After Dinner Speakers: Sinead O'Connor, David Taylor, Diana Ross

Sinead O'Connor was born in Dublin, Ireland, on December 8, 1966 and grew up in a turbulent household marred by divorce and abuse. By the time she was a teenager, O'Connor had been expelled from Catholic school and sent away to reform school for shoplifting. Instead of heading down the wrong path, however, O'Connor found solace in music, and, as luck would have it, was discovered by the drummer of In Tua Nua while singing at a relative's wedding. After co-writing a few songs with that band (who were close friends of Irish rockers U2), O'Connor began a solo career, performing in local coffeehouses and studying voice and piano at the Dublin College of Music. By 1985 she had signed to Ensign Records and moved to London, where she recorded her debut album, 1987's The Lion and the Cobra. The record won copious praise in the music press, and spawned the alternative radio hit "Mandinka." With the release of 1990's acclaimed I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, O'Connor became an alternative rock superstar, thanks both to the album's hit single "Nothing Compares 2 U" (a Prince cover) and her increasingly controversial opinions, which she never hesitated to share with the world. Head shaved, O'Connor appeared regularly in the American press for saying things like she supported the IRA, hated U2, and would not perform if the "Star Spangled Banner" were played before any of her concerts; she also made waves by refusing to perform on Saturday Night Live when she found out the guest host that night was controversial comedian Andrew Dice Clay (known for making sexist jokes). In addition, she refused to accept the four Grammy nominations she received for I Do Not Want.... Perhaps in response to her critics, O'Connor titled her next album, a tamer effort that came out in 1992, Am I Not Your Girl?. Unfortunately, its release was overshadowed by a legendary appearance on Saturday Night Live during which O'Connor ended her set by tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II and shouting "Fight the real enemy!", much to the shock of conservative politicians, church officials, and many of her Catholic fans. Not surprisingly, O'Connor avoided the spotlight for the next two years, studying opera in Dublin, appearing in a production of Hamlet, and touring with the WOMAD Festival. In 1994 she returned with Universal Mother, which, despite its good reviews, was still stigmatized by her controversial past. By the time the Gospel Oak EP came out in 1997, O'Connor had finally transcended her pariah status, emerging as an elder stateswoman for edgy female singer-songwriters, highlighted by her appearance at the 1998 Lilith Fair. In 2000, O'Connor signed to Atlantic records and announced the impending release of her first album in six years, Faith & Courage.