Sinéad O'Connor

Sinéad O'Connor is the controversial but gifted Irish singer-songwriter best-known for her global smash-hit cover of Prince's 'Nothing Compares 2 U', but to focus on that crossover success alone does not do justice to the rest of her enigmatic musical career. Her emergence as the primary female alt-pop star in the late 1980s and early 1990s has often been viewed as the catalyst for the subsequent rejuvenation of women singer-songwriters as a major force in rock music.

O'Connor herself was the product of a troubled household; divorce, abuse, and reform school haunted her development as a child and likely foreshadowed aspects of the tempestuous talent to come. Music became her escape as a teen and, as soon as she finished high school, she joined a band, Ton Ton Macoute, as lead singer in 1985. With an archangelic alto capable of astonishing range and emotion, O'Connor left the band and Dublin soon after the death of her mother and moved to London in the late 1980s, signing a deal with Ensign Records. It didn't take long for her talent to attract considerable notice; at 18, Sinead co-wrote and recorded the song 'Heroine' with U2's The Edge for the soundtrack to The Captive and, at age 19, was producing her own sessions for what would become a harrowing debut album.

After shaving her head bald to protest the sexual objectification of female artists, O'Connor releasedThe Lion and the Cobra in 1987 to unexpected international success. Her label CEO vowed to shave his own head if the record moved a mere 50,000 units, and a razor's edge was soon in the cards. The dramatic set was applauded by critics and quickly went gold around the world. Garage-rocker single "Mandinka" was a Top 20 hit in the UK, while the album crossed over from alternative lists onto mainstream Top 40 pop charts in the USA, Canada, and throughout Europe. Nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance (Female) in 1988, O'Connor was an international sensation, but no one could have predicted that her sophomore effort would lead to superstardom.

Buoyed by a stunning video and studio performance of the Prince-penned song, 'Nothing Compares 2 U', O'Connor's second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, topped the charts in 19 countries in 1990, eventually selling seven million units worldwide. The album's fusion of Celtic, rock, hip-hop, and folk stylings garnered the artist a Grammy for Best Alternative Performance, Rolling Stone Artist of the Year honors, and a mammoth fan-base. Her self-penned 'The Emperor's New Clothes' also finished as Billboard's No. 1 Modern Rock single of 1990, underscoring the iconic singer's mercurial appeal to both pop and alternative audiences. The pressure of such sudden fame, however, seemed to manifest itself via controversy in short order. In August 1990, O'Connor objected to the playing of the American anthem before a concert in New Jersey and riled a nation embroiled in the Persian Gulf War. Despite an apology at September's MTV Awards (where she swept her categories with three trophy wins), mainstream attitudes about the Dubliner began to cool at radio in the United States.

Though she garnered raves for her contributions to tribute albums Red, Hot & Blue and Two Rooms in 1991, O'Connor followed-up prior controversy with a commercially risky artistic endeavor in 1992's Am I Not Your Girl?, an album of standards produced by Phil Ramone. The record was a Top Five hit in the UK and managed to crack the Billboard Top 40, but Stateside sales were paltry in comparison to her previous discs. During an October 1992 promotional appearance on Saturday Night Live, O'Connor shredded a photo of Pope John Paul II to protest the clerical abuse of children and the resulting damage to her career seemed irreparable.

Though largely exiled to the margins of pop relevance in the USA thereafter, O'Connor continued to release critically acclaimed music and generate significant sales in Europe. 1994's Universal Mother was generally perceived as a return-to-form and even cracked the Billboard Top 40, along with the Top 20 in Canada and across Europe. Her Top 15 single, 'Thank U For Hearing Me', became her biggest UK hit since 'Nothing Compares 2 U' while a 1997 "Best Of" collection sold two million copies worldwide. 2000's Faith & Courage saw O'Connor team with producers like Wyclef Jean, Brian Eno, and Dave Stewart to widespread critical, if not commercial, approval. Once again, a major and potentially restorative career-move was overshadowed by bad press as O'Connor received priestly ordination in a schismatic Catholic sect and declared herself to be a lesbian, followed by a swift retraction of that declaration.

Undaunted, a series of high-profile projects with Massive Attack, Moby, Afro-Celt Sound System, Conjure One, and other artists heralded the singer's reemergence as a highly sought-after collaborator in the new millennium. A 2001 remix of O'Connor's classic 'Troy' became a massive global hit and the second of three straight Top 5 Billboard Dance Chart singles. More surprises followed in 2002 and 2005, as O'Connor released Sean-nos Nua, an album of postmodern Irish traditionals, and Throw Down Your Arms, a collection of roots reggae nuggets produced by Sly & Robbie. Charting quite successfully in Europe with those albums, O'Connor returned to showcase her own set of original hymns with 2007's Theology and has maintained a busy touring schedule of music festivals ever since. Recent contributions to major film soundtracks, 'Back Where You Belong' (The Water Horse) and 'Only You' (The Young Victoria) as well as to the newly acclaimed PBS compilation 'The Music of Ireland' indicate that O'Connor is still adding to the legacy of a turbulent but ever-compelling 25-year career.