It’s sadly been confirmed that Irish singer Sineád O’Connor has died at age 56. Fans of O’Connor will recognize her for her 1990 hit song “Nothing Compares 2 U” which was written and composed by Prince.
As noted by Deadline, a statement regarding her death was released by her family to Irish TV and radio broadcaster RTÉ. Furthermore, there were no other details regarding the cause, date, or place of death made available.
Here’s the statement:
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad,” the statement begins. “Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”
Deadline adds that “O’Connor was hospitalized in January 2022 after posting a series of disturbing, soon-deleted tweets in the wake of the suicide of her teenage son, Shane, that month. Her tweets hinted at suicidal thoughts.” They further note that her 17-year-old son “was found dead two days after he went missing from a treatment facility in Dublin.”
An additional tweet about her son, made by O’Connor on July 17, 2023, expressed how heartbroken she was following his death:
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭#lostmy17yrOldSonToSuicidein2022.
Been living as undead night creature since. . He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul. We were one soul in two halves. He was the only person who ever loved me unconditionally. I am lost in the bardo without him pic.twitter.com/aC8BOmLQ9N— Sinead Marie-Bernarde Aoibheann O’Connor (@786OmShahid) July 17, 2023
Two years after the 1990 release of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” in 1992, O’Connor was famously banned from Saturday Night Live. She tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II during her performance. It was one example of the popularity she saw in the 1990s. Of course, there were also plenty of horror fans that learned of O’Connor through her contribution to the A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master soundtrack. Her track “I Want Your (Hands on Me)” has become one of many fan-favorite tracks associated with the franchise.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates as we may have them. As for now, fans of Sineád O’Connor should allow her family the privacy they’ve requested during this time.