Sinéad O'Connor, an acclaimed Irish singer known for championing a range of social causes, died Wednesday. She was 56.
"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad," O'Connor's family said in a statement to The Irish Times. "Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time." A cause of death was not announced.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
O'Connor released eight more albums throughout her career, with her latest, "I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss," being released in 2014. She was nominated for seven Grammy Awards, winning for Best Alternative Music Performance in 1991.
However, it was O'Connor's outspoken activism that endeared her to fans. One of her main targets was alleged sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, and in 1992, she infamously tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II while performing on "Saturday Night Live." Decades later, O'Connor told The New York Times, "I'm not sorry I did it. It was brilliant."
O'Connor also spoke candidly about her battles with mental health. She told Dr. Phil in 2017 that she was "fed up of being defined as the crazy person" and wanted to help destigmatize mental illness. O'Connor's death comes a year and a half after the death of her son, 17-year-old Shane O'Connor, by suicide.
-
5 cracking cartoons about the new Cracker Barrel logoCartoons Artists take on MAGA designs, real issues, and more
-
Should you downsize for retirement? Here's what to consider.The Explainer Moving to a smaller place may seem easier, but there are also some real benefits to staying put
-
What to do if you want to move but don't want to give up your low mortgage ratethe explainer 30-year mortgage rates are currently averaging 7% — and homeowners who secured rates closer to 3% during the pandemic are reluctant to sell their homes
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
A guide to Budapest's healing thermal bathsThe Week Recommends There's a reason why it's called the City of Spas
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Denmark's 'pornographic' mermaid statue is in hot waterUnder the Radar Town will reportedly remove voluptuous Big Mermaid, despite statue being 'arguably a bit less naked' than Copenhagen monument the Little Mermaid
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
