything, however, Eminem’s intent is to remind all of his detractors how “empty” it would feel without him in the music industry. Hence, the earworm of a chorus, “Now, this looks like a job for me/So everybody, just follow me/‘Cause we need a little controversy/‘Cause it feels so empty without me.” The accompanying video portraying Eminem as a superhero rather than a villain only added to the efficacy of his jibe at critics.
“The Emperor’s New Clothes” by Sinead O’Connor: Although “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” the second single from I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, is about many things, one of its most fundamental verses is peak “clapback at the critics,” of which there were already many—especially in conservative Catholic Ireland—at the time of O’Connor’s second record release. The verse in question goes: “There’s millions of people/Who offer advice and say how I should be/But they’re twisted and they will never be/Any influence on me/But you will always be/You will always be.” In this way, O’Connor insists that the public perception or criticism of her will never matter—only the opinion and viewpoint of the one she truly loves (at that time, producer John Reynolds) will. The video for the song also heightens the notion of O’Connor continuing to perform however she wants to and say whatever she wants to as its entire premise is just her dancing and singing onstage in front of an expectedly judgmental crowd.
“Human Nature” by Madonna: The occasional Sinead adversary, Madonna, brought listeners the inarguable mack daddy of all clapback songs in 1994, with the release of Bedtime Stories (still among one of Madonna’s most underrated records). A direct reference to her treatment and the general slut-shaming that occurred during her Sex book and Erotica era, Madonna wanted to remind critics that she may have forgiven, but she didn’t forget. As the fourth and final single from the album, “Human Nature” differed from the previous singles (including “Secret,” “Take A Bow” and “Bedtime Story”) in that it deliberately sought to remind listeners and critics alike that, despite presenting a “softer side” for this record, the defiant, devil-may-care Madonna was still there. Ready to pounce—and in a black latex bodysuit, too. For just as iconic as the song itself was the Jean-Baptiste Mondino-directed video, awash in S&M aesthetics inspired by Eric Stanton. As Madonna herself said of the track, “The song is about, um, basically saying, ‘Don’t put me in a box, don’t pin me down, don’t tell me what I can and can’t say and it’s about breaking out of restraints.” The restraints that critics have, so often, foolishly tried to place on Madonna.
“Like It Or Not” by Madonna: By 2005, Madonna had more than just the usual critics on her back. After turning forty-seven, Madonna kept pushing the so-called limits of pop stardom by daring to keep not only releasing records and performing live, but still dressing “too scantily” “for her age.” Complete with the leotards and fishnets that characterized her Confessions on a Dance Floor period. Fittingly, “Like It Or Not” served as the finale to the record, with Madonna promising her detractors, “This is who I am/You can like it or not/You can love me or leave me/‘Cause I’m never gonna stop.” Turns out, she might have been directing those comments at Guy Ritchie as well.
“Vulgar” by Sam Smith and Madonna: In case you couldn’t tell by now, Madonna is not just the Queen of Pop but clearly the Queen of the Clapback—as further evidenced by this modern update to the content and attitude of “Human Nature.” Sam Smith and Madonna came together for this song after the latter’s condemnation for her appearance (too obviously riddled with plastic surgery—that was the usual critique) at the 2023 Grammys and after Smith, too, was criticized for his increasingly “fat” and “effete” appearance during the Gloria album rollout and the according visuals that came with it (including the video for “Unholy”—during which Smith is dressed in some very Madonna-as-Dita attire). Teaming up to hit back at those who would try to keep them down (even though Madonna has far more experience with that than Smith), the duo triumphantly announces, “Got nothing left to prove/You know you’re beautiful when they call you/Vulgar/I do what I wanna/I go when I gotta/I’m sexy, I’m free and I feel, uh/Vulgar.”
“Your Early Stuff” by Pet Shop Boys: The Madonna-adjacent (in terms of gay fanbase, musical stylings and coming up in the 80s) Pet Shop Boys also know a thing or two about being critiqued. Especially when it comes to the main criticism being that they’ve been around “too long.” As though an artist should simply pack it in because some arcane alarm clock goes off in their head about being “too old” to continue when, the reality is, true artists keep creating art until the day they die. Featured on 2012’s Elysium (the duo’s eleventh album), Neil Tennant had no trouble writing the song as, per his own words, “Every single line in that song, every single thing has been said to me.” This includes such backhanded “compliments” as, “You’ve been around but you don’t look too rough/And I still quite like some of your early stuff/It’s bad in a good way, if you know what I mean/The sound of those old machines” and “Those old videos look pretty funny/What’s in it for you now, need the money?/They say that management never used to pay/Honestly, you were ripped off back in the day.” Unlike the other songs on this list, “Your Early Stuff” is perhaps most unique for stemming directly from the criticisms of the common people, as opposed to more ivory tower-y, “legitimate” critics.
