The late Sinéad O’Connor has been listed as a nominee to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The Irish singer was found dead in her London apartment on July 26, 2023.
It was revealed earlier this year that the 56-year-old died of “natural causes.”
Sinéad joins the likes of Mary J Blige, Mariah Carey, Cher, Lenny Kravitz, Oasis and heavy metal’s so-called Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne.
John Sykes, Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation said in a statement: “Continuing in the true spirit of rock ‘n’ roll, these artists have created their own sounds that have impacted generations and influenced countless others that have followed in their footsteps.”
Ten out of the 15 nominees are on the ballot for the first time, including Sinéad, Kool & The Gang, Foreigner, Cher, Lenny Kravitz, Oasis and Ozzy Osbourne.
Nominees will be voted on by more than 1,000 artists, historians and music industry professionals.
Congratulations to the #RockHall2024 Nominees! The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be returning to @ABCNetwork and @Disneyplus. Cast your ballot in the Fan Vote: https://t.co/keewGnGnnD pic.twitter.com/9zwxXCEujg
— Rock Hall (@rockhall) February 10, 2024
Fans can vote online or in person at the museum, with the top-five artists picked by the public making up a “fans’ ballot” that will be tallied with the other professional ballots.
Sinéad was best known for her hits which included Nothing Compares 2 U, Mandinka and Drink Before The War.
Sinéad’s funeral took place on Tuesday, August 8, and thousands turned out to pay their respects as the hearse carrying her coffin passed through Bray in Co. Wicklow.
Sinéad had only recently moved to London, and shared a video showing off her new flat just two weeks before she died.
The beloved songstress 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.
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”.
