How Sinéad O'Connor Spoke For A Generation Who ‘Needed Her’ To Say What They Couldn’t

Jul 27, 2023 by apost team

Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of suicide that may be troubling for some readers.

At 56, Sinead O'Connor passed away after a long struggle with her mental health condition. She will surely be remembered for her impact on the music industry, her activism, and especially as an Irish music icon. 

Born Marie Bernadette O'Connor on Dec. 8, 1966, in Dublin, Ireland, O'Connor gained international fame in the late 80s through the early 90s. Her music was known for its emotional intensity and powerful vocals, spanning various genres such as pop, rock, and even folk.

It wasn't until her 1990 record "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" that O'Connor's popularity skyrocketed. Her most popular song was "Nothing Compares 2 U," which was written by another late music icon Prince. It catapulted her to international stardom. 

However, O'Connor's career hit a down low when she notoriously tore a photo of then-Pope John Paul II in a "Saturday Night Live" skit, which shocked many of her fans worldwide. Since then, she suffered backlash and animosity from people inside and outside the music and entertainment industry. O'Connor's faith was also put under the microscope in 2018 when she converted to Islam. She called the conversion to be "the natural conclusion of any intelligent theologian's journey." 

Besides the controversies she had faced when she was still alive, O'Connor also suffered from many mental health problems as early as 2007. Her family life was also riddled with difficulties and struggles as she faced many custody battles, divorces, and even the death of her son by suicide in 2022. 

Keep on reading to learn more about O'Connor, her mental health struggles, and her death. 

O'Connor suffered a tough childhood growing up. It was revealed that her mother physically and sexually abused her as a child. She then went with her father and stepmother. However, life with her father brought her more difficulty. She learned how to shoplift and became an absent student at a tender age. 

O'Connor then landed in a Magdalene asylum called the Grianán Training Centre run by the Order of Our Lady of Charity. In a stunning turn of events, the singer found peace and stability there. In fact, her talent in singing and songwriting was fostered in the Asylum. She was discovered by the sister of In Tua Nua's sister Paul Byrne who heard her singing "Evergreen" by Barbra Streisand. 

In 1990, she released "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got," the sophomore album that launched her to mainstream popularity. She was known for her trademark shaved head, angry expressions, and shapeless clothing in her performances. 

O'Connor's impact on the music industry did not go unnoticed. Her album won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1991, making her one of the three elite solo female singers who have won in the said category, mostly dominated by males. But according to Entertainment Weekly, O'Connor denounced the nominations and her eventual win in protest to The Recording Academy. 

More so, O'Connor's marriage and family life were also plagued with controversy and battles. She married and divorced four times and had children with each one of her husbands. She also faced messy and bitter divorce proceedings and challenging custody battles for her children. The painful journey of keeping her family together drove O'Connor to attempt suicide multiple times.

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In 2007, she confessed to "The Oprah Winfrey Show" that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and even attempted to take her own life on December 1999. However, seven years later, she revealed to Winfrey again that she sought three "second opinions" from other doctors and admitted that she was not bipolar. In 2021, she also revealed that she was diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder. She also underwent a hysterectomy, was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and considered herself agoraphobic.

Since then, she has spoken sternly against the Catholic Faith, emphasizing the sexual abuse and the Catholic church in Ireland. In an episode of "Saturday Night Live" in 1992, O'Connor tore a photo of Pope John Paul II while speaking in protest against the Catholic Faith. 

Many perceived that this sparked the eventual decline of her music career as she became a controversial icon in the music industry. In 2018, she converted to Islam and changed her name to Shuhada' Davitt. 

However, in 2022, her mental health worsened when her 17-year-old son Shane was found dead and was ruled out as suicide by hanging. O'Connor lost her son in 2013 in a bitter custody battle. A week after her son's suicide, O'Connor was hospitalized after a series of worrying tweets surfaced, all indicative of her taking her own life. 

The Irish Times confirmed her death on Jul. 26, 2023. 

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time," O'Connor's family said in a statement. As of the time of writing, her cause of death has not yet been specified.

Many have mourned the passing of O'Connor, including the Irish Government, her fans, and other personalities from the music industry. 

In 2002, a documentary on O’Connor’s life titled “Nothing Compares” was released. Directed by Kathryn Ferguson, the film not only charted the singer’s phenomenal rise in the music industry but also delved into her personal struggles and public controversies through a far more sympathetic lens than she was accorded during the height of her fame. Among the incidents it revisited was her 1992 “SNL” appearance, which had a lasting impact on O'Connor's reputation and career. She faced severe backlash, including death threats and public condemnation. Some radio stations even boycotted her music. 

However, a decade on, public opinion transformed from condemnation to understanding, particularly as more awareness of child abuse and the clergy came to light in the intervening years. Many now see her protest as a brave stand against a powerful institution that was necessary and far ahead of her time.

O’Connor’s continued to push the boundaries back then during a less diverse and conservative time, but tended to receive more opprobrium than approval for what seemed to then be her rebellious acts and nature. Older generations and the media censured her for her radical shaved head and style, as well as her penchant for being outspoken on subjects concerning feminism, religion, politics and society. However, the documentary showed that O’Connor spoke to – and for – a generation who needed her representation more than ever. Ferguson explained:

“To have somebody like Sinéad seemingly arrive from outer space was such a tonic. I think as women, we just really needed her and we needed her right then to appear as she did. And she just gave us all somebody to really look up to… She said a lot of the things that we didn’t feel like we could say.”

Rest In Peace, Sinéad O'Connor. Are you a fan of hers? What was your favorite song of hers? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other Sinead O'Connor fans out there!

If you or anybody you know is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, please call Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit Befrienders Worldwide - Global Suicide Prevention to find your local suicide prevention hotline. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for you or your loved ones and best practices for professionals.