“URL Badman” by Lily Allen: Another British addition to the list, this still too-untreasured gem from Lily Allen’s equally untreasured Sheezus record, “URL Badman” is Allen at her most delightfully snarky (which is saying something, as she she’s quite gifted with snark). Taking little boys who write for the likes of Complex and Vice (RIP, but that’s karma) to task, Allen speaks from the myopic perspective of the URL Badman in question, declaring, “It’s not for me, it must be wrong/I could ignore it and move on/But I’m a broadband champion/A URL badman,” also adding, “And if you’re tryna call it art/I’ll have to take it all apart/I got a high-brow game plan/A URL badman/I’m a U-R-L-B-A-D-M-A-N with no empathy.” This speaking to the crux of how musicians feel about critics in general.
“Attention” by Doja Cat: Released as the lead single from Scarlet, Doja Cat’s mountains of controversy had piled up significantly by 2023, chief among them being her blithe defense of dating a white supremacist/sexual abuser and her venomous attack against her own fanbase, who she told to “get a job”—the usual dig made by people who think paid time for unsatisfying labor is supposed to make you a more worthwhile person on this planet (hence, “Billie Eilish Is A Jobist”). “Attention” paired well with this rash of events, with Doja Cat creepily talking about some invisible monster (perhaps what Lady Gaga would call “the fame monster” inside of her) that needs the attention, not her. It’s a very, “That wasn’t me, that was Patricia” defense, and maybe “Scarlet” is the easier part of herself to blame for needing her ego to be fed. Nonetheless, she still demands of the critics, “Look at me, look at me, you lookin’?” later mocking them with the verse, “I readed all the comments sayin’, ‘D, I’m really shooketh,’ ‘D, you need to see a therapist, is you lookin’?’/Yes, the one I got, they really are the best/Now I feel like I can see you bitches is depressed/I am not afraid to finally say shit with my chest.” Obviously, that last line sounds familiar thanks to appearing in the chorus of Grande’s “yes, and?” when she urges, “Yes, and?/Say that shit with your chest.” In another moment of skewering the critics, Doja Cat balks, “Talk your shit about me, I can easily disprove it, it’s stupid/You follow me, but you don’t really care about the music.”
“Taco Truck x VB” by Lana Del Rey: Lana Del Rey has often felt similarly. And, like Sinead O’Connor’s “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” it’s one verse in particular that makes Del Rey’s lengthy “Taco Truck x VB” (the “VB” being an abbreviation for a previously unreleased version of Norman Fucking Rockwell’s “Venice Bitch”) stand out as a clapback track. The one that shrugs, “Spin it till you whip it into white cream, baby/Print it into black and white pages don’t faze me/Before you talk, let me stop what you’re saying/I know, I know, I know that you hate me.” And just like that, Del Rey dismisses all responsibility for dubious behavior….like wearing a Native American headdress, posing a non sequitur “question for the culture,” posting unblurred-out videos of black and brown protesters/looters during the BLM of summer 2020 or insisting she’s not racist because she’s dated plenty of rappers (on a side note: no one knows who she might be talking about apart from white “rapper” G-Eazy).
“Homewrecker” by Marina and the Diamonds: Even if Marina Diamandis a.k.a. Marina and the Diamonds a.k.a. MARINA is singing from the perspective of her alter ego, Electra Heart, 2012’s “Homewrecker” is still plenty viable as a clapback song. And it definitely ties into Ariana Grande’s overarching theme on “yes, and?,” which is a direct addressment of the critics who have called her, that’s right, homewrecker. Opening with the tongue-in-cheek lyrics, “Every boyfriend is the one/Until otherwise proven…/And love it never happens like you think it really should,” MARINA paints the picture of a woman who won’t be torn down by the slut-shaming insults lobbied against her. Besides, as she announces (in the spirit of Holly Golightly), “And I don’t belong to anyone/They call me homewrecker, homewrecker.” She gets even cheekier when she adds, “I broke a million hearts just for fun” and “I guess you could say that my life’s a mess/But I’m still lookin’ pretty in this dress.” This latter line reminding one of Grande’s lyric on “we can’t be friends (wait for your love),” “You got me misunderstood/But at least I look this good.”
“Piece of Me” by Britney Spears: No stranger to being called a homewrecker herself after getting together with Kevin Federline in 2004, when Shar Jackson was pregnant with his second child, Spears was already jaded about critical lambastings by 2007. And “Piece of Me” was the only appropriate response to all the scrutiny (especially after Spears was reamed for her performance of “Gimme More” at the 2007 VMAs). Thus, she unleashed it as the second single from Blackout. Having endured the critical lashings of her every move, 2007 was also the year that Spears famously shaved her head at a Tarzana salon, providing plenty of grist for the tabloid mill. But to her endlessly stalking paparazzi and the various critics, Spears roared back, “You want a piece of me?/I’m Mrs. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous/I’m Mrs. Oh My God That Britney’s Shameless/I’m Mrs. Extra! Extra! This Just In!/You want a piece of me/I’m Mrs. She’s Too Big Now She’s Too Thin.” So apropos to her entire existence in the spotlight, Spears’ Vegas residency would end up being called that as well—a heartbreaking choice considering how many pieces her family took of her to make her endure that ceaseless run of performances.
