Celebrity News
Sinead O’Connor dead at 56
Irish musician’s family announced passing on Wednesday
In a statement released by her family, it was announced that Sinead O’Connor has died at the age of 56.
The pop singer rocketed to fame three decades ago with her 1990 cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” but gained notoriety for her political positions and denouncing pedophilia existing within the Catholic Church.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time,” the statement read.
Her death follows a year after she lost her 17-year-old son Shane, who died by suicide. The singer’s passing was reported on Wednesday, however details surrounding her death remain unknown currently.
O’Connor, has four children by four partners and has been married three times. She had converted to Islam in 2018 and changed her name to Shuhada Sadaqat. She continued to perform under the name Sinead O’Connor. She was also politically active and open about her life, often offering public opinions and commentary that offended some people.
In 1992, she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live, earning her a ban from NBC’s iconic late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show.
In a profile of that moment reported in the music industry publication Far Out, writer Jack Whatley noted:
“Taking to the famous Studio 8H stage, the camera panned to O’Connor, who, staring directly down the barrel, delivered a cappella rendition of Bob Marley’s song ‘War.’ The track choice was a deeply poignant one and was delivered as an attempt to protest against the widespread sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church. It was intended to flip Marley’s original war on racism and train its crosshairs on child abuse.”
O’Connor, who started to sing the lyrics: “We have confidence in good over evil,” held up a photograph of Pope John Paul II to the camera at the very moment she sang the word “evil,” and with a flash of intensity, both in her eyes and vocals, she began tearing it up in pieces, throwing them at the camera and stating: “Fight the real enemy.” Apparently, the photo was one that had been situated on her own mother’s wall since 1978.
O’Connor was also quite open about intimate details of her life with fans and the press.
In a Aug. 31, 2011, article from Reuters, her sexual orientation was a central focus. Reuters reported that the singer revealed “her sexual frustration in a series of blog and Twitter posts, much to the amusement of her followers.”
Reuters noted: “I am in the peak of my sexual prime and way too lovely to be living like a nun, and it’s VERY depressing,” wrote O’Connor in a blog posted earlier this month.
The singer has previously spoken of her romantic relationships with men and women.
O’Connor outed herself as a lesbian in an interview with Curve magazine in 2000, but later retracted the statement and in 2005, told Entertainment Weekly “I’m three-quarters heterosexual, a quarter gay. I lean a bit more towards the hairy blokes.”
Sinead O’Connor, acclaimed Dublin singer, dies aged 56 https://t.co/00uq4SjSHr
— The Irish Times (@IrishTimes) July 26, 2023
As word of her death spread, the Irish Times newspaper in Dublin reported that Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar tweeted: “Really sorry to hear of the passing of Sinéad O’Connor. Her music was loved around the world and her talent was unmatched and beyond compare.”
Colm O’Gorman, executive director of Amnesty International Ireland, said to the paper in a statement: “It is hard to think of an artist who has had the social and cultural impact of Sinead. What a loss. Heartfelt condolences to her children, her family and all who loved her.”
Celebrity News
John Waters released from hospital after car accident
Crash took place in Baltimore County
BY TAJI BURRIS | Baltimore filmmaker John Waters was released from the hospital Tuesday morning following a car accident.
The 78-year-old released a statement saying that although he was hurt in the Baltimore County crash, he did not sustain major injuries.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
Celebrity News
More than 1 million people attend Madonna concert in Rio
Free event took place on Copacabana Beach on Saturday
An estimated 1.6 million people on Saturday attended Madonna’s free concert on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach.
The concert, which was the last one as part of Madonna’s Celebration Tour, included a tribute to people lost to AIDS.
Bob the Drag Queen introduced Madonna before the concert began. Pabllo Vittar, a Brazilian drag queen and singer, and Anitta, a bisexual pop star who was born in Rio’s Honório Gurgel neighborhood, also joined Madonna on stage.
Congresswoman Erika Hilton, a Black travesti and former sex worker, and Rio Municipal Councilwoman Mônica Benício, the widow of Marielle Franco, a bisexual Rio Municipal Councilwoman who was assassinated in 2018, are among those who attended the concert.
“Madonna showed that we fight important fights for the human rights of Black (people), young (people), women and LGBTQIA+ people, and against all injustice, discrimination, and violence,” said Associaçao Nacional de Travestis e Transexuais (National Association of Travestis and Transsexuals), a Brazilian trans rights group known by the acronym ANTRA, on its X account. “What they call identitarianism’ is our subversion to the retrograde and conservative tackiness that plagues the country.”
The Associated Press reported the concert was Madonna’s biggest ever.
In a move aimed at celebrating the beauty, brilliance and resilience of the LGBTQ community, the Human Rights Campaign unveiled the “Queer Renaissance Syllabus” that Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” album inspired.
Curated by Justin Calhoun, Leslie Hall and Chauna Lawson of the HRC’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program, the syllabus includes a variety of academic articles, essays, films and other media rooted in Black queer and feminist studies. Each piece is directly inspired by the tracks on Beyoncé’s Billboard 200-topping dance album, “Renaissance.”
Beyoncé’s album “Renaissance” stands as a cultural milestone, celebrating the Black queer roots of dance music while shedding light on overlooked Black queer artists. Inspired by her late-Uncle Johnny, the album not only garnered critical acclaim but also shed light on the often marginalized contributions of Black queer artists. Winning four Grammys and yielding chart-topping hits like “Break My Soul” and “Cuff It,” the album sparked discussions about economic impact and cultural representation.
Amid its success, legislative challenges arose, with Florida and Texas enacting bans on DEI initiatives in public colleges. Recognizing the album’s transformative potential, HRC developed the “Queer Renaissance Syllabus” to leverage its impact for education and activism.
Tailored for educators, youth-serving professionals, DEI practitioners, higher education leaders and admirers of Beyoncé’s artistry, the syllabus aims to encourage meaningful discussions, enrich lesson plans, and explore innovative ways to honor the vibrancy and significance of LGBTQ individuals and their culture.
With six themes anchoring the syllabus, ranging from “intersectionality and inclusivity” to “social justice and activism,” it provides a comprehensive exploration of various facets of LGBTQ experiences and expressions. Fan-favorite tracks from the album are paired with scholarly readings, offering insights into empowerment, self-acceptance and the transformative power of artistic expression. The syllabus also reinforces HRC’s efforts to highlight, amplify and re-center Black and queer voices.
By providing links to articles, books, podcasts and interviews, each associated with a song from the album, it celebrates the rich cultural heritage and contributions of the Black queer community.
The concluding section of the syllabus includes Beyoncé’s tribute to O’Shea Sibley, a young Black queer person who was murdered in Brooklyn, N.Y., last July while voguing to “Renaissance” songs at a gas station. HRC also includes a statement that condemns hate crimes.
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