Hours after the news broke of Sinéad O’Connor’s death at age 56, P!nk and Brandi Carlile got on stage to perform an emotional tribute to the Irish artist, with a performance of “Nothing Compares 2 U” during the first U.S. date of P!nk’s Summer Carnival tour.
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“In honor of Sinéad, and in honor of my very very talented friend Brandi Carlile, I asked her if she would come out here and sing this song with me,” P!nk said before their performance.
Bringing the audience at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Ohio to near pin-drop silence, the duo gently made their way through O’Connor’s 1990 hit, leaving many in the crowd in tears with their rendition.
Both singers took turns with each verse. A visibly tearful P!nk started on the first, opening on It’s been seven hours and 15 days / Since you took your love away / I go out every night and sleep all day, while Carlile continued on second with I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant / But nothing / I said nothing can take away these blues, and so on throughout the emotional tribute.
[RELATED: Top 5 Sinéad O’Connor Songs]
Before their performance, P!nk shared a story about how she would either sing Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” or O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” on her recorded tapes as a young girl.
“When I was a little girl, my mom grew up in Atlantic City and I used to go down to the Ocean City Boardwalk with my $10 and I would make a demo tape,” shared P!nk. “I would make a little cassette tape and imagine it was my demo for the record company.”
At the end of their performance, she added “You never know what people are going through. It’s not that hard to give people a smile. We’re all learning that lesson together now.”
Following O’Connor’s death, more memories and tributes have continued to pour in from the music industry.
“There are no words,” wrote Michael Stipe, sharing a photo of him and O’Connor.
Sharing a black and white image of O’Connor, Cyndi Lauper shared “Remembering Sinead O’Connor. A unique talent who made an indelible mark on pop culture. Outspoken and brave. A lot of trials and tribulations. A great artist with an incredible voice. She will be missed.”
Rapper Ice-T added “Respect to Sinead. She stood for something, unlike most people. Rest Easy.”
[RELATED: Music Industry Reacts to the Death of Sinéad O’Connos]
O’Connor’s biggest hit, “Nothing Compares 2 U” was originally written and recorded by Prince for his side project The Family and the group’s sole 1985 album. Initially, the song wasn’t a hit for Prince, until O’Connor released her affecting rendition on her second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got in 1990. A breakout song for O’Connor, the single shot to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and internationally.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad,” read a statement by O’Connor’s family announcing her death on July 26. “Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”
The Irish singer’s death came 18 months after the death of her 17-year-old son Shane in 2022.
Photo by Amy Sussman/WireImage
