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I don't have many heroes.  I remember Jello Biafra saying once that he always felt a cynical with his answer, whenever he was asked who his heroes were.  And I agree.  Because most people's heroes are either too bloody obvious, or they haven't really done anything worthwhile to be called a hero.  Lady Gaga?  Seriously? 

But I think it's high time we had a major re-examination of one of my true heroes.  Someone that has done many somethings.  Someone who has had courage of her convictions.  Someone who is regularly (to this day) belittled for not knowing what she's been talking about.  Someone who has been proved to be way ahead of her time.

Let's hear it for Sinead O'Connor. 

Whenever the name is mentioned, you can bet two things come to mind: Nothing compares 2 u and the infamous Pope incident.  Well, she's been proven right on both counts.  Prince is still a great songwriter to cover and the Catholic Church and the Pope in general, needed to be told what they already knew.  Fight the real power.  The power that intimidates, rather than helps.  The power that ignores, rather than sees.  The power that believes in itself first and everyone else second.  Sinead O'Connor knew the truth.  And she was prepared - in front of millions - to speak that truth and damn the consequences. 

And what consequences.  Nary a voice of agreement.  Not in the public arena anyway.  I remember hearing about this and thinking, 'yeah, good on you.  A pop star with real guts for a change.'  But all she got was a bollocking.  And it affected her.  How could it not?  But who was the bollocking from?  Generally white, old male pop stars, who liked to think they were brave but didn't have half the balls they were born with. 

I still remember, to this day, reading an interview with Roger Waters where he talked about it.  And I remember his quote, 'you can't go round with your head up your arse, then pull it out every so often and say, I think that's wrong, or I think that's wrong.'  And I thought, and still think, Roger Waters shouldn't really be someone to go around saying someone has their head up their arse.  For a man as pretentious as Roger Waters to declare someone has their head up their arse, without a trace of irony; you know you must be doing the right thing. 

It's time to re-examine the legacy of Sinead O'Connor.  She deserves the pedestal more than anyone.