Sinead O'Connor's New Look Creates A Stir

Once famous for a shaved head and provocative behavior, Irish singer Sinead O'Connor had the world watching. Now, it's gawking. The formerly svelte O'Connor, 44, appeared onstage Sunday at the Bray Seaside Festival in Bray, Ireland, sporting glasses, a shaggy hairstyle and a paunchy belly. A photo of the singer wearing a sheer black top, black blazer, black pants and a cross around her neck, created shock and disbelief among fans.

O'Connor became well-known in the early '90s by covering Prince songs, most notably "Nothing Compares 2 U," which is still her most popular record. She stirred up controversy during a 1992 appearance on Saturday Night Live when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II in protest to sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church.

Since the height of her fame in the '90s, O'Connor's career has remained active, though decidedly more low-key. Now the mother of four children, the singer outed herself as a lesbian in 2000, only to tell Entertainment Weekly in 2005, "I'm three-quarters heterosexual, a quarter gay." She is currently on tour in Europe, though her last studio album, Theology, was released in 2007.