News of Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor’s death broke July 26. Fans and friends alike have come to social media to remember O’Connor as a gifted performer, a Cassandra unappreciated in her time, and a devoted mother. O’Connor came to U.S. attention with her cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” and was pushed out of the spotlight after protesting the abuse of children by the Catholic church on Saturday Night Live. As Janelle Monáe tweeted, her most famous act was tearing up a picture of the pope and saying “Fight the real enemy” on live TV. It’s an act of protest that only becomes more prescient with every exposé of systemic abuse. O’Connor was praised for the transparency with which she lived her life and all the struggles therein. Earlier this year, her son Nevi’im Nesta Ali Shane O’Connor died by suicide. The night of O’Connor’s death, Pink brought her friend Brandi Carlile out at her concert in Cincinnati to salute O’Connor with a cover of “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
“My son Henry listened to her & I think about him when I listen to her now. I was so sad when her son died,” Rob Delaney wrote on social media. “I love her she is my hero in art & honesty.” Russell Crowe shared a story about running into O’Connor in Ireland and a long and winding talk they had. Below, celebrities sharing their grief include Patton Oswalt, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bear McCreary, Public Enemy, and Toni Collette.
Sinéad O’Connor, As Remembered by Collaborators and Fans
