<p>A biopic chronicling the singer's early years is in the works. Here are five facts to know about the singer ahead of the film.</p>

<p>For Gen Z, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/sinead-oconnor-90s-singer-young-photos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sin&eacute;ad O'Connor</a> might not be the biggest name around, but for nearly everyone else, the Irish singer has reached icon status. News just broke that a film covering her early years growing up in Ireland and her entrance into the music industry is in the works. The upcoming biopic follows the news of the singer's death in 2023 at the age of 56.</p>
<p>The film is being produced by ie: entertainment, the Irish media company behind the 2022 documentary&nbsp;<em>Nothing Compares,</em> which covered O'Connor's rise to international stardom. The film will be directed by Josephine Decker, who was behind the 2020 film&nbsp;<em>Shirley, </em>and is based on a script by the Irish writer Stacey Gregg. Not much information about the cast has been revealed, but we are excited to see who will take on the role of O'Connor, known for her moving voice, signature shaved head, and polarizing public opinions.</p>
<p>The&nbsp;<em>Nothing Compares 2 U</em> singer was born in Dublin, Ireland, in late 1966 to a barrister and a dressmaker. Her parents divorced when she was eight years old, and she and her siblings were sent to live with their mother. Though this was traumatic for O'Connor, as her mother was abusive and often beat her children. Eventually, she went to live with her father and stepmother, though she was an unruly child with a habit of shoplifting that landed her in reform school. Her time in reform school and later boarding school helped spark her love of music, and she ultimately ran away from school to pursue her career back in Dublin.</p>
<p>It was in Dublin that O'Connor's music career was born. In 1985, she was discovered by the London-based record label Ensign Records. By 1990, <em><a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sinead-oconnor-the-decades-first-new-superstar-194020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rolling Stone</a>&nbsp;</em>gave her the title of the decade's first new superstar. And until she died in 2023, she led nothing short of a remarkable and unusual life. Keep scrolling to learn five fascinating facts about Sin&eacute;ad O'Connor ahead of her biopic.</p>

<h2>She won a Grammy at 23 but refused to accept it</h2>

Getty Images.

<p>O'Connor won the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/celebrities-red-carpet-grammys-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grammy</a> Award for Best Alternative Music Album for her sophomore record, <em>Do Not Want What I Haven't Got,</em> in 1991. This was the record that truly put the singer on the map, as it featured her rendition of Prince's 1985 song "Nothing Compares 2 U." That song turned the Irish singer into a global phenomenon and is her most-streamed song to this day. Despite her critical acclaim for the track and album, O'Connor refused the award and did not attend the 33rd Annual Grammy Award Show. Her reasoning behind the radical decision revolved around not wanting to participate in the "false and materialistic values" of the music industry</p>

<h2>She tore up a photo of the Pope on&nbsp;<em>Saturday Night Live</em></h2>

<p>O'Connor made headlines for her bold decision to tear up a photo of Pope John Paul II on live television in 1992. As she sang the lyrics to Bob Marley's "War," ending with the line "We have confidence in the victory of good over evil" on <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/all-the-celebrities-at-saturday-night-live-50th-anniversary-special-red-carpet" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Saturday Night Live</em></a>, she held up a picture of the Pope and tore it into pieces. After tearing the photo up, she continued to stare straight into the camera and yelled, "Fight the real enemy." She faced abundant backlash for this move, but she had multiple reasons of her own for the protest. Her abusive mother had owned that same photo of the Pope, and outside of her relationship to it, she strongly protested against the child abuse within the Catholic church.</p>

<h2>She was ordained but later converted to Islam</h2>

<p>Despite her strong stance against Catholicism, O'Connor went on to become ordained in a niche sector of the Catholic church in 1999. She became Mother Bernadette Marie in the Latin Tridentine sect, which the Roman Catholic Church does not officially recognize. In typical O'Connor fashion, this decision was radical to many, as women were not allowed to become priests in the Roman Catholic faith. She said in a 1999 <a href="https://www.rte.ie/archives/2019/0329/1039381-female-priest-sinead-oconnor/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> that "A person shouldn't become a priest unless they take it dreadfully seriously."&nbsp;</p>
<p>Despite her lifelong history as a Catholic, O'Connor converted to Islam in 2018, taking the name Shuhada&rsquo; Sadaqat, though she continued to perform under the name Sin&eacute;ad O'Connor. She wrote on Twitter in 2018, "<span>This is the natural conclusion of any intelligent theologian's journey." Later, in a 2019 interview on the Irish talk show, <em>The Late Late Show</em>, she said she had been a Muslim her entire life and had not realized it. She was a practicing Muslim at the time of her death in 2023.</span></p>

<h2>She refused to perform at a 1990 concert if the "Star-Spangled Banner" was played</h2>

<p>During a 1990 concert in New Jersey, O'Connor refused to perform if the "Star-Spangled Banner" was played. This was in protest of the American music industry's racism and censorship that she felt the national anthem represented. The venue complied with her wish, but she received significant backlash for the decision, including from <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/frank-sinatra-young-photos-my-way-singer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frank Sinatra</a>, who performed at the same venue the following night. The "My Way"<em>&nbsp;</em>singer said he would "kick her in the ass" for her protest, though disagreement from large public figures never swayed O'Connor's beliefs.</p>

<h2>She was inspiringly open about her mental health struggles</h2>

<p>During a 2007 appearance on the&nbsp;<em>Oprah Winfrey Show</em> at 40 years old, O'Connor opened up about her diagnosis with bipolar disorder three years prior. She also revealed that she had attempted suicide on her 33rd birthday. Her honesty can be marked as a pivotal moment in her public life, as she raised important awareness around mental health. The singer was also very critical of the stigma around needing psychiatric help and overmedicating those with mental health struggles.</p>

Who Is Sinéad O'Connor? Learn About the Fascinating Life of the Irish Singer

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