“Rumors” by Lindsay Lohan: Inarguably Lindsay Lohan’s only solid contribution to the music business, “Rumors” embodies the apex of 00s tabloid culture, awash in all the language of voyeurism (“I can see that you’re watchin’ me/And you’re probably gonna write what you didn’t see”). And Lohan made the mistake of releasing it slightly before she would really be turned into a tabloid/late night talk show joke. This stemming from her overt dependency on drugs and alcohol at a time when a movie titled Herbie: Fully Loaded was going to come out. Cue all the obvious jibes. If only “Rumors” had been released just a year later to secure maximum impact as a defense for her clubbing/party girl behavior. Even so, it remains what RuPaul would call safe as part of the clapback canon.
“Industry Baby” by Lil Nas X featuring Jack Harlow: In 2021, Lil Nas X came under fire by Nike for selling a limited run of Satan Shoes featuring the famous swoosh logo with the help of MSCHF, an art collective based in Brooklyn. Nike sued for trademark infringement, prompting Lil Nas X to create quite the tailored concept for the premise of the “Industry Baby” video (with the title sardonically alluding to the insult “industry plant”). Incidentally, it was directed by Christian Breslauer, who would also go on to direct Grande’s “yes, and?” video. But Lil Nas X wasn’t just rebelling against the lawsuit, but all of his haters in general, rapping, “You was never really rooting for me anyway/When I’m back up at the top, I wanna hear you say/‘He don’t run from nothin’, dog’/Get your soldiers, tell ’em that the break is over.” And while co-production from Ye (a.k.a. Kanye West) has left some taint on the track, it still packs a punch when it comes to walloping the critics.
“Mean” by Taylor Swift: Probably the most flaccid of the clapback tracks on this list, “Mean” was a direct response to music critic Bob Lefsetz, who reviewed Taylor Swift’s 2010 performance at the Grammys less than favorably. Among some of his more scathing assessments about her off-key performance (made all the more noticeable because she had joined Stevie Nicks onstage) was that she full-stop “can’t sing” and that she had “destroyed her career overnight.” Nostradamus this man is not. But his words clearly stung enough for Swift to include an angry little girl clapback (something that “Look What You Made Me Do” would perfect) on 2010’s Speak Now, released nine months after she performed at the Grammys in January. Which means she found the time to tack “Mean” onto the record for optimal impact. Even so, Lefsetz would rightly note later of the rumors that it was about him and his review, “If this song is really about me, I wish it were better.”
“Not My Responsibility” and “Therefore I Am” by Billie Eilish: The subject of frequent scrutiny, Billie Eilish already has two clapback at the critics songs under her belt and she’s only twenty-two years old. The first “song,” “Not My Responsibility,” wouldn’t really become a song until it appeared on her sophomore album, Happier Than Ever, in 2021. Originally created as a short film interlude for her Where Do We Go? World Tour, the song came at a time when Eilish was being constantly called out for being, let’s say, the epitome of a twenty-first century sexless pop star. A direct attack on body- and slut-shaming, Eilish softly states, “I feel you watching always/And nothing I do goes unseen/So while I feel your stares/Your disapproval/Or your sigh of relief/If I lived by them/I’d never be able to move.” This more modern commentary on what criticism in the age of social media can do extends not just to critics, but the legions of online commentators as well. A legion that Eilish also acknowledges on “Therefore I Am,” which was released later in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, ergo Eilish’s ability to film freely in a vacant Glendale Galleria. A privilege the critics she derides would never have access to. Something that shines through in her laughing taunt, “Stop, what the hell are you talking about?/Ha/Get my pretty name out of your mouth/We are not the same with or without/Don’t talk ’bout me like how you might know how I feel/Top of the world, but your world isn’t real/Your world’s an ideal.” Often, an impossible one for anybody to live up to. But such is the complex and isolating nature of being a critic.
The estate of Sinéad O’Connor said the late singer would have been “disgusted” to know former U.S. president Donald Trump used her version of Nothing Compares 2 U at his political rallies.
On Monday, O’Connor’s estate released a joint statement with the Irish singer’s label, Chrysalis Records, demanding Trump cease using her music immediately.
The statement comes after it was reported that O’Connor’s Nothing Compares 2 U was played at Trump’s recent rallies in North Carolina and Maryland, where he was drumming up support for his 2024 presidential campaign.
