Sinéad O’Connor, the Irish vocalist who rose to fame in the late ’80s and exploded with an iconic cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”, has passed away at the age of 56, according to multiple reports. Debuting in 1987 with The Lion And The Cobra, O’Connor quickly gained attention for her powerful voice just as much as her shaved head, outspoken views on racism and women’s rights, and style that vastly differed from the norm.
She was also known for tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II on a 1992 episode of Saturday Night Live, 9 years before the Catholic Church acknowledged sexual abuse within their midst. O’Connor endured harsh criticism for the action, which was done with no prior knowledge by the show themselves. Her powerful voice, however, was known just as well. Her sophomore album, 1990’s I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, helped her star explode – selling over 7 million copies worldwide to date.
In 1992, Sinead O'Connor ripped up a picture of the Pope on live television, in protest of the rampant child sexual abuse the Catholic Church was actively covering up.
— Audra Williams (@audrawilliams) January 20, 2019
