She was not on the list.
Dolores O’Riordan, who fronted the Irish alternative band
the Cranberries that became an international sensation in the 1990s, died
Monday. She was 46.
The cause of death hasn’t been made public. O’Riordan “died
suddenly” in London where she had been for a short recording session, according
to a statement released by the band. On Tuesday, British police said that
O’Riordan’s death was not being treated as suspicious. The case was sent to a
coroner to determine cause of death.
“No further details are available at this time,” the band’s
statement read. “Family members are devastated to hear the breaking news and
have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”
The Cranberries, known for hits including “Zombie” and
“Linger,” formed in 1990 in Limerick. Their 1993 debut album “Everybody Else Is
Doing It, So Why Can’t We?” became a huge commercial success. Over the course
of the band’s career, they’ve released seven studio albums and sold more than
40 million copies worldwide.
O’Riordan’s trademark unique voice alternated between
delicate and powerful rawness, and with its yodels and Irish accent, came to
characterize the band’s sound.
Irish President Michael D. Higgins released a statement
offering condolences and noting the “immense influence on rock and pop music in
Ireland and internationally” that O’Riordan and the Cranberries had.
Jim Kemmy, a legislator from Limerick, had first introduced
Higgins to the band.
“I recall with fondness” that introduction and “the pride he
and so many others took in their successes,” Higgins said Monday. “To her
family and all those who follow and support Irish music, Irish musicians and
the performing arts her death will be a big loss.”
The youngest of seven, O’Riordan had been singing since she
was a child and wrote her first song at age 12.
“If I started to sing, then all the others in the room would
stop and listen,” she told Rolling Stone in 1995. “I always had a strong Irish
accent, too. People often ask me why I sing with a strong Irish accent. I
suppose when I was five years old, I spoke with a strong Irish accent, so I
sang with one, too.”
O’Riordan joined guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan
and drummer Fergal Lawler when she replaced departing frontman Niall Quinn in what
was then called The Cranberry Saw Us. The first song O’Riordan wrote with the
band was “Linger.”
“Initially, it was just a chord shape, with no real melody
or lyrics,” O’Riordan told the Irish Times. “I took a tape of it home and came
up with a verse and chorus. I wrote about being rejected. I never imagined that
that it would become a big song.”
The Cranberries went on a hiatus in 2003 and O’Riordan
released two solo albums. The group reunited in 2009.
In April 2017, the Cranberries released a compilation album
that included acoustic versions of some of their biggest hits. Several months
later, the band canceled most of their European summer and North American fall
tour dates due to “O’Riordan’s recovery from her ongoing back problem.”
“The outpouring of support The Cranberries have received
from fans and followers during the past several months is greatly appreciated,”
the July statement from the group read. “Dolores and the band are very
disappointed that it has come to this and send their sincere apologies to all
fans and ticket holders, and hope to see you all again in the future when
Dolores is well again.”
In December, O’Riordan posted a message on the band’s
Facebook page.
“Feeling good! I did my first bit of gigging in months at
the weekend, performed a few songs at the Billboard annual staff holiday party
in New York with the house band,” O’Riordan wrote Dec. 20. “Really enjoyed it!
Happy Christmas to all our fans!! Xo”
News of O’Riordan’s death was met with an outpouring of
grief on social media, including from fellow musicians and entertainers.
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