According to her estate, it was well known that O’Connor — who died in July at age 56 — “lived by a fierce moral code defined by honesty, kindness, fairness, and decency towards her fellow human beings.”
“It was with outrage therefore that we learned that Donald Trump has been using her iconic performance of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ at his political rallies,” reads the joint statement, which was provided to Billboard. “It is no exaggeration to say that Sinéad would have been disgusted, hurt, and insulted to have her work misrepresented in this way by someone who she herself referred to as a ‘biblical devil.’”
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O’Connor was rarely discreet about her political opinions, even when her comments led to controversy or upset.
In 2021, the Dublin-born musician told the Irish magazine Hot Press, “I actually do believe Donald Trump is the biblical Devil, the f—er.”
While noting that her take on Trump “may sound extreme,” O’Connor said she didn’t care what people thought and maintained that she is “convinced the man is actually a Satanist.”
O’Connor told the magazine that the American people should have “non-violently” dragged Trump out of political office akin to former president Richard Nixon, who resigned in 1974 before he could be impeached.
The singer’s estate and record label therefore demanded that “as the guardians of her legacy,” Trump and his team “desist from using her music immediately.”
Trump and his associates have not commented publicly on the statement from O’Connor’s people.
On July 26, 2023, O’Connor died from natural causes in her southeast London home, according to a coroner’s report.
Her death sent shockwaves through Ireland and the rest of the world, as her fans and admirers remembered the singer for her distinct voice and bold political protests.
Sinead O’Connor was a ‘trailblazer,’ Dubliners reflect on singer-songwriter’s legacy
Trump is currently campaigning for his second term in office as a hopeful Republican nominee. He was the 45th president of the United States, from 2017 to 2021.
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O’Connor’s estate is not alone in the request for Trump to stay away from an artist’s music. Several artists, including Neil Young, Aerosmith, Pharrell, Tom Petty, Rihanna and The Smiths, have also insisted Trump not use their songs during his political events.
It should be no surprise. Shane MacGowan, erstwhile songwriter and singer for the Pogues, had over the years downed oceans of whiskey and porter and ingested enough recreational drugs to get the whole bloody EU bolloxed.
Although news of his death was long expected, it was still a shock to learn that MacGowan died today. And even more so because it came not four months on the heels of the majestic Sinead O’Connor‘s death. The cause of Shane’s death wasn’t specified, but decades of abuse surely played a part. One is reminded of the famous description of Bob Dylan in the 1960s: “He wasn’t burning the candle at both ends. He was using a blowtorch on the middle.”
Dylan’s famous motorcycle accident in 1966 afforded him the chance to step away from his incendiary habits. MacGowan never found – or didn’t take advantage of – such an opportunity. The tales of wretched excess are legendary and play all-too-neatly into the “drunken Irish poet” cliché epitomized by Brendan Behan and, latterly, by Mister MacGowan. Genius is often used as an excuse for addiction and the damage to oneself and to others that follows in its wake. MacGowan’s descent was a long, slow, and painful one to observe.
Born in Kent, England on Christmas Day, 1957, MacGowan’s parents were Irish. He spent a portion of his boyhood in Tipperary. Back in England as a young man, he was one of many inspired by the punk movement to start a band. One thing led to another and the eventual result was the Pogues. (As their fans know, Pogue Mahone, the band’s original name, is Irish for “kiss my arse.”)
Much ink will be spilled recounting epic tales of the Pogues and MacGowan’s atrocious habits and even worse behavior. Such as quotes from Neil McCormick of The Telegraph, who describes Shane’s songs as “succinct narratives of the Irish diaspora in Britain and America that drew on the poetry and culture of his homeland. His songs were peppered with finely observed details, and had, at their heart, a bittersweet romantic longing for a shattered community clinging to its historical identity, and a beautiful empathy for outsiders and the downtrodden.” And the best description of that snicker, “he laughed frequently, emitting a sound halfway between white noise and an industrial accident.”
I could go onnn, but let’s focus instead on the reasons we loved – and worried about – Our Shane in the first place.
MacGowan and company officiated at the shotgun wedding of Irish Trad and Punk Rock. He brought a cold eye and a gift for the vivid detail to his lyrics, evoking the listeners’ sympathy for the rebels, runaways, and misfits who live on the rough margins of cities. “The Old Main Drag” is about a rent boy’s decline and fall:
In the cold winter nights the old town it was chill But there were boys in the cafes who’d give you cheap pills If you didn’t have the money you’d cajole or you’d beg There was always lots of Tuinol on the old main drag
One evening as I was lying down by Leicester Square I was picked up by the coppers and kicked in the balls Between the metal doors at Vine Street, I was beaten and mauled And they ruined my good looks for the old main drag…
“A Rainy Night in Soho” offers a far more tender remembrance:
I’m not singing for the future I’m not dreaming of the past I’m not talking of the first times I never think about the last
Now the song is nearly over We may never find out what it means Still, there’s a light I hold before me You’re the measure of my dreams The measure of my dreams
Years of hard living exacted a toll on MacGowan. His notoriously rotten teeth were (finally!) replaced in 2015. A fall that same year resulted in a hip injury that put him into a wheelchair. In December 2022 he was hospitalized with viral encephalitis. He’d been released from another hospital stay shortly before his death. He’s survived by his wife, the journalist Victoria Clarke, his sister, Siobhan, and his father, Maurice MacGowan.
