As we mark the passing of Sinéad O’Connor, who died at the age of 56 on July 26, 2023, we share this video of one of the first live performance many of us in U.S. saw of the incredibly talented artist. She performed “Mandinka” on the 1989 Grammy Awards, where she was nominated for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female for her 1987 debut album, The Lion and the Cobra. Her performance won the audience over, though she lost the award to the iconic Tina Turner.
The renowned musician and activist’s passing was announced by her family, stating it was “with great sadness” and “her family and friends are devastated”. She released her critically acclaimed album The Lion And The Cobra in 1987, which entered the top 40 in the UK and US. It was on her next album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got that her most famous hit, “Nothing Compares 2 U” was on. Written by Prince, the song reached number one around the world, including in the US and the UK. She released 10 albums between 1987 and 2014.
