Morrissey posts searing tribute to “crazed” and proudly vulnerable Sinead O’Connor

Patrick McCarry

The singer called out ‘the lamestreamers’ and those that hated O’Connor for not fitting in.

Morrissey has posted a searing tribute to Sinead O’Connor on his website, after the Irish singer died on Wednesday (July 26) at the age of 56.

The former Smiths frontman penned a 393-word post that is equally poignant and pointed, about O’Connor, but cuts off the music and media industries for how the Dubliner was often portrayed and treated.

Comparing O’Connor to past musicians that battled mental health issues, and other demons, such as Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston, Morrissey castigates those that ‘hadn’t the guts to support her’.

Full Morrissey statement on Sinead O’Connor

Here is that post, from the Morrissey website, in full:

“She had only so much ‘self’ to give. She was dropped by her label after selling 7 million albums for them. She became crazed, yes, but uninteresting, never. She had done nothing wrong.

“She had proud vulnerability … and there is a certain music industry hatred for singers who don’t ‘fit in’ (this I know only too well), and they are never praised until death – when, finally, they can’t answer back. The cruel playpen of fame gushes with praise for Sinead today … with the usual moronic labels of “icon” and “legend”. 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.

“The press will label artists as pests because of what they withhold … and they would call Sinead sad, fat, shocking, insane … oh but not today! Music CEOs who had put on their most charming smile as they refused her for their roster are queuing-up to call her a “feminist icon”, and 15 minute celebrities and goblins from hell and record labels of artificially aroused diversity are squeezing onto Twitter to twitter their jibber-jabber … when it was YOU who talked Sinead into giving up … because she refused to be labelled, and she was degraded, as those few who move the world are always degraded.

“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. 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.

“Her eyes finally closed in search of a soul she could call her own. As always, the lamestreamers miss the ringing point, and with locked jaws they return to the insultingly stupid “icon” and “legend” when last week words far more cruel and dismissive would have done.

“Tomorrow the fawning fops flip back to their online shitposts and their cosy Cancer Culture and their moral superiority and their obituaries of parroted vomit … all of which will catch you lying on days like today … when Sinead doesn’t need your sterile slop.”

Others from the music industry were quick to laud Sinead O’Connor as a true icon and a brave and bold voice.