Sinéad O'Connor was prominently featured during the 'In Memoriam' portion of the 2024 Grammys on Sunday night, February 4.
O'Connor, who died in July 2023 at the age of 56, was honored with a performance of "Nothing Compares 2 U" performed by Annie Lennox, accompanied by Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman.
"Nothing Compares 2 U" was a hit song from O'Connor's "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" album, which won the 1991 Grammy for Best Alternative Performance.
The New York Times notes that there was "a bit of irony in Lennox's performance" - O'Connor boycotted the Grammys ceremony in 1991 for the show's 'excessive commercialism.'
At the end of her rendition of O'Connor's hit song, Lennox said with her fist raised: "Artists for ceasefire. Peace in the world."
Annie Lennox pic.twitter.com/bF8R5n2zLA
— Variety (@Variety) February 5, 2024
Lennox's call for a ceasefire during Sunday night's live, televised performance is being compared to O'Connor's famous "Saturday Night Live" performance in 1992 when she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II and declared "fight the real enemy."
annie lennox finishing sinead o’connors song by calling for a ceasefire was perhaps the most meaningful and honest way to honor sinead’s memory pic.twitter.com/JEXeRhKlAQ
— matt (@mattxiv) February 5, 2024
While O'Connor's "SNL" statement targeted the Catholic Church, she was also outspoken regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict throughout her career.
In 1997, she was due to perform at 'Sharing Jerusalem: Two Capitals for Two States,' but was forced to back out after receiving death threats that had been phoned into the British Embassy in Tel Aviv.
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported at the time: "One extreme right-wing activist, while not claiming to have issued the threats, told Israel Radio that he and his supporters had succeeded in getting the concert called off.
"Itamar Ben-Gvir referred to O’Connor as a 'singer who preaches and calls for the division of Jerusalem and who spreads gentile culture,' adding that she 'has no place in Israel.'
"'We certainly view the pressure we exerted so she wouldn’t come to Israel as successful.'"
O'Connor responded in an open letter that said in part: "God does not reward those who bring terror to the children of the world.
"So you have succeeded in nothing but your soul's failure."
She continued: "As I child I remember watching television in Ireland on Christmas Eve. I saw Israeli and Palestinian men beating each other in the streets of the very birthplace of their faiths. I felt saddened and frightened. I asked God then 'How can there be peace anywhere on earth if there is not peace in Jerusalem?' I ask you that question now Mr. Ben Gvir."
(Ben-Gvir became Israel's National Security Minister in 2022.)
Later, in 2014, O'Connor refused to play a gig in Israel. She told Hot Press after: “Let’s just say that, on a human level, nobody with any sanity, including myself, would have anything but sympathy for the Palestinian plight.
"There’s not a sane person on earth who in any way sanctions what the f--k the Israeli authorities are doing.”
Dublin native O'Connor was found dead in her London flat on July 26, 2023. The Southwark Coroner's Court in London has since confirmed that O'Connor died of natural causes.
The Irish singer-songwriter's death was marked with tributes both at home and abroad. Among the outpouring of condolences was Lennox, who praised O'Connor for her "exquisite artistry" and being "fearless."
Sinead …
— Annie Lennox (@AnnieLennox) July 27, 2023
You bared your soul…
Shared your brilliance
Through exquisite artistry
Your incredible voice..
Fierce and fragile
Lioness and lamb
Sweet singing bird
Keenly tuned
Trembling..
Tip-toeing along the high wire
Or stamping the ground
Raw
Wounded
Fearless … pic.twitter.com/QyCX2TT1fn
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