Tori Amospaid heartfelt tribute to the late singer-songwriterSinéad O’Connorduring her Ocean to Ocean Tour stop at the Masonic in San Francisco on Wednesday, July 26. Performing just hours after the news of O’Connor’s passing was announced, Amos took the stage offeringsomber piano renditionsof two of the Irish icon’s signature songs while praising the profound impact she made on the music industry.
Amos delivered poignant versions of “I Am Stretched on Your Grave” and “Three Babies” on the piano, describing O’Connor as “one of the most important songwriters” in history. Both tracks hail from O’Connor’s breakthrough 1990 album, “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got,” which featured her chart-topping rendition of Prince’s ballad “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
Amos alsopraised O’Connor for speaking outagainst the Roman Catholic Church long before allegations of sexual abuse were widely reported. O’Connor made headlines in October 1992 when she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II while appearing on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” openly denouncing the church as the enemy.
“This is a person who was powerful, who wrote incredible music, and we honor her tonight,” Amostold the crowdwhile introducing her own song, “Crucify.”
O’Connor was found unresponsive shortly before noon Wednesday in a home in southeast London and pronounced dead at the scene, according to British authorities. Met Police did not disclose how she died but said that her death is “not being treated as suspicious.” She was 56.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time,” the singer’s family said in a statement reported by the BBC and RTE.
Earlier in the day, Amosposted a photographof O’Connor on social media, calling her “a force of nature.”
“A brilliant songwriter & performer whose talent we will not see the like of again,”Amoswrote. “Such passion, such intense presence & a beautiful soul, who battled her own personal demons courageously. Be at peace dear Sinead, you will forever be in our hearts.”
O’Connor was public about her mental illness, saying that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She posted a Facebook video in 2017 from a New Jersey motel where she had been living, saying that she was staying alive for the sake of others and that if it were up to her, she’d be “gone.”
Her 67 Management team revealed a day later that, at the time of her death, O’Connor was working on a new album, plotting tour dates and considering a biopic.
“Wonderful plans were afoot at this time,” the management companywrote on its website. “Testament and tribute to those who have put their hearts first for Sinead, to whom we are forever grateful.”
Tributes poured in for O’Connor from fans andadmirers, with peers such as Melissa Etheridge, Ice-T, Peter Gabriel, Chuck D and R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe singing her praises.
Shirley Manson, the lead singer of the band Garbage,wrote on Instagramthat she was “heartbroken” over O’Connor’s death and the way she was treated in life.
“This disgusting world broke her and kept on breaking her,” Manson said. “Godspeed dear fragile dove. Thank you for all the beauty and all the wise teachings you offered up to us. I wish you nothing but peace and I will love you for all of time.”
Leo Varadkar — Ireland’s taoiseach, or prime minister — said in a social media post, “Her music was loved around the world and her talent was unmatched and beyond compare.”
Alanis Morissettedescribed O’Connor as a “profound inspiration. … Her passion, poetry, and unapologetic expression raised the bar on artistry and female empowerment.
“Her questioning of societal norms deeply influenced culture’s appreciation of female complexity. Her ability to vulnerably dwell on the small part of the bell-shaped curve was thought-provoking, stirring and inspiring,”she wrote. “I’m feeling empathy for Ireland, for the world, and for all of us who are saddened by this news.”
Billy Corgan of theSmashing Pumpkinsalso chimed in.
“Fiercely honest and sweet and funny, she was talented in ways I’m not sure she completely understood,” hewrote on Instagram. “But Sinéad stands alone as a figure from our generation who was always true to the piercing voice within and without. And for that I will always admire and respect her. And never forget that she was cancelled for an act of simple resistance. Her crime? Tearing up a photo.”
But Morrissey, the controversy-courting former lead singer of the Smiths, slammed those tributesin a statementshared through his official website.
“她降低了标签后卖7轧机ion albums for them,” he wrote. “She became crazed, yes, but uninteresting, never. She had done nothing wrong. You praise her now ONLY because it is too late. You hadn’t the guts to support her when she was alive and she was looking for you.”
Morrissey also chastised the public at large for treating O’Connor as an outcast after her high-profile personal struggles.
“Why is ANYBODY surprised that Sinead O’Connor is dead? Who cared enough to save Judy Garland, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse, Marilyn Monroe, Billie Holiday? Where do you go when death can be the best outcome? Was this music madness worth Sinead’s life? No, it wasn’t,” he wrote. “She was a challenge, and she couldn’t be boxed-up, and she had the courage to speak when everyone else stayed safely silent. She was harassed simply for being herself.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Reach Aidin Vaziri: avaziri@sfchronicle.com