Her family confirmed the death on BBC Wednesday.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad,” the statement read. “Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”

O’Connor was in Dublin on December 8, 1966. She had a complicated and controversial music career, speaking openly about politics, spirituality and her mental health struggles.

She famously ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live in 1992 and weeks later was booed off stage at New York City’s Madison Square Garden during Bob Dylan tribute concert.

O’Connor released her debut album, The Lion and the Cobra, in 1987, and followed it with 1990’s I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, which featured “Nothing Compares 2 U.” The track was success for O’Connor but was first recorded by Prince for 1985’s The Family, his album with his band of the same name. The song spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and helped O’Connor earn four Grammy nominations for the song and album, but she withdrew from the competition.

The song’s music video, featuring closeups of O’Connor and her signature shaven head, was also a success.

Miley Cyrus’ 2013 hit “Wrecking Ball” borrowed from O’Connor’s video but also featured Cyrus nude and licking a sledgehammer. O’Connor wrote an open letter to the singer, warning her to avoid being sexually exploited by the music industry.

O’Connor released 10 albums — her last full-length release was 2014’s I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss. She released her memoir, Rememberings, in 2021.

The singer said growing up in an abusive household led to her depression. She added that becoming famous didn’t help matters.

“I was always kind of very anxious and not necessarily able to experience happiness or fun or whatever,” she said on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2007.

Her last public appearance was at the RTÉ Choice Music Awards in Dublin in March, where she received a standing ovation after winning classic Irish album for I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got. She dedicated the award to “all refugees in Ireland.”

In 2022 that her 17-year-old son died by suicide. 

Months later she canceled her shows for the year “due to continuing grief over the tragic loss of her beloved son Shane.”

She was married fourth times and is survived by her three children.

She converted to Islam in 2018 and she changed her name to Shuhada’ Sadaqat.