Irish-born singer/songwriter Sinéad O’Connor endured soaring highs and devastating lows, both personally and professionally, during her 56 years of life. Her death on July 26, 2023, put a fresh spotlight on the complicated facets of her music career and the often inaccurate assumptions fans and music industry members held about her.
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The “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer’s outspoken nature earned repeated criticism and backlash during the peak of her fame during the 1990s. The evolution of time and society has allowed some of O’Connor’s past comments on issues like hidden abuses within religious organizations to be seen through a new lens.
[RELATED: 5 of Sinead O’Connor’s Electrifying Live Moments]
A complicated and layered artist whose life and career ended far too soon, Sinéad O’Connor left behind a legacy that continues to captivate and drive conversation.
From a powerful and raw memoir to a photographic reflection on her influential career, here are three books every Sinéad O’Connor fan should own.
1. Why Sinéad O’Connor Matters
Released just two months prior to O’Connor’s death, this intimate and moving release from author Allyson McCabe reiterates the lasting impact she left behind. If you’re looking for creative context and thoughtful criticism of the media’s role in O’Connor’s personal and creative well-being, Why Sinéad O’Connor Matters is an essential read.
2. Sinéad O’Connor 48
This 2017 compilation offers a selection of photographs taken from throughout O’Connor’s career, from her early rise to the peak of commercial fame. Although there is little written narrative, Sinéad O’Connor 48 creates a visual timeline of many pivotal life chapters.
3. Rememberings
In 2021, O’Connor made headlines by releasing her powerful and revealing memoir Rememberings. A candid and, at times, difficult read, this firsthand account of life outside of televised talking points and radio hits shows the depth of difficulties O’Connor faced during her career’s rise and fall.
(Photo by Paul Bergen/Redferns)
