Viswa Vanapalli
With a career spanning more than three decades, Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor has remained one of the most well-known artists the world has seen. She has been highly divisive throughout her career, being vocal about the issues like child abuse, LGBTQ+ rights, and her struggles with mental health. Showtime’s ‘Nothing Compares’ charts the illustrious musician’s first few years and provides an intimate portrait of her early life in the industry. So, if you’re wondering what Sinéad has been doing since then, here’s what we know.
Who is Sinéad O’Connor?
Sinéad O’Connor was born in Glenageary, Ireland, the third of five children of Sean and Marie O’Connor. Growing up, she had a difficult life with a physically abusive mother and eventually lived in a care home as a teenager. But Sinéad’s time there led her to realize her musical dreams through the brother of one of the volunteers. She later said of her rise as a musician, “I could just be me. Do what I love. Be imperfect. Be mad, even. I’m not a pop star. I’m just a troubled soul who needs to scream into mikes now and then.”
Sinéad’s singing soon caught the attention of Nigel Grainge and Chris Hill of Ensign Records, who eventually signed her to the label. Sinéad’s debut album, ‘The Lion and the Cobra,’ was released in 1987 by a different label and was an instant success. Her popularity soared with her second album, which hit the shelves three years later. However, Sinéad also became synonymous with controversy during the 1990s. During one concert in the United States in 1990, she threatened not to perform if the American national anthem was played.
In 1992, Sinéad caused more furor during her ‘Saturday Night Live’ performance. After singing Bob Marley’s “War,” she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II to protest against child sex abuse within the Catholic Church. Sinéad later said, “The Catholic church has controlled us by controlling education, through their teachings on sexuality, marriage, birth control, and abortion, and most spectacularly through the lies they taught us with their history books. My story is the story of countless millions of children whose families and nations were torn apart for money in the name of Jesus Christ.”
Early on in Sinéad’s career, when Nigel asked her to grow her hair out and dress more femininely, she shaved her head off. Sinéad also stated that when she got pregnant during the recording, a doctor sent by the record label tried to get her to have an abortion, but she refused. While Sinéad’s music career continued, she was vocal about her struggle with mental health and raised awareness regarding LGBTQ+ rights, and as per the show, abortion rights in Ireland.
In May 2016, Sinéad went missing for a short period in Chicago, Illinois, before being found. A few months before that, she mentioned taking an overdose, and in August 2017, she candidly spoke about dealing with suicidal thoughts. In October 2016, Sinéad spent time at a rehabilitation facility for marijuana addiction. About two years later, she converted to Islam, changing her name to Shuhada’ Davitt. Before that, Sinéad had already changed her name to Magda Davitt. However, she continued releasing music under her birth name.
Where is Sinéad O’Connor Today?
In June 2021, Sinéad announced that she would retire before quickly retracting the statement. The same year, she released a memoir, ‘Rememberings,’ that provided an intimate look at her life. In it, Sinéad talked about a meeting with the musician Prince, claiming he asked for a pillow fight before hitting her with a hard object placed inside a pillowcase. Furthermore, Sinéad accused him of stalking her once she left his mansion.
Sinéad has released 10 studio albums, with an 11th one — ‘No Veteran Dies Alone’ — due to release in 2022. She has been married four times and had four children, but from what we can tell, she currently isn’t in a relationship. As of May 2021, Sinéad was living in Ireland in a village on a mountaintop and had talked about having a great set of girlfriends there. Looking back at her career, she said, “The media was making me out to be crazy because I wasn’t acting like a pop star was supposed to act. It seems to me that being a pop star is almost like being in a type of prison. You have to be a good girl.”
2022 was challenging for Sinéad because her 17-year-old son, Shane, was found dead on January 7, after going missing from Newbridge, Ireland, for two days. It was reported that Shane had escaped suicide watch and later took his own life. Sinéad was also hospitalized after posting on social media about killing herself; she blamed herself for Shane’s death. A few months later, Sinéad canceled all her upcoming live concerts to focus on her health and well-being.
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