July 29th 2023.
News of Sinéad O'Connor's death at the age of 56 has sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry, with fans and leading figures such as Russell Crowe and Sharon Horgan hailing her as a "one-off and huge talent". The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter gained recognition in the 1990s with her hit single "Nothing Compares 2 U".
Despite her immeasurable impact on the music industry, major UK broadcasters such as the BBC, Channel 4, ITV and Channel 5 have no plans to change their schedules to air special tribute programmes about O'Connor, Variety confirmed. This comes as a contrast to how the BBC Four dedicated an entire night of programmes for George Michael following his death.
Steven D Wright, a TV commentator and former Channel 4 commissioner, attributed the absence of O'Connor tributes to her being "underrated and not taken seriously". He added: "Only now are people saying, 'Hang on, she was kind of an iconoclast for having spoken out against the Catholic Church when she did.' There’s the one documentary [Nothing Compares] that’s coming out, but that’s coincidental. There was someone who realised this was a woman who needed proper analysis and a retrospective. Everyone else looked the other way."
It was confirmed this week that police found O'Connor unresponsive at her London home and was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy is due to take place, though no cause of death has been established. Her family released a statement saying: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinead. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”
The entertainment world has lost an iconic trailblazer whose legacy will live on in her music. Fans have been taking to social media to share their tributes in honour of the late artist, with many of her brutally honest tweets while she was single and ready to mingle also resurfacing.
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