Sinead O’Connor

I’ve started writing this and stopped several times. I obviously didn’t know Sinead O’Connor (Shuhada Sadaqa) personally, and I don’t usually post obituaries on my blog, with the odd exception.  

There is no doubt from the very first moment I saw her striking appearance and her remarkable vocal I was hooked. Mandinka was rarely off my turntable when I first bought the single and I nearly wore out my cassette of the Lion and the Cobra, the songs so affecting in their arrangements and that other-worldly vocal, ranging from delicate fragility to compellingly powerful.

Her live performances were amongst the most memorable I have seen. My one time visit to Glastonbury in ‘95 she played an afternoon set on the main stage which blew me away. The next day purchasing a bootleg of the set from a dodgy looking stall. I looked recently at the 95 line up and there were bands listed that I now remember seeing but had forgotten over time. Not so Sinead O’Connor.

Sadly, much of her recorded output in later years was overlooked despite albums like I’m Not Bossy I’m the Boss and How about I be me and you be you including songs that are amongst the best of her recorded output – Take Me to Church, 4th and Vine amongst others.

Sinead was way ahead of her time in calling out the abuse in the Catholic Church, in the long term probably to the detriment of her career, but she was never afraid to speak up for what she believed. She was clearly a strong opinionated woman. Unfortunately there were elements of the media, and a certain type of “music fan”,   that would choose to focus on hating or ridiculing her for her beliefs and actions rather than support a unique and supremely talented and intelligent performer.
The part of Sinead’s life that made me want to write these words is her very public battle with her mental health. She didn’t have things easy during her life, none more so than losing her son to suicide aged only 17. 

When she aired her views in public on TV or took to social media to share difficult times in her life, she often received as much bile and hatred as she did love and support. As long as there are people in this world who make it their aim to ridicule or dismiss those who are willing to stand by their views or open up about their battles with mental health, or people who feel it is OK to attack others when they are at their lowest ebb, there will continue to need to be people like Sinead who are not afraid to open up and speak. The sort of subhumans that scare people into not speaking or seeking help, to be afraid to admit to needing help for fear of judgement cannot be given free rein. Empathy and support is what is required not dismissal or judgement.

Mental illness doesn’t discriminate between rich and poor, or whether you are successful or a failure, it can affect any one of us at any time. I hope anyone struggling with their own mental health can reach out and talk about it without fear of judgement and get the support they need.

I will choose my lasting memory of Sinead O’Connor to be the extraordinary gig I was fortunate enough to witness in Glasgow’s Garage in support of her Throw Down Your Arms reggae album recorded with Sly and Robbie. The tickets were a steal. £6 a head if my memory serves. Her vocal performance and personality emanating from the stage that evening was incredible, of course there were the usual brainless idiots shouting for the hits, but she brushed that off ignoring the dissenters to play a set that still comes up every time I have a discussion with people about best gigs ever.

I personally have no religion but I hope she has finally found the peace that eluded her during her life.