Bob Geldof has opened up about the final texts he received from the late Sinéad O’Connor.
The Boomtown Rats frontman paid tribute to the Irish singer at the Cavan Calling Festival over the weekend, following the shock news of her death.
Speaking on stage, Bob described Sinéad as a “very good friend”, and revealed they were texting just weeks before she died.
Bob told the crowd:”Many, many times Sinead was full of a terrible loneliness and a terrible despair.
“She was a very good friend of mine, we were talking right up to a couple of weeks ago.
“Some of her texts were laden with desperation and despair and sorrow and some were ecstatically happy, and she was like that.”
The musician also revealed he partly inspired the moment Sinéad famously ripped up a picture of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live back in 1992.
Bob said: “She tore up the picture of the Pope because she saw me tear up the picture of John Travolta on Top Of The Pops.
“It was a little more extreme than tearing up f***ing disco. Tearing up the Vatican is a whole other thing but more correct actually. I should have done it.”
The songstress sadly passed away on July 26, at the age of 56.
According to the Met Police, the Dublin native was pronounced dead after being found “unresponsive” at a residence in London. Her death is not being treated as suspicious.
The London Inner South Coroner’s Court has since confirmed an autopsy will be conducted, but the results could take “several weeks”.
The court statement said: “The death of Sinead O’Connor in Lambeth was notified to the Coroner on Wednesday July 26 2023.
“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.
“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.”
The beloved songstress, who shot to fame in the 90s for her cover of Prince’s Nothing Compares 2 U, is survived by three of her children – – Jake, Roisin and Yeshua.
The musician, who changed her name to Shuhada’ Sadaqat in 2018 after converting to Islam, released 10 studio albums during her career.
The news of Sinead’s death came over a year after her 17-year-old son Shane took his own life in January 2022, after he left a hospital in Dublin – where he had been admitted for care.
At the time, she wrote on social media: “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.”
“May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace.”
In one of her last tweets, which was posted on July 17, 2023, Sinead posted a photo of herself and Shane and 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.”
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭#lostmy17yrOldSonToSuicidein2022.
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 pic.twitter.com/aC8BOmLQ9N— Sinead Marie-Bernarde Aoibheann O’Connor (@786OmShahid) July 17, 2023
Following her son’s passing last January, the singer cancelled her scheduled gigs for the rest of the year.
A statement released by her management at the time said: “We would like to respectfully announce that due to continuing grief over the tragic loss of her beloved son Shane earlier this year, Sinead O’Connor will not be performing live in 2022.”
The singer’s management added that it was not “an easy decision”, but it was necessary for her “own health and wellbeing”.
The statement continued to thank Sinéad’s worldwide agency ICM, who handled the situation “with the utmost respect and dignity,” and thanked “local and international promoters” for the continued “support and understanding.”
Her management team concluded, “Thank you also to Sinead’s friends and fans whose support and understanding we hold in the highest esteem throughout this period.”
“The love being shown has been a source of great comfort and peace for Sinead.”
Her last public appearance took place back in March, when she was presented with the inaugural award for Classic Irish Album at the RTÉ Choice Music Awards.
Sinéad O’Connor last March.
Via RTE Choice Music. pic.twitter.com/MiYnJqBjIX— Martine St-Victor (@MartineMontreal) July 26, 2023
Sinead received a standing ovation at the event, as she dedicated the award tp “each and every member of Ireland’s refugee community”.
“You’re very welcome in Ireland. I love you very much and I wish you happiness,” she said.
In 2021, the songstress released a memoir called Rememberings.
The following year, a docu-film called Nothing Compares, directed by Kathryn Ferguson, was released about her life.
