Sinead O'Connor
The Irish singer/songwriter Sinead O'Connor has never adhered to conventional standards of female pop stardom. Sporting a shaved head and loose clothing early on in her career, O'Connor's powerful vocals and strident beliefs have always taken center stage. Born in Dublin in 1966, O'Connor had a difficult childhood - her parents had separated, and she was sent to reform school for shoplifting. With the encouragement of a music teacher, O'Connor began singing. At fifteen was heard by a member of the Irish band In Tua Nua at a local event. She collaborated with them, co-writing a song for one of their albums, and beginning her music career. With several friends she formed the band Ton Ton Macoute, and went on to provide the vocals for a song with U2 guitarist The Edge that appeared on the soundtrack to the film Captive (1986). Her 1987 solo album The Lion and the Cobra was successful with both audiences and music critics, and her second album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (1990) went to the top of the charts with the hit single written by Prince, "Nothing Compares 2U". O'Connor spoke out on a host of political and social issues, refusing to perform at a New Jersey venue if the national anthem was played, and also refusing to be on Saturday Night Live at the same time that guest comedian Andrew Dice Clay would appear. In 1992 she finally appeared on SNL, a performance that almost killed her music career: at the end of her music set she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II. The magnitude of the backlash surprised O'Connor. In 2000, she released Faith and Courage, followed by the Irish folk-infused Sean Nos Nua. The reggae classics album Throw Down Your Arms reached the top of the Billboard Reggae charts in 2005. Sinead O'Connor's latest album is 2007's Theology.
