Cranberry’s lead singer Dolores O’Riordan died at the age of 46 in London. The singer’s cause of death is yet to be determined, and London’s coroner’s office announced it won’t reveal details until at least April. The singer was in London for a recording session when she died suddenly on January 15. O’Riordan was found unresponsive in her hotel room on Park Lane in central London.
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Dolores O’Riordan, known for her distinctive singing voice, was originally from Limerick and led the band to international success when she replaced their original lead singer in the 90s. The band shot to international fame with their 1993 debut album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? which sold over 40 million records worldwide. The Irish band struck it big with singles Linger and Zombie. Dolores released 2 solo albums while The Cranberries were on hiatus and the band got back together in 2009. O’Riordan split from her husband of 20 years in 2014, former Duran Duran tour manager Don Burton, with whom she had three children.
Tests have been carried out to establish how the Cranberries singer died. Coroner’s officer Stephen Earl told The Guardian: “The London ambulance service was contacted and verified her death at the scene. Subsequently, the Met police attended and they determined the death to be non-suspicious.” A hearing in April will determine when the findings regarding O’Riordan’s death will be released, a rep for the Westminster Coroners’ Court told Rolling Stone. O’Riordan’s family may be notified of the results prior to the hearing and can choose whether or not to share the findings publicly.
Dolores O’Riordan was in London to record a cover of the hit song Zombie with a hard rock band called Bad Wolves. Her bandmates, Noel Hogan, Mike Hogan and Fergal Lawler, expressed how upset they were by the news. O’Riordan’s Cranberries bandmates said in a statement “The world has lost a true artist.” Noel Hogan, the guitarist, told Rolling Stone: “Dolores’ legacy will be her music. She was so passionate about it. There are songs I hear today that we wrote over 20 years ago, and I see and hear people singing along with them,” said Hogan. “There are only a few artists who get to have maybe one song they are remembered by. Dolores has so many. It’s a great legacy.” The Cranberries also posted a message on Twitter to commemorate their late lead singer.
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O’Riordan attempted suicide by overdose back in 2013, explaining she had been suffering from depression. She said a mental breakdown had led her to attempt to take her own life. She was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder. O’Riordan stated in the past she believed being abused as a child was responsible for her struggle mentally and emotionally.
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Friends of O’Riordan told TMZ that the late singer had been “dreadfully depressed” and suffering from severe back pain in the weeks leading up to her death. The band announced a tour in 2017 that would have dates in Europe, the UK, and the US. At the beginning of the European leg, The Cranberries had to cancel the remainder of the tour because of O’Riordan’s health issues, citing “medical reasons associated with a back problem” as the reason for the cancellation. In December of 2017, O’Riordan posted on Facebook saying she was “feeling good” and had done her “first bit of gigging in months.”
BBC reports that O’Riordan will be buried in her native Ireland, as confirmed by the parish priest from her hometown in Limerick. “The plan is for her to be buried here at home. When that will be will depend on when her body is released,” he said. A book of condolence was also opened at the city council’s headquarters in Limerick.
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