Remembering Irish Singer Sinéad O’Connor, Best Known for ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’

Renowned musician Sinéad O’Connor — born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O’Connor but also known by the names Shuhada’ Sadaqat and Magda Davitt — has passed away at 56.

Hear Sinéad O’Connor and more classic alternative on 1st Wave (Ch. 33)

Born in Dublin, Ireland, on December 8, 1966, O’Connor’s musical career truly took off when she signed with manager Fachtna O’Ceallaigh, the former head of U2’s Mother Records. O’Connor sang on the track “Heroine” for the Captive film soundtrack, a song she co-wrote with U2’s guitarist, Edge.

Throughout her solo career, O’Connor released 10 studio albums and one EP. The Lion and the Cobra, her debut and GRAMMY-nominated album, was released in 1987, but it was her sophomore album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, that brought her the most commercial success. The lead single was her cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.”

O’Connor’s contributions to music continued into the 2000s. No Veteran Dies Alone, which was to be her final album, was postponed indefinitely after her son died by suicide in 2022. It was recently revealed that O’Connor sang and recorded the theme song for Outlander Season 7.

In memory of O’Connor, revisit the time indie star Sharon Van Etten honored O’Connor by covering her “Black Boys On Mopeds” song for SiriusXM: