In this episode, Ted Asregadoo, the host of Planet LP, speaks with Annie Logue, a finance and culture writer who runs the Substack newsletter “The Whatever Years.” They discuss the late Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O’Connor, who passed away on July 26, 2023, at the age of 56. O’Connor was known for her music career that began in the 80s and her willingness to confront controversy head-on.
The first segment of the conversation focuses on O’Connor’s difficult childhood, including the abuse she suffered from her mother. They also discuss O’Connor’s notable fight with the Catholic Church over the sexual abuse of minors, which led to her protest on Saturday Night Live in 1992. Finally, they touch on O’Connor’s ongoing struggles with the music industry.
In the second segment, Ted and Annie share their five favorite songs from Sinead O’Connor’s catalog. These songs not only exemplify her powerful voice but also highlight what a gifted songwriter she was; a songwriter whose deeply personal and overtly religious songs will leave a lasting impact on the culture for decades to come.
There are a few thoughts I have on your podcast and I would like to share with you. Firstly this rhetoric that the ripping up of the Pope’s photo on SNL ruined Sinéad O’Connor’s career I think needs really to be amended to it ruined Sinéad O’Connor” the brand. Because from all that I have learned [albeit what I have read, a good amount of material since her death] what was negatively impacted was lucrative airplay and the possibility of sponsorships and endorsements as a result. Endorsements and sponsorships there is very little chance of her being willing to be aligned with, being someone who had a very strong moral code when it came to exploitation of others. A good amount of brands and corporations that offer sponsorships are built on the exploitation of their workforce, something I believe she would have been aware of. The loss of the brand “Sinéad O’Connor” enabled her to have artistic freedom to explore all the genres of music she was interested in and work on collaborations that were important to her. Firstly the SNL photo ripping of the Pope raised public awareness of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church and in relation to that there was already enough evidence of this that those who worked in the media would have been aware of. The fact that Sinéad O’Connor publicly shone a light on this I genuinely believe created a response from the media that had a whole lot more to do with protecting the powerful than any moral outrage. Secondly from very early on when Sinéad O’Connor was shot into the limelight with her debut solo album [“The Lion and The Cobra”] and then her second one [“I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got”] was such a huge success she is quoted as saying “I never set out to be a Popstar. I always wanted to be a protest singer”. That being her goal Sinéad O’Connor achieved that on a phenomenal scale. This was not her motive for her actions but it does explain why she did not falter to take that opportunity to raise public awareness and give a voice to the voiceless. A lot of the songs Sinéad O’Connor wrote for her debut solo album were written when she was 20 years old and I remember when that album was released and hearing this barely woman’s words that were very much giving voice to the inconsolable traumatised child she carried within her. Anyone listening to those songs cannot fail to understand they are bearing witness to her abuse, her suffering and her rage at the injustice of the treachery of those whose role was to protect her. In doing so Sinéad O’Connor took a stand and planted both her feet in the Earth and for the remaining 36 years of her life did not budge. Hatred did not bend her. Malice did not have her bowed. Vilification could not dislodge this incredible woman from her stance. The fact that it was the love of a son whose loss she could not endure that felled this giant of a person is testament enough to her integrity. All the battles this warrior fought and ultimately won, the wounds she got fighting them, have contributed to creating music that is a sanctuary. So those of us who are broken in spirit and mind and body can find solace in her words and music. Solace for the army of adult survivors of childhood abuse who carry our inconsolable traumatised child inside us. Music was my refuge, as it is with so many. I can say [with total gratitude] that on two specific occasions Sinéad O’Connor’s music is responsible for me remaining on this planet. Shuhada Sadaqat gave voice to the voiceless, took up the causes of the displaced and the invisible. I thank you for your podcast and for the wonderful songlist you picked and your reasons for your choices. The one quote above all that I have read that brings me comfort is this “They tried to bury me, not recognising that I was a seed”. Shuhada Sadaqat
Sinéad O’Connor
Rest In Power
Give them Hell
Thank you very much for your thoughtful and detailed comment. You brought up some very good points!