Sinead O’Connor RIP

I’m not generally one to publicly mourn the deaths of celebrities. I generally never knew them and so whereas I will miss their art/science/whatever, I cannot really feel grief (I’m talking for myself here). But there’s a few celebrities that perhaps I can grieve. John Peel, Mark E Smith, Bowie and now Sinead O’Connor.
She’s the same age as me but it’s not that. It’s that her music, her bravery, her crazy comments and never, ever giving a fuck was just so right. From Mandinka to Queen of Denmark, from ripping up a photo of the Pope (apparently her mother’s photo that was hung in their home) to telling Prince to fuck off.
She had a “lively” period on Twitter a few years ago. Sometimes poignant, but generally funny and always personal.
She did a hell of a lot more than that Prince cover. I can appreciate that song, and the video was wonderful, but, and this may sound quite petty but I would think Sinead would never have replace “you” with “U” in a song. Her songs were far better than that.
My favourite and the first song of Sinead’s I ever heard was Mandinka. It still sounds good even though it’s almost forty years ago since she recorded it (I think!). But her albums always stayed fresh. “How about I be Me (and you be you) (2012)” is a wonderful album and “Queen of Denmark” from that album is so full of emotion and brilliance.
Her third album “Am I not your Girl?” is also superb. The one she was supposed to be promoting on Saturday Night Live when she instead tore up the photo of the pope. I listened to that album over and over again for quite a few years. Which as a covers album I would generally never do. I listened to it twice through last night. Still as good.