We at Popdust adore Shane. He was one raucous lad. And this one’s for…the Mighty Kevin.
Since 2017, Phoebe Bridgers – indie music star and host of SiriusXM’s Saddest Factory Radio – has released annual holiday covers. For this year’s, she enlisted her boygenius bandmates, along with the Irish folk duo Vagabonds, for a special tribute to the late Sinéad O’Connor.The new release is a rendition of the traditional Scottish and Irish ballad “The Parting Glass.”
All net proceeds from the track will go to the Aisling Project, an after-school intervention program that works with children and young people growing up in a disadvantaged area of Dublin. The charity was selected by the Estate of Sinéad O’Connor, who recorded her own version of the song in 2002.
“We are absolutely thrilled that boygenius have chosen to give proceeds from the release to Aisling Project,” Project Leader Mícheál Clear said in a statement. “It’s an absolute privilege to be associated with the stunningly beautiful homage to Sinead O’Connor and we can’t possibly thank boygenius enough.”
Over the years, Phoebe released holiday covers of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Christmas Song, 7 O’Clock New / Silent Night,” “Day After Tomorrow,” and “So Much Wine, If we Make It Through December.”
The cover comes just days after boygenius’ Saturday Night Live performance. The indie supergroup also just received seven nominations at the 2024 Grammys – including Album of the Year for their debut full-length, the record, and Record of the Year for “Not Strong Enough.”
Check out more about Phoebe’s exclusive SiriusXM series, Saddest Factory Radio, here. In recent episodes of the show, she’s welcomed Carly Rae Jepsen, Claud, and Haley Dahl of Sloppy Jane, plus played her favorite music.
On Tuesday morning, the people of Ireland said goodbye to singer and songwriter Sinéad O’Connor.
Thousands of mourning fans gathered in the seaside town of Bray in County Wicklow, Ireland, on Tuesday morning to pay their respects to O’Connor, who died last month. She was 56.
Teary-eyed admirers lined the streets with signs, candles and poems to watch the funeral procession pass. The singer’s family invited the public to watch the procession and send their best wishes, though the actual funeral was kept private.
According to the New York Times, the procession kept with tradition and carried the star’s coffin past her last family home. Outside the residence, fans left flowers, handwritten notes, gifts and photos of O’Connor throughout her long, tumultuous career.
O’Connor lived in Bray for 15 years, the BBC reported.
People leave flowers and messages outside the former home of the late Sinéad O’Connor on Tuesday, in Bray, Ireland.
Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
Her casket was carried in a classic Volkswagen van adorned with flowers and rainbow and Rastafarian flags. Music played from a speaker attached to the top, blasting a number of O’Connor’s own hits and her favourite songs, including Natural Mystic by Bob Marley and the Wailers.
Nobody ever has to ask if Sinead O’Connor was loved. The air is filled with sadness and heartfelt love in equal measures. #SineadOConnorpic.twitter.com/wuAy2VuaSc
Fans danced, sang and cried to O’Connor’s music in the streets, with many people dressed in the colours of the Irish flag. Others held signs that read “Black Lives Matter,” “Gay Rights” and “Fight the Real Enemy,” a nod to O’Connor’s passion for social justice and advocacy.
People attend the funeral of 56-year-old Irish musician Sinéad O’Connor, in Bray, North Wicklow, Ireland on Tuesday.
Mostafa Darwish/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
For many of O’Connor’s fans, her rebellious spirit and anti-establishment beliefs — particularly toward the Roman Catholic Church — are as important a legacy as her music.
“She was so passionate, and she was so forthright, and she stood up for people who couldn’t stand up for themselves,” said Pauline Scullion, a mourner who attended the funeral procession. “She spoke for people who couldn’t speak for themselves, and she was vilified for it, and that was just wrong. Time has proven that she was right.”
Sinéad O’Connor’s coffin is seen inside a classic Volkswagen van on Tuesday.
Paul Faith/AFP via Getty Images
Irish President Michael D Higgins, his wife Sabina and Irish Prime Minister (called Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar attended the private funeral service.
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“The outpouring of grief and appreciation of the life and work of Sinéad O’Connor demonstrates the profound impact which she had on the Irish people,” Higgins said. “The unique contribution of Sinéad involved the experience of a great vulnerability combined with a superb, exceptional level of creativity that she chose to deliver through her voice, her music and her songs.”
