On the heels of Sinéad O’Connor’s recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination, SPIN Executive Editor Liza Lentini spoke extensively about O’Connor’s long and storied career in music and activism on Rock in Retrospect podcast, hosted by Nick Bambach. The episode launched on Friday, February 23.
“I wouldn’t want to speak to anyone else about Sinéad,” said Bambach, noting Liza’s repeated attempts to get O’Connor recognized by the Hall, beginning with a deep-dive interview in October 2020. For SPIN’s 35th anniversary, Liza named O’Connor’s “Troy” as the third best song on her list of the 35 Best Songs of the Last 35 Years. In January 2022, Liza published an open letter to the Rock Hall asking for Sinéad’s induction.
Before O’Connor’s untimely passing last July, Liza spoke about O’Connor for AXS TV’s SPIN’s 100 Greatest Rock Stars. She also wrote about Sinéad in the original article that the series is based on.
After O’Connor died, Liza penned “FYI: You’re Allowed to Support Great Artists While They’re Alive, Too” in response to the outpouring of support for Sinéad immediately after her death. Lentini also wrote the text in honor of O’Connor when she was named SPIN’s Artist of the Year in 2023, where she stated: “A true artist’s life and work reflects the best and the worst of the world around them. Sinéad was a true artist.”
Liza’s conversation about Sinead O’Connor on Rock in Retrospect is available everywhere you find your podcasts.
