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The will of late Irish musician Sinéad O’Connor has been revealed, with the singer’s children being urged to get as much value as they can out of her archive of unreleased music.
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According to Irish probate records obtained by U.K. tabloid The Sun, O’Connor – who passed away in 2023 – left her family £1.4 million after debts, legal fees, and funeral costs. Her ex-husband, music producer John Reynolds, was named executor of her estate.
Signed in 2013 ahead of her conversion to Islam in 2018, the document also requested that she be buried in priest clothing, and accompanied by a Hebrew bible and a copy of her 2007 record Theology, while noting her children may “dispense my ashes as they see fit”.
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Meanwhile, O’Connor’s religious regalia was bestowed to her son Shane (who passed away in 2022), while her youngest son Yeshua was given her collection of guitars. The documents additionally instructed her children to ensure they get their money’s worth out of any recorded music that has not yet been released.
“I direct that after my death, and at the discretion of any of my children who are then over 18, my albums are to be released so as to ‘milk it for what it’s worth’,” she wrote.
O’Connor passed away in July 2023 at the age of 56, with her death later being attributed to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.
First establishing her presence on the music scene with her 1987 debut The Lion and the Cobra, O’Connor achieved further worldwide recognition with the release of 1990’s I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got. Peaking at No. 1 globally, including on the Billboard 200, the record’s success was bolstered by her cover of The Family’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and was named #1 World Single at that year’s Billboard Music Awards.
O’Connor’s final album, I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss, was released in 2014. Weeks before her passing in 2023, O’Connor had told fans she was in the process of completing an album which was planned to arrive in 2024, with a world tour set to accompany its release that would include stops in the U.S., Europe, New Zealand and Australia.
In 2021, O’Connor had also spoken to People about the advice she had given her children ahead of her eventual passing, telling them they should be prepared to call an accountant ahead of 911.
“See, when the artists are dead, they’re much more valuable than when they’re alive,” she told the publication. “Tupac has released way more albums since he died than he ever did alive, so it’s kind of gross what record companies do.
“That’s why I’ve always instructed my children since they were very small, ‘If your mother drops dead tomorrow, before you called 911, call my accountant and make sure the record companies don’t start releasing my records and not telling you where the money is.’”
Given his brand of unflinchingly honest, yet still inspirational, music that that has garnered Antioch, Tennessee native Jelly Roll six Billboard Country Airplay No. 1s and the Billboard 200-topping album Beautifully Broken, he gets messages often from fans who have had life-changing moments through his songs.
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But in a recent appearance on the second episode of John Cena’s new series What Drives You, Jelly Roll not only showed off a few of his vehicles (including a bright red 1976 Cadillac El Dorado), but also told Cena about one fan note that was so impactful that Jelly Roll still keeps it on the dash of his vehicle, four years after receiving it.
As Jelly Roll and Cena walked to another of Jelly Roll’s vehicles, a Ram 1500 Laramie truck, Jelly Roll noted it was the first car that his family bought for him for Father’s Day five years ago. “This was my daily driver, forever. [Jelly Roll’s wife, Bunnie XO] customized every piece on it…jacked it up,” Jelly Roll said. “Dude, she made it my dream truck….it makes me think of my daughter, it makes me think of my wife, it drives me.”
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The truck features Jelly Roll’s logo–a skull wearing a crown–on both the front and the back. “You want to talk about what drives me? There’s a note right here. I want you to check it out if you don’t mind. You can read it right there on my dash.”
Cena read the note aloud, saying, “Your music saved my best friend’s life. Thank you for being unapologetically you and doing what you do.”
The note was signed simply, “A,” and Cena asked Jelly Roll if he knew who “A” was. The singer-songwriter replied, “You know, the cool thing is, I don’t know. They left this note on my window four years ago, and I sobbed in the parking lot reading this note. I got in and stuck it in my dash. Four years later, that thing is still taped on my dash.”
See Jelly Roll’s appearance on John Cena’s What Drives You on Roku. The series also features celebrities including Logan Paul and Travis Barker.
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Billy Ray Cyrus has seemingly shared response after his son, Trace Cyrus, took posted an Instagram message last week, expressing concern for his father’s well-being.
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On Sunday (Jan. 26), the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer took to YouTube Shorts to share a snippet of his 2009 “Somebody Said a Prayer” music video, which starred the 35-year-old Metro Station singer, whom he adopted back in 1993 after marrying his ex-wife Tish Cyrus.
“Sunday callin,” Billy Ray wrote in the caption. “Giving thanks for the California Rain . Praying for the brokenhearted and their pain. Praying for my family. For my children … sons and daughters…and their mother. Let this moment be the start of healing ❤️🩹 for us all. ‘The past does not equal the future.’ Amen 🙏🏼”
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Trace’s message to Billy Ray on Jan. 22 — which had him stating, “You’re not healthy, Dad and everyone is noticing it,” and “As I write this with tears in my eyes, I hope you realize this message only comes from a place of love and also fear that the world may lose you far too soon” — came after Billy Ray’s widely criticized performance at Donald Trump’s inauguration Liberty Ball, which was plagued by technical difficulties and eventually had him singing a capella to the crowd.
On Saturday (Jan. 25), Trace published another Instagram letter, claiming Billy Ray had threatened him with legal action following the public plea. “Dad my message was beyond loving,” Trace wrote in the note, referencing the message from a few days prior. “I could have been extremely honest about a lot more but I don’t want to put your business out there like that. But for you to threaten me with legal action for wanting you to get help is a disgrace. Pappy is looking down at you with such disappointment I can assure you. You should be ashamed of yourself. I will always love you but I no longer respect you as a man. Everyone close to you is terrified to tell you how they really feel. I’m not. Get help.”
Billy Ray and ex-wife Tish are parents to Brandi, 37, and Trace, 35, both of whom Billy Ray adopted after he’d married Tish. Together, they also share Miley, 31; Braison, 30, and Noah, 25. He’s also the parent of 32-year-old son Christopher, his child with ex-girlfriend Kristin Luckey
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