The Irish singer’s family has confirmed this morning that the 56yo has died, but a cause of death has not been given. She rose to international fame in 1990 with the Prince-penned hit Nothing Compares 2 U. She then went to work shocking the establishment with her political views and protests against the Catholic Church and the commercial forces behind the music industry. Her most famous blow-up came in 1992 when she ripped up a picture of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live in a protest against the Church’s links to child abuse – an act that was widely condemned. For much of O’Connor’s career, she spoke candidly about the abuse she suffered as a child, which drove her anger. And in recent years, she talked about her decision to convert to Islam and her mental health struggles. Last year, her 17yo son Shane took his own life, and friends say it was a devastating blow. This morning, Ireland’s leader Leo Varadkar said “her talent was unmatched and beyond compare.”

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