See, even celebrities can cry for attention on their way out.

"Apr 26, 12:02 AM (ET)

By BRUCE HARING

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Sinead O'Connor will retire in July, the Irish singer said on her Web site Friday.

O'Connor, 36, requested that she be left "in peace and privacy" when she withdraws from the public eye.

"As of July 2003 I shall be retiring from the music business," O'Connor wrote in the statement placed on sineadoconnor.com. She said she intends "to pursue a different career," but did not give specifics, instead thanking fans for "a great time and a great education."

The same statement was placed on a fan Web site earlier.

"We're bummed, of course," said Lellie Capwell, a spokeswoman for Vanguard Records, O'Connor's U.S. label. "We hoped for another record from her. But that's apparently not going to happen."

The final recording will be a DVD titled "Goodnight, thankyou. You've been a lovely audience." The disc, which was described as a live show and documentary by O'Connor, will be issued in July.

O'Connor has threatened retirement in the past, and her career has been marked by success tinged with controversy. O'Connor's second album in the 1990's spawned the Prince-penned single, "Nothing Compares 2 U" and reached No. 1 on the Billboard album chart.

When she appeared on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" in 1992, O'Connor ended her performance by ripping up a photo of Pope John Paul II just after proclaiming "Fight the real enemy." Two weeks after the performance, she appeared at a Bob Dylan tribute concert at New York's Madison Square Garden and was booed off the stage."

Bye bye, Sinead. Best of luck to ya.

well, while she wasn't the most pleasant lady in the world, i adore her work. i will miss her. good luck.

I just heard about this! Not to be mean but

I didnt even know she was still in the business!

It's not time for her to go yet!!! She's done some of her most beautiful work in the last few years.

CarrieMpls said:

Exactly.

Sinéad's great... but I'd take her announcement with a pinch of salt

Such a drama queen. She'll be back. They always come back.