Sinéad O'Connor's daughter sang her song 'Nothing Compares 2 U' at a tribute concert for her mother. Meet the late singer's 4 kids.
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- Sinéad O'Connor died at age 56, her family told the Irish news outlet RTE in July 2023.
- O'Connor had four children: Jake, Roisin, Shane, and Yeshua.
- Here's everything that you need to know about O'Connor's kids.
The Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor died at age 56 in July 2023, according to a statement from O'Connor's family given to the Irish news outlet RTE.
"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad," the family's statement read. "Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time."
O'Connor is known for her 1990 cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U," which appeared on her second LP, "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got." She was nominated for eight Grammy awards in her career and won the award for best alternative music performance for "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" at the 1991 awards show.
O'Connor also famously tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II to protest against abuse in the Catholic Church during a performance on "Saturday Night Live" in 1992, an act for which she received backlash.
O'Connor is survived by her three living children after her son Shane died by suicide at age 17 in 2022. Here's everything you need to know about her kids.
Jake Reynolds is O'Connor's eldest child
O'Connor gave birth to her first son, Jake Reynolds, in June 1987, when she was married to John Reynolds. At the time, Today reported, O'Connor was 20 years old, and she gave birth three weeks before her debut album's release.
In an interview with People in 2021, O'Connor said Jake worked as a chef. She posted in July 2015 that he had welcomed a son, making her a grandmother, the International Business Times reported.
Jake has largely remained out of the public eye, though O'Connor occasionally posted about him on social media.
Roisin Waters is O'Connor's second child
O'Connor gave birth to Roisin, her only daughter, in 1995 with the journalist John Waters, after her marriage to John Reynolds ended. O'Connor and Waters eventually engaged in a custody battle over Roisin, which Waters won in 1999, MTV News reported. The outlet said O'Connor decided to give Waters custody of their daughter following O'Connor's suicide attempt.
O'Connor told People in 2021 that her daughter had a "great singing voice" but that she was relieved Roisin didn't choose to follow in her mother's footsteps. "I thought they would treat her like they treat me," she said. People reported that Roisin worked as a pastry chef.
Roisin put her singing talents to use, however, at a tribute concert for her mother and the late Irish artist Shane MacGowan at Carnegie Hall in March 2024, Billboard reported. She sang "Nothing Compares 2 U," her mother's most famous track. Fellow artist Amanda Palmer posted a video of Roisin's performance on social media, writing, "I don't think there was a dry eye in the house."
—Amanda Palmer ???? (@amandapalmer) March 22, 2024
Shane Lunny was O'Connor's third child, and he died by suicide in 2022
O'Connor gave birth to Shane Lunny in 2004, having him with Donal Lunny, an Irish folk musician. In the 2021 People interview, O'Connor said that Shane was "a real mommy's boy" who wanted to follow in his mother's footsteps with a career in music.
In August 2017, O'Connor posted a video on Facebook saying that she had felt alone since losing custody of Shane and expressed suicidal ideation, The Telegraph reported.
Shane was found dead in January 2022 and O'Connor wrote on Twitter that he had died by suicide.
"My beautiful son, Nevi'im Nesta Ali Shane O'Connor, the very light of my life, decided to end his earthly struggle today and is now with God," O'Connor tweeted in a since-removed post.
"May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace," she said.
O'Connor posted a tribute to her son days before her death, People reported.
"Been living as an undead night creature since," she wrote in a now-deleted tweet, according to People. "He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul. We were one soul in two halves. He was the only person who ever loved me unconditionally."
O'Connor's youngest child is Yeshua Bonadio
O'Connor had her youngest child, Yeshua, with Frank Bonadio in 2006. O'Connor told People in 2021 that Bonadio was an American scientist, and that Yeshua was interested in attending college in the United States.
O'Connor said that Yeshua was an "incredible musician" who played the piano and had an "incredible singing voice."