Family members wrote in a statement on Wednesday (26 July): “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Best known for her 1990 single #NothingCompares2U, which shot to number one worldwide upon release, she also won a number of awards for her album #IDoNotWantWhatIHaventGot. She was outspoken in her social and political views, which involved campaigning against child abu$e, supporting anti-racist movements and fighting for #womensrights. Most notable was her defiant act of ripping up a picture of #PopeJohnPaulII during a live performance on #SaturdayNightLive in 1992 after s3x abuse #scandals against the #CatholicChurch began to arise. When asked whether the act of condemnation had defined her career, she said: “Yes, in a beautiful f**king way. “There was no doubt about who this b***h is. There was no more mistaking this woman for a #popstar,” she continued. “People say, ‘Oh, you f**ked up your career’ but they’re talking about the career they had in mind for me.” #Irish #Taoiseach #LeoVaradkar paid tribute to her in a statement, saying her music was “loved around the world” and that her talent “was unmatched and beyond compare.” Born in #Dublin, #Ireland in 1966, much of O’Connor’s early life was defined by defying authority through truancy and petty shoplifting until, at age 15, she was placed in a #Magdalene asylum. She wouldn’t release her first album, The Lion and the Cobra, until 1987 at just 21 years old. The album received critical acclaim across the board, reaching #Top40 charts in both the #UK and #US. During the height of her career in the 1990s, O’Connor turned the notoriously misogynistic music industry on its head with her activism, refusing to appear on #SaturdayNightLive while it was hosted by controversial comedian #AndrewDiceClay, preventing a New Jersey concert from playing the #USnationalanthem, and shaving her head after her label asked her to “wear high-heel boots and tight jeans and to grow my haie.” “I decided to shave my head so there couldn’t be any further discussion,” she told #RollingStone in 1991. Full story via link in bio 🔗 #sineadoconnor #riplegend #queernews #ripsineadoconnor #drinkbeforethewar