The cause of O’Connor’s death has not been released publicly. She was found unresponsive in her London home on July 26. Police have said the singer’s death is not suspicious.
O’Connor reached true superstardom when she released her cover of Prince’s ballad Nothing Compares 2 U in 1990, a shattering performance that topped charts from Europe to Australia.
Flowers and tributes are pictured outside the former home of Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor, in Bray, eastern Ireland, ahead of her funeral on Tuesday.
Paul Faith/AFP via Getty Images
She was a lifelong non-conformist — she would say that she shaved her head in response to record executives pressuring her to be conventionally glamourous — but her political and cultural stances and troubled private life often overshadowed her music. O’Connor was also widely known for tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II while appearing live on NBC’s Saturday Night Live.
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O’Connor announced in 2018 that she had converted to Islam and would be adopting the name Shuhada’ Sadaqat — although she continued to use Sinéad O’Connor professionally.
Some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities are paying tribute to the late Irish singer and songwriter Sinéad O’Connor, who died Wednesday.
Pink and Brandi Carlile
Following news of O’Connor’s death on Wednesday, singers Pink and Brandi Carlile performed a heartwarming rendition of O’Connor’s hit song Nothing Compares 2 U on stage in Cincinnati, Ohio.
“When I was a little girl, my mom grew up in Atlantic City and I used to go down to the Ocean City Boardwalk with my $10 and I would make a demo tape,” Pink told the crowd. “It would always be either Greatest Love of All by Whitney Houston or Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinéad O’Connor.”
Pink asked Carlile to come onto the stage to perform Nothing Compares 2 U as a duet.
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Pink just paid tribute to Sinead O’Connor and it was so beautiful, it made me cry pic.twitter.com/CXQO1TGBid
Billboard reported numerous fans in the venue cried while Pink and Carlile crooned the iconic ballad.
Pink is currently performing as part of her North American Summer Carnival 2023 tour, with Carlile as her supporting act.
Russell Crowe
Actor Russell Crowe also shared a tribute to O’Connor.
In a long, reverent statement, Crowe recounted the first time he met the Irish singer.
“Last year, working in Ireland, having a pint in the cold outside a Dalkey pub with some new friends, a woman with purpose strode past us,” Crowe wrote.
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He said one of his friends chased after the woman, having recognized her as O’Connor.
and pursued the woman. Thirty metres down the road the friend and the woman embraced and he waived me over. There under streetlights with mist on my breath, I met Sinéad. She looked in my eyes, and uttered with disarming softness “ oh, it’s you Russell”.
“She looked in my eyes, and uttered with disarming softness [sic] ‘ oh, it’s you Russell,’” he continued.
“In a conversation without fences we roamed through the recent Dublin heatwave, local politics, American politics, the ongoing fight for indigenous recognition in many places, but particularly in Australia, her warm memory of New Zealand, faith, music, movies and her brother the writer. I had the opportunity to tell her she was a hero of mine.”
for indigenous recognition in many places, but particularly in Australia, her warm memory of New Zealand, faith, music, movies and her brother the writer. I had the opportunity to tell her she was a hero of mine.
Crowe wrote that after their conversation, O’Connor “embraced us all and strode away into the fog-dimmed streetlights.”
“Peace be with your courageous heart Sinéad,” he concluded.
When her second cup was taking on the night air, she rose, embraced us all and strode away into the fog-dimmed streetlights. We sat there the four of us and variously expressed the same thing. What an amazing woman.
The former Smiths frontman Morrissey took a different approach with his tribute.
While praising the fact that O’Connor “couldn’t be boxed-up,” Morrissey heavily criticized the press, the music industry and the public for their treatment of O’Connor, both in life and death.
In a statement posted to his website, Morrissey, whose real name is Steven Patrick Morrissey, wrote that O’Connor “became crazed, yes, but uninteresting, never.”
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“She had done nothing wrong,” he continued. “She had proud vulnerability … and there is a certain music industry hatred for singers who don’t ‘fit in’ (this I know only too well), and they are never praised until death — when, finally, they can’t answer back.”
He scolded the press for using “moronic” labels like “icon” and “legend” to describe O’Connor after her death.
“You praise her now ONLY because it is too late. You hadn’t the guts to support her when she was alive and she was looking for you,” Morrissey wrote.
He compared her death to other celebrities like Judy Garland, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse, Marilyn Monroe and Billie Holiday.
“Was this music madness worth Sinead’s life? No, it wasn’t,” he insisted. “She was harassed simply for being herself. Her eyes finally closed in search of a soul she could call her own.”
Annie Lennox
Scottish singer and songwriter Annie Lennox shared a photo of O’Connor to Twitter, now rebranded as X, where she praised O’Connor’s “exquisite artistry.”
