Sinéad O’Connor, an Irish singer-songwriter who sold millions of records in the 1990s with her ethereal ballads and rebellious anthems, all while defying expectations of how a female pop star should behave – shaving her head, speaking out about her mental health struggles, protesting the Catholic Church during a performance on live television – has died at 56.
Her family announced the death in a statement on Wednesday. Additional details were not immediately available.
Declaring that she was “proud to be a troublemaker”, O’Connor made music that channelled and reflected her tumultuous personal life, with lyrics about sexism, religion, child abuse, famine and police brutality set against reggae beats, traditional Irish melodies and throbbing pop hooks.
Beaten by her mother as a girl, she was later diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder. She acknowledged having suicidal thoughts in recent years.
When her teenage
