Sinéad O'Connor

Biography: Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor was born December 8th, 1966, in Dublin, Ireland. Sinéad was born to John, a structural engineer turned barrister, and Marie. Sinéad is third of five children, siblings Joseph, Eimear, John, and Eoin. In 1974, John and Marie split up, leaving an eight-year-old Sinéad and her two older siblings to live with abusive Marie.

By 1979, Sinéad left her mother to live with John and his new wife. As a result of shoplifting and truancy, Sinéad was placed in a reform school run by nuns. Paul Byrne of In Tua Nua recognized Sinéad had great musical potential, but realized that she was too young to be in a band at 15. After four years at Grinan Training Centre, Sinéad was sent to a Quaker boarding school. With the encouragement of her teacher, Joseph Falvy, Sinéad recorded a four-song demo.

In 1984, through a newspaper ad, Sinéad met Columb Farrelly, and after recruiting more members, formed the band Ton Ton Macoute. After a brief stint in school, Sinéaool, Sinéad and the band went to Dublin to perform. Marie died the following year in a car accident, leaving Sinéad devastated. She left the band and moved to London.

Sinéad O'Connor's performances with Ton Ton Macoute had attracted the attention of the music industry, and she was signed to Ensign Records and took Fachtna O'Ceallaigh as her manager. Sinéad began developing bad habbits learnt from Fachtna, by being outspoken and making controversial comments directed at the IRA. Four months work with Mick Glossop on Sinéad's debut album were thrown out, because of artistic differences. Sinéad O'Connor became pregnant by the session drummer, John Reynolds, of Transvision Vamp, and was pressured by the record company to abort. Sinéad would later marry and divorce John, their only child named Jake.

Sinéad released "The Lion & the Cobra" in 1988, and "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" in 1990, to positive reviews. In the Summer of 1990, Sinéad refused the Garden State Arts Center play the American national anthem before her performance, threatening to walk. The Center caved to her demands, but permanently banned Sinéad after her performance. When "Am I Not Your Girl?" came out two years later, the National Anthem event was still fresh in the public's mind, and most of her momentum her career had established was gone.

Sinead's career took another downward spiral in October of 1992, when she appeared as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live. While performing a Bob Marley song to protest sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, Sinéad ripped up a photograph of Pope John Paul II. Sinéad was booed off stage by outraged fans. Several weeks later, while performing at a Bob Dylan tribute concert in Madison Square Garden, Sinéad was again booed.

"Universal Mother" was released in 1994, but failed to restore her mass appeal. Sinéad toured Lollapalooza the following year, but dropped out due to pregnancy.

In 1997, Sinéad asked the Pope to forgive her, for her actions five years previously on Saturday Night Live.

Sinéad was controversially ordained by Bishop Michael Cox, into the schismatic Independent Catholic sect known as the Palmarian Catholic Church, despite being a woman. In response, the Roman Catholic Church excommunicated Sinéad.

In 2000, Sinéad released "Faith and Courage", followed in 2002 by "Sean-Nós Nua". In 2002, Sinéad and journalist Nicholas Sommerland got married, and later seperated in 2003. 2002 was also the year that Sinéad O'Connor announced her retirement from music.

Until the release of 2005's reggae album "Throw Down Your Arms", considered by many to be the best Sinéad O'Connor album.

Sinéad O'Connor is currently working on "Theology", an album of spiritual songs, to be released in October 2006. Sinéad's O'Connor Discography: 1987's "The Lion and the Cobra", 1990's "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got", 1992's "Am I Not Your Girl?", 1994's "Universal Mother", 2000's "Faith and Courage", 2002's "Sean-Nós Nua", and 2005's "Throw Down Your Arms".… Expand