Sinead O'Connor: Irish Singer of Nothing Compares 2 U Dies at 56

Sinead O'Connor was an Irish singer-songwriter known for her powerful voice, her shaved head and her outspoken views. Born on December 8, 1966, in Dublin, Ireland, she burst onto the scene with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra in 1987.

Her second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (1990), sold more than seven million copies and featured her cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U," which topped charts around the world. She won a Grammy in 1991 for Best Alternative Music Performance. In 1992 she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live to protest abuse in the Catholic Church, which caused a huge controversy.

O'Connor was an advocate for survivors of child abuse and spoke openly about her mental health. She published the memoir Rememberings in 2021, which became a bestseller. She had four children, and her son Shane died in January 2022. She converted to Islam in 2018. She died in London on July 26, 2023, at age 56, and the coroner ruled her death natural.

Achievements: The Lion and the Cobra (1987), "Nothing Compares 2 U" (1990), Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance (1991), wrote Rememberings (2021).

Birth: December 8, 1966 - Dublin, Ireland.

Profession: Singer-songwriter.

Interesting Facts: Her brother is the novelist Joseph O'Connor. She was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.