Sinead O’Connor’s Ups and Downs: ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ Success, 4 Marriages and More

Credit: Geoff Wilkinson/Shutterstock

Sinead O’Connor’s Ups and Downs: ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ Success, 4 Marriages and More

Late singer Sinéad O'Connor captivated audiences with her voice — but not all the attention was positive. The Irish singer made a name for herself after releasing her cover of Prince's “Nothing Compares 2 U” in 1990. O’Connor, however, was seemingly always trying to outrun her tumultuous upbringing. "Best day of my life was the day I left Ireland," O'Connor wrote in her 2021 memoir, Rememberings. "And any other day I left Ireland was the next best." In 1999, O’Connor attempted suicide on her 33rd birthday amid her custody battle with ex John Waters over their daughter, Roisin. “After a session in court that day where it was suggested that for the rest of my life I would only see my daughter once a month, I made a very serious suicide attempt, and I did almost die,” she recalled in 2005. [sendtonews type="float" key="TT4notoAAZ-2914220-14453"] O’Connor reportedly took 20 Valium pills. After she survived the attempt, she turned her focus on her children and on religion. Much of her pain was captured in her songwriting, culminating in 10 full-length studio albums, one EP and one unreleased record, No Veteran Dies Alone, before her death in July 2023. “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,” read a statement from her loves ones to RTE at the time. Scroll down to relive some of O’Connor’s ups and downs:

Credit: Geoff Wilkinson/Shutterstock

Sinead O’Connor’s Ups and Downs: ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ Success, 4 Marriages and More

Late singer Sinéad O'Connor captivated audiences with her voice — but not all the attention was positive. The Irish singer made a name for herself after releasing her cover of Prince's “Nothing Compares 2 U” in 1990. O’Connor, however, was seemingly always trying to outrun her tumultuous upbringing. "Best day of my life was the day I left Ireland," O'Connor wrote in her 2021 memoir, Rememberings. "And any other day I left Ireland was the next best." In 1999, O’Connor attempted suicide on her 33rd birthday amid her custody battle with ex John Waters over their daughter, Roisin. “After a session in court that day where it was suggested that for the rest of my life I would only see my daughter once a month, I made a very serious suicide attempt, and I did almost die,” she recalled in 2005. [sendtonews type="float" key="TT4notoAAZ-2914220-14453"] O’Connor reportedly took 20 Valium pills. After she survived the attempt, she turned her focus on her children and on religion. Much of her pain was captured in her songwriting, culminating in 10 full-length studio albums, one EP and one unreleased record, No Veteran Dies Alone, before her death in July 2023. “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,” read a statement from her loves ones to RTE at the time. Scroll down to relive some of O’Connor’s ups and downs:

Credit: Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post/MEGA

1984

O’Connor began her career singing in the band Ton Ton Macoute, which she formed with Colm Farrelly. She soon dropped out of school and moved to Dublin to pursue music.

Credit: Nils Jorgensen/Shutterstock

1987

O’Connor released her debut solo album, The Lion and the Cobra, in November. The record reached the No. 36 spot on the U.S. Billboard Top 200 chart. She gave birth to her first child, son Jake, with then-boyfriend John Reynolds that same year.

Credit: Murray Sanders/Daily Mail/Shutterstock

1989

Two years after welcoming their son, O’Connor married Reynolds, who produced several of her albums.

Credit: Crispin Rodwell/Shutterstock

1990

Her second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, dropped in March and received critical acclaim. The record earned O’Connor four Grammy nominations, winning Best Alternative Music Performance, although she refused to accept the nominations and the award. Her version of Prince's “Nothing Compares 2 U” was featured on the album.

In August of that year, O’Connor made waves when she threatened to pull out of her New Jersey Garden State Arts Center performance if "The Star Spangeled Banner" was played. The staff complied at the time, but O’Connor was later banned from the venue.

Credit: Shutterstock

1996

O’Connor released two more records — 1992’s Am I Not Your Girl? and 1994’s Universal Mother — before welcoming her second child, daughter Roisin, in March 1996. After a long custody battle with Waters, O’Connor agreed to let Roisin live in Dublin with her father.

Credit: Courtesy of Geffen Pictures/YouTube

1997

The musician released her Gospel Oak EP the same year she played the Virgin Mary in Neil Jordan's The Butcher Boy.

Credit: Tony Kyriacou/Shutterstock

1999

Following an attempted suicide, O’Connor turned to religion for guidance. She raised eyebrows in 1999 when she became an ordained priest of the Latin Tridentine Church, which is fringe sect of Roman Catholicism. She took on the name of Mother Bernadette Mary and later received the archdeacon title for her work with Dublin’s homeless population.

Credit: Geoff Wilkinson/Shutterstock

2001

O’Connor tied the knot for a second time, marrying British journalist Nick Sommerlad in August. The pair called it quits in July 2002 after 11 months.

Credit: Stephen Lawrence/Shutterstock

2004

The “This Is a Rebel Song” singer welcomed her third child, son Shane, with musician Donal Lunny.

Credit: Paul Hawthorne/Starpix/Shutterstock

2006

She gave birth to her fourth child, Yeshua, whom she shares with ex Frank Bonadio. One year later, she revealeding during a 2007 talk show appearance that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In 2014, O’Connor claimed she was told by three other doctors that she was not bipolar.

Credit: Juan M Espinosa/EPA/Shutterstock

2010

Amid her mental health ups and downs, O’Connor got married for a third time. She and Steve Cooney tied the knot in July 2010. They parted ways in March 2011.

Credit: Ramey Photo/MEGA

2011

O’Connor moved on with Irish therapist Barry Herridge, whom she wed in December 2011. The twosome split before the new year, but O’Connor alleged in 2014 via her website that she planned to renew her vows with Herridge. The former couple, however, never remarried.

Credit: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock

2017

O’Connor changed her name to Magda Davitt in 2017, telling Dr. Phil in September of that year that she wanted to be "free of the patriarchal slave names. Free of the parental curses." The following year, she converted to Islam and later adopted the moniker Shuhada' Sadaqat.

Credit: Luigi Rizzo/Pacific Press/Shutterstock

2021

“This is to announce my retirement from touring and from working in the record business. I’ve gotten older and I’m tired,” O’Connor tweeted in June. “So it’s time for me to hang up my nipple tassels, having truly given my all. NVDA in 2022 will be my last release. And there’ll be no more touring or promo.”

One week later, O’Connor retracted her retirement statement and explained that she felt “badly triggered” by a series of questions regarding her 2021 memoir, Rememberings, which led to her “kneejerk reaction” and comments.

Credit: Courtesy of Sinead O’Connor/Twitter

2022

O’Connor confirmed in January that her son Shane died by suicide at age 17. "My beautiful son, Nevi’im Nesta Ali Shane O’Connor, the very light of my life, decided to end his earthly struggle today and is now with God," she tweeted at the time. "May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace."

Following her loss, O’Connor decided to postpone the release of her album No Veteran Dies Alone and canceled her 2022 tour dates. The record was never produced. O’Connor was bridely hospitalized in January after sharing a series of since-deleted tweets about taking her own life.

Credit: Denis Ulliana/Pacific Press/Shutterstock

2023

News broke on July 26 that O’Connor died at age 56.