LONDON, ENGLAND: Sinead O’Connor’s sudden death at 56 has made a generation of music lovers grieve for their favorite singer. O’Connor rose to fame after releasing her album ‘The Lio and the Cobtra’ in 1987. Following that, O’Connor became one of the defining voices in the alternate and experimental rock category.

However, just like her rise to stardom was swift, she started facing difficulties quite quickly for her strongly voiced opinions. The musician became famous for her protests against child abuse and her daring act of tearing apart Pope John Paul II’s photo during an episode of Saturday Night Live, which many believed to be the final nail in the coffin of her waning career. While she gradually became a recluse after the release of her last album, ‘I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss’ in 2014, her death was sudden which left her fans grappling with grief.

When did Sinead O'Connor die?

The 56-year-old musician, who was known as much for her soul-stirring music as her vociferous social and political opinions, was found unresponsive in her London flat on Wednesday, July 26. Police found her during a routine welfare check. However, the exact time of her passing is not yet known. As per the London coroner in London, the “date of death is unknown,” as reported by the Irish Independent. The UK police are still trying to piece together a complete timeline of the events. A London Inner South Coroner’s Court spokesperson said that London police referred the case to them while confirming that the “Date of death is unknown.”

In their statement released on Thursday, July 27, London Metropolitan Police said, "Police were called at 11:18 hrs on Wednesday, 26 July, to reports of an unresponsive woman at a residential address in the SE24 area.” They continued, "Officers attended. A 56-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Next of kin have been notified. The death is not being treated as suspicious. A file will be prepared for the Coroner."

While no medical cause for her death was given, it was announced that autopsy will be carried out. Treating O’Connor’s death as "not suspicious," the court statement read, “The death of Sinead O’Connor in Lambeth was notified to the coroner on Wednesday July 26 2023,” before adding, “No medical cause of death was given. The coroner therefore directed an autopsy to be conducted. The results of this may not available for several weeks.”

They continued, “The decision whether an inquest will be needed will be decided when these results are known and submissions have been heard from the family. If an inquest is to be opened, the date of the brief public hearing will be provided on our website,” per the Mirror.

'Been living as undead night creature'

Towards the end of her life, O’Connor received a massive blow when her 17-year-old son Shane killed himself after escaping from a hospital where he was on suicide watch. In her last social media post, she wrote, "Been living as undead night creature since. He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul. We were one soul in two halves. He was the only person who ever loved me unconditionally. I am lost in the bardo without him.”