Sinéad O’Connor’s daughter pays emotional vocal tribute to late singer
The music of O’Connor and Shane MacGowan, both whom died last year, was celebrated at an event on Wednesday, shortly after St Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Critic Sam Sodomsky wrote for The UK Independent that Waters bore “a striking resemblance” and had a “similarly visceral vocal style” to her mother, who died in July aged 56.
O’Connor had Waters with Irish journalist John Waters. Their daughter was raised in Ireland by her father after a lengthy custody battle.
She performed barefoot, wearing an ankle-length dress with a bright floral pattern.
“Waters carried her mother’s signature song as the band softened for its final verse, which O’Connor once directed to her own late mother,” Sodomsky said.
A clip posted to YouTube attracted a number of positive comments, with fans praising Waters’ performance as “beautiful”.
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Other artists who performed during the concert, which raised $70,000 for non-profit PEN America, included The Violent Femmes, Josh Ritter, Imelda May, Billy Bragg and Dropkick Murphys.
Musicians covered a number of MacGowan and O’Connor’s best-known songs over three hours, as well as regaling the audience with their personal memories of the two artists.
Sinead O’Connor died last July
Pogues frontman MacGowan, known for Fairytale Of New York along with his band’s blend of political and socially observant songwriting with traditional Irish folk instrumentation, died in November aged 65.
“[He] has gone to be with Jesus and Mary and his beautiful mother Therese,” MacGowan’s wife Victoria Mary Clarke said.
“I am blessed beyond words to have met him and to have loved him and to have been so endlessly and unconditionally loved by him and to have had so many years of life and love and joy and fun and laughter and so many adventures.”
Speaking to The UK Independent about the Carnegie Hall concert in January, Clarke said her late husband would “really appreciate” the tribute.
She said: “He loved Carnegie Hall and he loved Sinead. It’s heartbreaking to think about them both being gone but good to think of them being together and representing the more authentic and soulful side of Irish music.
“They were two of the most raw and passionate and powerful singers in the world, but also two really great songwriters.”
Earlier this month, O’Connor was among 15 acts nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The finalists are chosen by 1,000 industry experts and a public vote and the winners will be announced next month.
The ceremony will take place later this year at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
Annie Lennox pays tribute to Sinead O’Connor at 2024 Grammy Awards
Annie Lennox pays tribute to Sinead O’Connor at 2024 Grammy Awards
Annie Lennox pays tribute to Sinead O’Connor at 2024 Grammy Awards
