Aanticipation was high before Dublin’s National Wax Museum unveiled a figure of Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor on Thursday. The waxwork was made to honor the celebrated musician, who died aged 56 on July 26, 2023. But the plan to mark the one-year anniversary of his death fell through after a less-than-enthusiastic response to the waxwork.
Criticism was led by the singer’s brother John O’Connor, who expressed his disappointment with the wax figure, which depicted the Dublin-born talent dressed in all black and holding a microphone.
Calling RTÉ Radio live line on Friday, John said he “didn’t think he looked like her [Sinéad] not at all.” Elaborating further during his conversation with radio host Joe Duffy, the singer’s brother continued: “I was shocked, I thought it looked like [like] something between a dummy and something out of the ordinary Thunderbirds. Sinéad would very much like to look good, and she certainly did. If this was supposed to be a representation of her in her early 20s when she did “Nothing Compares 2 U,” it just didn’t look anything like her. I thought it was horrible.
“If the goal was to honor her memory, I think it’s inappropriate for them to put something so horrible in.” he added.
As John noted, he was not alone in his assessment of the wax figure. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) to share your views, a fan commented that the wax figure “looks like they just found an old mannequin in a dumpster and said, ‘Yes, it’ll do.’ The absolute trick of it. Other commented: “I’m not sure Sinéad O’Connor’s new wax figure is the image most of us remember.”
Responding to comments on Friday, the National Wax Museum announced it would remove the figure and said it is “committed” to creating a new one.
On a statement shared on Instagram, the Dublin company said the figure was intended to be a “tribute to his profound legacy and influence on the world of music and Irish culture.” The museum added: “We recognize that the current representation has not met our high standards or the expectations of Sinéad’s devoted fans.”
The singer received critical acclaim for her 1990 single “Nothing Compares 2 U,” which topped charts around the world. The song was originally written and recorded by musician Prince. O’Connor has come to have a complicated relationship with fame, with the various trials and tribulations of her life often appearing in the public eye.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
