Sinead O'Connor performs at the Tabernacle

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Sinead O'Connor performs at the Tabernacle

Sinead O'Connor, Friday, October 26, 2007, The Tabernacle:

Grammy winning Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O'Connor made a long overdue appearance in Atlanta Friday night, October 26, 2007, at the Tabernacle in support of her new release "Theology."

Sinead O'Connor was among the most distinctive and controversial pop music stars of the 1990s, arguably the most influential of the numerous female performers whose music dominated airwaves throughout the decade. O'Connor started a revolt which led the way for performers ranging from Liz Phair to Courtney Love to Alanis Morissette.

Sinead Marie Bernadette O'Connor was born in Dublin, Ireland on December 8, 1966. She was named after Sinead de Valera, wife of Irish President Eamon de Valera and mother of the doctor presiding over the delivery, and Saint Bernadette of Lourdes.

Sinead O'Connor sings "The Emperor's New Clothes" Friday night in a seated show at the Tabernacle. Although a professed lesbian, she has been married twice, her first to John Reynolds, a record producer and musician who co-produced several of her albums, and her second marriage to journalist Nicholas Sommerlad in 2002. O'Connor also previously dated Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis.

Sinead O'Connor joined many other guests for former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters' massive performance of The Wall in Berlin.

In 1990, Sinead O'Connor released her international breakthrough hit "Nothing Compares 2 U," a song written by Prince. Reaching No. 1 in many countries, including America, she received Grammy nominations including Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Sinead eventually won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance, but boycotted the award show.

Sinead O'Connor's first two albums (1987's The Lion and the Cobra and 1990's I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got) gained considerable attention and mostly positive reviews. Lion was one of the most acclaimed debut records of 1987, with a pair of alternative radio hits in the singles "Mandinka" and "Troy." She was praised for her voice, her original songs, and also noted for her striking appearance.

After being expelled from Catholic school, Sinead O'Connor was arrested for shoplifting and was sent to a reformatory; at the age of 15, while singing a cover of Barbra Streisand's "Evergreen" at a wedding, she was discovered by Paul Byrne, the drummer for the Irish band In Tua Nua (best known as proteges of U2).

Sinead's childhood was often traumatic: her parents divorced when she was eight, and she later claimed that her mother, who was killed in a 1985 automobile accident, frequently abused her.

Always controversial in the press, O'Connor defended the actions of the IRA in 1988, resulting in widespread criticism from many corners, and even burned bridges by attacking longtime supporters U2, whose music she declared "bombastic."

Damien Dempsey, the Irish guitarist in Sinead O'Connor's band, warms up the modest Tabernacle crowd Friday night. The band heads to New Orleans, Austin, Philadelphia, then dates in Europe.

In the 1990's, O'Connor became a target for refusing to perform in New Jersey if "The Star Spangled Banner" was played prior to her appearance, a move which brought public criticism from no less than Frank Sinatra. She even withdrew her name from competition in the annual Grammy Awards despite four nominations.

Upcoming concerts at the Tabernacle include Paolo Nutini, Motion City Soundtrack, Mute Math, The Cult, Morrissey, and Sevendust.

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Grammy winning Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O'Connor made a long overdue appearance in Atlanta Friday night, October 26, 2007, at the Tabernacle in support of her new release "Theology."

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