Irish singer Sinéad O鈥機onnor, who became as well known for her remarkable music as her personal struggles, has died, according to RTE, Ireland鈥檚 public broadcaster. She was 56.鈥

According to a family statement shared by RTE:

鈥淚t 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.鈥

No cause of death was immediately available. CNN has reached out to representatives and family members of O鈥機onnor.

MUSICAL ACHIEVEMENTS 

O鈥機onnor was a vocalist known for her pure and crisp voice, paired with exceptional songwriting abilities that evoked her views on politics, spirituality, history and philosophy. Her first album, 鈥淭he Lion and the Cobra,鈥 was released to critical acclaim in 1987, but it was O鈥機onnor鈥檚 1990 sophomore album, 鈥淚 Do Not Want What I Haven鈥檛 Got鈥 which broke her through as a well-known artist.

Her rendition of the Prince song 鈥淣othing Compares 2 U鈥 shot to No. 1 in 1990, buoyed by the iconic music video which featured O鈥機onnor, with close-cropped hair and a dark turtleneck.鈥

The song was nominated for multiple Grammys and scored O鈥機onnor wins for both MTV video of the year and best video by a female artist. Other songs on the album that reaped praise for the singer included the pointed and politically charged anthem 鈥淏lack Boys on Mopeds.鈥

In the years following, the singer-songwriter was embroiled in controversy, once ripping a photo of the pope on 鈥淪aturday Night Live,鈥 later becoming a priest of a Catholic group and taking to social media to air personal problems and outbursts.

In recent years, O鈥機onnor was open about her struggle with addiction and mental health, and detailed her experience in her 2021 memoir 鈥淩ememberings.鈥

The singer is survived by her three children. Her 17-year-old son Shane died in 2022.

ORIGINS

Born in Dublin in 1966, O鈥機onnor spoke often of her difficult childhood as the third of four children. Her mother, she said, was troubled and abusive.

鈥淪he used to go to houses that were for sale just so she could rob s鈥搕 out of them,鈥 O鈥機onnor told The Independent in a 2013 interview. 鈥淚 suppose it was funny, in a way, without being funny at all. You know, she鈥檇 go to hospitals and nick the crucifixes off the wall.鈥

O鈥機onnor said her mother, who died in a car crash when the singer was 19, 鈥渃ouldn鈥檛 help herself, God rest her soul鈥 and that she began to steal as a way to appease her.鈥

鈥淚t was an illness,鈥 the singer said. 鈥淎nd so that was part of what was going on at home: I鈥檇 steal to pacify her.鈥

Sent away to reform school as a teen after she was caught shoplifting, O鈥機onnor turned to music for solace and was discovered at the age of 15 by the drummer for the band In Tua Nua while singing at a wedding.

She eventually left boarding school at the age of 16 and struggled to support herself while singing before moving to London, where she worked with U2 guitarist the Edge on the soundtrack for the 1986 film 鈥淭he Captive鈥 while also putting together her debut album.

CONTROVERSIES

By the time she broke through with her second album, O鈥機onnor was a mother, having given birth to a son, Jake, by first husband, musician John Reynolds. She would go on to have three other children: a daughter, Roisín, from a relationship with journalist John Waters; a son, Shane, from a relationship with musician Donal Lunny; and son Yeshua from a relationship with businessman Frank Bonadio.

In 1990, she boycotted appearing on 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥 in protest over plans to have Andrew Dice Clay host, as she complained that his humor was both misogynistic and homophobic. That same year singer Frank Sinatra said during a concert that he would like to 鈥渒ick her a鈥撯 because of O鈥機onnor鈥檚 stated policy that she did not allow the national anthem to be played at her shows.

In 1992, O鈥機onnor made headlines around the world after a controversial performance on 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥 in which she ripped a photo of Pope John Paul II in half while saying 鈥淔ight the real enemy.鈥 The incident was lampooned and ultimately harmed O鈥機onnor鈥檚 career because of the outrage.

She continued to make music, with standouts including her cover of 鈥淒on鈥檛 Cry for Me Argentina鈥 in 1992 and 1994鈥檚 鈥淔ire on Babylon.鈥 Her sound spanned various styles and genres over the years, and the singer released a total of ten studio albums, including the ethereal 2000 record 鈥淔aith and Courage.鈥 Her last album, 鈥淚鈥檓 Not Bossy, I鈥檓 the Boss,鈥 came out in 2014.

