(Dublin) Irish singer Sinead O’Connor, a smash hit in the 1990s before a descent into hell, has died at the age of 56, Irish media reported on Wednesday.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinead,” the family said in a statement released by public broadcaster RTE. “His family and friends are devastated. »
O’Connor rose to worldwide fame in 1990 with the song Nothing Compares 2 U, written by Prince. It is also known to have caused many controversies.
The artist had said that she had been abused by her mother during her childhood and had strongly criticized the Catholic Church, which she accused of not having protected children who were victims of sexual abuse. In 1992, she tore up an image of Pope John Paul II on American television.
She caused further scandal in 1999 when a dissident Irish church ordained her a “priestess”.
Recognizable by her shaved head, she then gradually disappeared from the limelight, however trying her hand at reggae in 2005 on her album Throw Down Your Arms after settling in Jamaica for a while and exploring Rastafari beliefs.
“So sorry to hear of the passing of Sinead O’Connor,” Irish Prime Minister Leo Vardkar tweeted, now renamed “X”. “His music was loved around the world and his talent was unparalleled and incomparable. »
In recent years, she has been pouring out her moods on social media, threatening her former associates with legal action, opening up about her physical and mental health problems, sharing her suicidal thoughts and indulging in her complicated relationship with her family. and her children.
His first two albums, The Lion and the Cobra and I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, were major commercial successes.
She announced in 2018 that she had converted to Islam.