In a poem dedicated to O’Connor, Lennox called her “raw,” “wounded” and “fearless.”
…Impulsive Bold and beautiful Truth teller Singer of songs Crazy wisdom Power house Shaman Priest and Priestess Unafraid.. May the angels hold you In their tender arms And give you rest In peace…❤️ pic.twitter.com/C72hAkE58g
In a post to her Instagram story, the Canadian singer Alanis Morissette called O’Connor “a profound inspiration to many.”
Alanis Morissette’s Instagram story on July 26, 2023.
Instagram @alanis
“Her passion, poetry, and unapologetic expression raised the bar on artistry and female empowerment,” she wrote. “I’m feeling empathy for Ireland, for the world, and for all of us who are saddened by this news.”
Jamie Lee Curtis
Actor Jamie Lee Curtis shared a statement on Instagram discussing her admiration and respect for O’Connor.
“I once heard Sìnead sing acappella in an empty chapel in Ireland,” she wrote. “It was under construction at the private home of our host. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard in my life.”
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Curtis said she and O’Connor together attended a festival to watch Eminem perform. She described O’Connor as a “warrior” and a “rebel.”
“I loved her. Her music. Her life. She was a victim of child abuse and a huge change agent for unfair and unjust draconian laws that she helped change in Ireland,” she wrote. “She ripped up a photograph that was on her mother’s wall because of the hypocrisy of the abusive life she was raised in under the banner of the church.”
“Rest well. Rest in power. Rest in peace,” she finished.
Singer Sinéad O’Connor dies at 56
The cause of the 56-year-old singer’s death is not yet known. On Thursday, police declared her death is not being treated as suspicious, according to the BBC.
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On Wednesday, O’Connor was reportedly found “unresponsive” in her London home and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Recognizable by her shaved head and elfin features, O’Connor began her career singing on the streets of Dublin and soon rose to international fame. She became a star after her 1987 debut album TheLion and the Cobra was released. O’Connor reached true superstardom when she released her cover of Prince’s ballad Nothing Compares 2 U in 1990, a seething, shattering performance that topped charts from Europe to Australia.
Singer Sinéad O’Connor dies at 56
She was a lifelong non-conformist — she would say that she shaved her head in response to record executives pressuring her to be conventionally glamourous — but her political and cultural stances and troubled private life often overshadowed her music. O’Connor was also widely known for tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II while appearing live on NBC’s Saturday Night Live.
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O’Connor announced in 2018 that she had converted to Islam and would be adopting the name Shuhada’ Sadaqat — although she continued to use Sinéad O’Connor professionally.
Sinéad O’Connor‘s death at her London home “is not being treated as suspicious,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement Thursday. The statement did not name O’Connor — a legendary Irish singer-songwriter known best for her hit “Nothing Compares 2 U” — in line with U.K. police protocols.
The London police’s statement said “a 56-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene” at a south London residence Wednesday by officers responding to reports of “an unresponsive woman.”
“A file will be prepared for the Coroner,” the statement added.
O’Connor’s family announced her death Wednesday “with great sadness.”
Sinéad O’Connor is seen onstage, March 4, 1988.
Independent Newspapers Ireland/NLI Collection
“Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time,” they said in a statement.
Many around the world took to social media following news of her death to share tributes to the artist. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis dedicated a post on Instagram to O’Connor, recognizing the artist’s “beautiful” voice and “brilliant” personality. Singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge called O’Connor’s death “a tragedy,” and rapper Ice T offered his “respect to Sinead.”
O’Connor overcame a difficult childhood to achieve her first major musical success in the late 1980s with her debut album “The Lion and the Cobra.” But it was her second album, “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got,” that made her a household name.
She won one Grammy, was nominated for the prestigious music award eight times and was named Rolling Stone’s artist of the year in 1991.
Along with her music, O’Connor was known for her outspoken stance on political and social issues, and was open about her struggles with mental health.
Her cause of death has not been revealed.
Simrin Singh contributed to this article.
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Iconic Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor, who had a string of hits in the 1980s and 1990s, including a cover of the Prince song “Nothing Compares 2 U,” has died at the age 56.
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As news broke Wednesday about the death of Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor at the age of 56, many around the world took to social media to share tributes to the artist arguably best known for her cover of the Prince song “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
O’Connor overcame a difficult childhood, achieving her first major musical success in the late 1980s for her debut album “The Lion and the Cobra.” But it was her second album, “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got,” which made her a household name. She earned one Grammy win and eight nominations, and was named Rolling Stone artist of the year in 1991.
Along with her music, O’Connor was known for her outspoken stance on political and social issues, and was open about her struggles with mental health. Stars across the world Wednesday remembered and celebrated the singer for her fiery spirit.
Sinead O’Connor performs at August Hall on Feb. 7, 2020, in San Francisco, California.