Nonetheless, O鈥機onnor never reached the commercial or critical success of her earlier work. Instead, she made headlines in 1999 after she was ordained as a priest in the Latin Tridentine church, though in 2014 she told Billboard she had stepped back from that office.

鈥淚鈥檓 not interested in causing more trouble than I already am, and neither am I interested in making a circus of the sacraments,鈥 she said.

She also took a similar approach to her sexuality, coming out as a lesbian in 2000 and then telling Entertainment Weekly a few years later that 鈥淚鈥檓 three-quarters heterosexual, a quarter gay. I lean a bit more towards the hairy blokes.鈥

In 2011, O鈥機onnor married Barry Herridge, whom she met on the Internet. The couple split 18 days later before reuniting.

PERSONAL STRUGGLES AIRED PUBLICLY

The advent of social media made it possible for fans to witness first-hand the events unfolding in O鈥機onnor鈥檚 life. In 2012, she used Twitter to send out a plea for help: 鈥渄oes any1 know a psychiatrist in dublin or wicklow who could urgently see me today please,鈥 she wrote. 鈥渋m really un-well鈥 and in danger.鈥

In 2015 and 2016 authorities were asked to find her 鈥 the former because she had posted on Facebook that she had overdosed in an Irish hotel and the latter after she was reported missing after failing to return from a bike ride in a Chicago suburb. In both instances, she was found safe.

She continued to struggle with her mental health in 2017, and posted a tearful video of herself discussing her mental illness to her Facebook page. The footage showed her crying in a motel room and lamenting that her family had abandoned her in the wake of mental health issues.

鈥淧eople who suffer from mental illness are the most vulnerable people on Earth,鈥 O鈥機onnor said in the video. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to take care of us. We鈥檙e not like everybody.鈥

That same year, she changed her name to Magda Davitt, a name she took to be 鈥渇ree of parental curses.鈥 She changed her name again in 2018 to Shuhada鈥 Davitt, after announcing her conversion to Islam following a series of posts at the time that included O鈥機onnor singing the Islamic call to prayer.

The singer went on to release her memoir in 2021 titled 鈥淩ememberings,鈥 where she told her story of 鈥済rowing up in a family falling apart; her early forays into the Dublin music scene; her adventures and misadventures in the world of sex, drugs and rock鈥檔鈥檙oll; the fulfillment of being a mother; her ongoing spiritual quest - and through it all, her abiding passion for music,鈥 according to an official synopsis.

The following year, O鈥機onnor鈥檚 17-year-old son Shane died after going missing in the days prior. At the time, she shared a sequence of brief statements on her Twitter account saying her son 鈥渄ecided to end his earthly struggle鈥 and called him 鈥渢he very light of my life.鈥

She was admitted to the hospital a week after Shane鈥檚 death after posting a series of statements on her social media describing her plans to take her own life, and expressing guilt for her son鈥檚 death. She later updated her fans with an apology for the alarming posts, and reassured her followers that she was seeking help.

Earlier this year, O鈥機onnor contributed her vocals to the opening credits of Season 7 of the acclaimed series 鈥淥utlander.鈥

TRIBUTES

Later on Wednesday, Irish leader Leo Varadkar paid tribute to O鈥機onnor, among many others.

鈥淩eally sorry to hear of the passing of Sinéad O鈥機onnor,鈥 Varadkar wrote on Twitter.

鈥淗er music was loved around the world and her talent was unmatched and beyond compare. Condolences to her family, her friends and all who loved her music,鈥 he added.

In a statement shared with CNN, Irish president Michael D. Higgins said his 鈥渇irst reaction on hearing the news of Sinéad鈥檚 loss was to remember her extraordinarily beautiful, unique voice. What was striking in all of the recordings she made and in all of her appearances was the authenticity of the performance, while her commitment to the delivery of the song and its meaning was total.鈥

鈥淭o those of us who had the privilege of knowing her, one couldn鈥檛 but always be struck by the depth of her fearless commitment to the important issues which she brought to public attention, no matter how uncomfortable those truths may have been,鈥 Higgins continued.

鈥淪inéad O鈥機onnor鈥檚 voice and delivery was in so many different ways original, extraordinary and left one with a deep impression that to have accomplished all she did while carrying the burden which she did was a powerful achievement in its own way,鈥 he added.