Sinead O'Connor 'immensely talented,' but lead a troubled life: Music journalist

F MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES WHICH SHE WAS VERY OPEN ABOUT. SHE TALKED ABOUT IT. HER MEMOIR CAME OUT TWO YEARS AGO AND IT WAS A BESTSELLER. MUSIC JOURNALIST ALAN CROSS IS STANDING BY WITH MORE ON TRAN FOR DINE AT THE AGE OF 56. >> IT IS SHOCKING BUT NOT ENTIRELY SURPRISED. YOU SAID SHE HAD A LONG HISTORY OF BEING A VERY UNHAPPY WOMAN. THIS GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE TIME SHE WAS A CHILD. SHE WAS ABUSED AS A CHILD AND PUT INTO A HOME FOR TEENAGE GIRLS IN IRELAND WHEN SHE WAS 15 YEARS OLD

AFTER BEING CAUGHT SHOPLIFTING AND THROAT HER REST OF HER CAREER SHE HAD THE SORT OF LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH LIFE. THERE WERE MANY TIMES WHEN SHE SPIRALED INTO SUICIDAL IDEATION. A NUMBER OF PEOPLE CAME TO HER AID AND HER CAUSE. AND EVERYBODY HOPED SHE WOULD COME OUT OF IT. BUT SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A VARIETY OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES INCLUDING PTSD AND BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER. AND SHE JUST LED A VERY TROUBLED LIFE. IMMENSELY TALENTED. I REMEMBER WHEN THE FIRST ALBUM, THE LION AND THE COBRA CAME OUT, YOU COULDN’T BELIEVE THE POWERFUL VOICE OF THIS YOUNG WOMAN.

AND OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS SHE JUST BECAME THIS UNBELIEVABLE TALENT. BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON JUST COULDN’T HOLD IT TOGETHER LONG ENOUGH, OR DIDN’T WANT TO PLAY

THE GAME. WHICH IS PERHAPS A BETTER WAY OF CHARACTERIZING IT. AND SHE MARCHED TO HER OWN DRUM, THAT IS FOR SURE. >> Todd: WELL SAID. I REMEMBER THIS GROWING UP BECAUSE SHE WAS HUGE AND MY SISTERS WERE HUGE FANS OF HERS. THOSE AROUND HER, MANAGERS AND OTHERS WOULD SAY, YOU NEED TO KEEP IT ABOUT THE MUSIC. KEEP IT LIGHT. DON’T MESS WITH CONTROVERSY. BUT IT ALMOST SEEMED LIKE SHE

OUGHT THE ROLE SHE HAD, THAT SHE HAD ROLLED STAGE, THAT SHE COULD GET THE MESSAGES ACROSS EVEN IF IT HURT HER CAREER. >> YEAH. SHE WAS UNCOMPROMISING. I MET HER JUST ONCE. IT WAS A PROMO TOUR FOR THE FIRST ALBUM. SHE WAS 19 YEARS OLD AND I REMEMBER THINKING YOU DO NOT WANT TO MESS WITH THIS WOMAN. SHE HAD AN INTENSITY ABOUT HER THAT YOU RARELY SEE IN SOMEONE. YOU COULD TELL SHE WHATEVER SHE NEEDED TO DO TO SPEAK HER MIND. TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF OTHER PEOPLE. AND THAT IS WHAT SHE DID. SHE HAD

THIS DECADES LONG WAR AGAINST THE CATHOLIC CHURCH I DIDN’T HAVE ANY PROBLEM SPEAKING OUT AGAINST IT. SHE AT ONE POINT IN 2018 CONVERTED TO ISLAM AND ASKED THAT THE POPE EXCOMMUNICATE HER. BEFORE THAT SHE WAS ACTUALLY IN AN OFFSHOOT, IRISH CATHOLIC GROUP, WHERE SHE BECAME SISTER MARY BERNADETT. SHE WAS PROUD TO BE A TROUBLEMAKER. SHE SAID THAT ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. AND IT IS OFTEN REFRESHING TO SEE SOMEONE THAT COMMITTED TO THEIR IDEALS. >> Todd: WE ARE SHOWING THE VIDEO NOTHING COMPARES TO YOU AND IT IS HARD TO PUT INTO WORDS, HERE WE ARE 33 YEARS

LATER, BUT THE IMPACT THAT SONG AND VIDEO HAD ON MUSIC AND POP CULTURE AT THE TIME. >> IT IS A VERY SIMPLE VIDEO. IT IS A CLOSE-UP OF HER FACE. BUT IF YOU WATCH IT, SOMEHOW AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME AT YOUR ROLES DOWN HER CHEEK. AND IT IS SO POWERFUL. SOMETHING SO SIMPLE BUT SO POWERFUL. AND IT BECAME A WORLDWIDE HIT. WEIRDLY ENOUGH, PRINTS LATER IN HIS LIFE WASN’T TOO CRAZY. THEY HAD A BIT OF A FEUD OVER IT >> Todd: YOUR THOUGHTS ON HER LEGACY ALAN? >> ONE OF THE MOST DISTINCTIVE FEMALE VOICES

WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS, NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT I MEAN,