Getty Images
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis dedicated a post on Instagram to O’Connor, recognizing the artist’s “beautiful” voice and “brilliant” personality.
“I loved her. Her music. Her life. She was a victim of child abuse and a huge change agent for unfair and unjust draconian laws that she helped change in Ireland,” Curtis wrote alongside a black and white photo of O’Connor.
“She was a warrior. She was a rebel,” Curtis continued. “She ripped up a photograph that was on her mother’s wall because of the hypocrisy of the abusive life she was raised in under the banner of the church.”
Singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge called O’Connor’s death “a tragedy.”
“She was haunted all her life. What a talent,” Etheridge wrote on social media. “I remember my first Grammy show meeting this small shy Irish girl.”
Rapper Ice T gave his “respect to Sinead.”
“She stood for something… Unlike most people,” he said.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar wrote that O’Connor’s “music was loved around the world and her talent was unmatched and beyond compare.”
Irish President Michael D. Higgins applauded O’Connor’s “extraordinary” singing voice, as well as her voice for social change.
“To those of us who had the privilege of knowing her, one couldn’t but always be struck by the depth of her fearless commitment to the important issues which she brought to public attention, no matter how uncomfortable those truths may have been,” Higgins said in a statement.
Irish actress Caitríona Balfe thanked O’Connor for her music and talent.
“I hope you are at peace … and with your baby boy,” Balfe said, referencing O’Connor’s teen son Shane, who died by suicide in 2022. “Thank you for sharing your soul with us and soothing us with your incredible voice beautiful Sinéad.”
Canadian musician Bryan Adams remembered O’Connor and the times they shared together.
“I loved working with you making photos, doing gigs in Ireland together and chats,” Adams wrote. “All my love to your family.”
Singer Alison Moyet said she was “heavy hearted” over the loss of O’Connor, calling her an “iconoclast.”
“Wanted to reach out to her often but didn’t,” Moyet wrote. “I remember her launch. Astounding presence. Voice that cracked stone with force & by increment. As beautiful as any girl around & never traded on that card.”
Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor has died at age 56, her family said.
Her cause of death was not revealed.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad,” the family’s statement said. “Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”
The songstress, born in Dublin, was best known for her smash 1990 hit “Nothing Compares 2 U,” written by Prince.
Her rendition of the song topped the charts worldwide and earned her multiple Grammy Award nominations, including a win for Best Alternative Album in 1991.
That year, O’Connor was named Artist of the Year by Rolling Stone.
Sinéad O’Connor is seen onstage on March 4, 1988.
Independent Newspapers Ireland/NLI Collection
The singer, no stranger to controversy throughout her career, sparked intense outrage when she ripped a photo of Pope John Paul II and proclaimed: “Fight the real enemy” during a 1992 musical performance on Saturday Night Live.
O’Connor was born on Dec. 8, 1966. She had a difficult childhood, with a mother whom she alleged was abusive and encouraged her to shoplift. As a teenager, she spent time in a church-sponsored institution for girls, where she said she washed priests’ clothes for no wages. But a nun gave O’Connor her first guitar, and soon she sang and performed on the streets of Dublin, her influences ranging from Dylan to Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Her performance with a local band caught the eye of a small record label, and, in 1987, O’Connor released “The Lion and the Cobra,” which sold hundreds of thousands of copies and featured the hit “Mandinka,” driven by a hard rock guitar riff and O’Connor’s piercing vocals. O’Connor, 20 years old and pregnant while making “Lion and the Cobra,” co-produced the album.
“I suppose I’ve got to say that music saved me,” she said in an interview with the Independent newspaper in 2013. “I didn’t have any other abilities, and there was no learning support for girls like me, not in Ireland at that time. It was either jail or music. I got lucky.”
O’Connor’s other musical credits included the albums “Universal Mother” and “Faith and Courage,” a cover of Cole Porter’s “You Do Something to Me” from the AIDS fundraising album “Red Hot + Blue” and backing vocals on Peter Gabriel’s “Blood of Eden.” She received eight Grammy nominations overall and in 1991 won for best alternative musical performance.
O’Connor announced she was retiring from music in 2003, but she continued to record new material. Her most recent album was “I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss,” released in 2014 and she sang the theme song for Season 7 of “Outlander.”
The singer married four times; her union to drug counselor Barry Herridge, in 2011, lasted just 16 days. She was open about her private life, from her sexuality to her mental illness. She said she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and on social media wrote openly about taking her own life. When her teenage son Shane died by suicide in 2022, O’Connor tweeted there was “no point living without him” and was soon hospitalized.
In 2014, she said she was joining the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party and called for its leaders to step aside so that a younger generation of activists could take over. She later withdrew her application.
O’Connor announced in 2018 that she had converted to Islam and would be adopting the name Shuhada’ Davitt, later Shuhada Sadaqat — although she continued to use Sinéad O’Connor professionally.
