Irish rockstar Bob Geldof paid tribute to late singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor over the weekend, revealing that they had been in contact a few weeks before her death. According to Geldof, 71, O’Connor had showcased a range of emotions in text messages to him during her final days.
Geldof performed with his band, The Boomtown Rats, at the Cavan Calling music festival in Ireland on Saturday, July 29, according to the Irish Independent. The rocker dedicated a song to O’Connor, who died at the age of 56 in London last week. Geldof revealed that he and O’Connor had been friends for years, having grown up down the street from one another.
“She was a very good friend of mine,” Geldof said. “We were talking right up to a couple of weeks ago.”
Geldof said that texts from O’Connor ranged from sounding “laden with desperation and despair and sorrow” to “ecstatically happy.” “She was like that,” he added.
The Live Aid co-founder also said that O’Connor was often “full of a terrible loneliness and a terrible despair.”
O’Connor’s family confirmed the “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer’s death on July 26. “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad,” they said in a statement, according to reports. “Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”
A cause of death has not been confirmed at the time of publication. However, London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement on July 27 that O’Connor’s death was “not being treated as suspicious.” Officers responded to “reports of an unresponsive woman at a residential address,” and O’Connor was “pronounced dead at the scene.” The police then notified O’Connor’s family. An autopsy is expected to be performed to determine the cause of death.
O’Connor’s passing comes 18 months after her son Shane committed suicide at the age of 17.
“My beautiful son, Nevi’im Nesta Ali Shane O’Connor, the very light of my life, decided to end his earthly struggle today and is now with God,” O’Connor tweeted at the time of Shane’s death in January 2022. “May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace.”
O’Connor dealt with mental health struggles for many years. She was open about her experiences, which included physical abuse from her mother and childhood trauma, as well as bipolar disorder, complex post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder diagnoses. She reached a low point in 2015 following a hysterectomy to treat endometriosis, which allegedly affected her hormones. O’Connor posted concerning cries for help online.
In a May 2021 interview, O’Connor admitted she was “mental” after her surgery but didn’t regret her social media posts.
“I’m quite proud, in a weird way, that I was that open … The nature of a singer is to be emotionally honest,” she said. “I’ve always been pretty open. And I have no regrets.”
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