Legendary singer Sinead O’Connor has died at the age of 56, The Irish Times reported Wednesday.
Her cause of death has not yet been revealed.
O’Connor launched to superstardom with her emotional rendition of Prince’s song, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” in 1990, and continued to take the world by storm with her signature sounds and her incredible talent. The Irish-born singer struggled with mental health issues for several years before her death. O’Connor’s passing was first reported by The Irish Times.
“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,” her family said in a statement, according to the outlet.
Sinéad O’Connor, the Irish singer of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” has died. She was 56.https://t.co/qsmm83fcqU pic.twitter.com/xubPM5R6le
— Variety (@Variety) July 26, 2023
O’Connor’s son, Shane, committed suicide at the age of 17 in January 2022, after escaping a hospital where he was on suicide watch, according to the Daily Mail. (RELATED: Disney Star Dead At 48 By Apparent Suicide)
The famous artist’s last tweet was a heartfelt post about her deceased son. She shared an image of Shane alongside the caption, “[b]een living as undead night creature since. He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul,” the outlet noted.
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭#lostmy17yrOldSonToSuicidein2022.
Been living as undead night creature since. . He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul. We were one soul in two halves. He was the only person who ever loved me unconditionally. I am lost in the bardo without him pic.twitter.com/aC8BOmLQ9N— Sinead Marie-Bernarde Aoibheann O’Connor (@786OmShahid) July 17, 2023
O’Connor’s hit single, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” took the number one spot in the world and became a staple of pop culture history. She went on to release 10 studio albums over the course of her career, The Irish Times reported.
O’Connor was an outspoken activist that frequently voiced her social and political views on social media. She converted to Islam in 2018 and changed her name to Shuhada, according to the BBC.