Cranberries Singer Dolores O’Riordan Dies
Dolores O’Riordan, who fronted the Irish alternative rock band the Cranberries, has died. She was 46.
Details are still forthcoming, but the band released the following statement: "Irish and international singer Dolores O'Riordan has died suddenly in London today. She was 46 years old. The lead singer with the Irish band the Cranberries was in London for a short recording session. Family members are devastated to hear the breaking news and have requested privacy at this very difficult time."
“It is with great sadness that I have learned of the death of Dolores O’Riordan, musician, singer and songwriter," Ireland's president Michael D. Higgins said in a statement reprinted by the Irish Sun. “Dolores O’Riordan and the Cranberries had an immense influence on rock and pop music in Ireland and internationally. I recall with fondness the late Limerick TD Jim Kemmy’s introduction of her and the Cranberries to me, and the pride he and so many others took in their successes. To all those who follow and support Irish music, Irish musicians and the performing arts her death will be a big loss.”
Born Sept. 6, 1971 in Limerick, Ireland, O'Riordan formed the Cranberries in 1989 with guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler. They shot to international stardom in 1993 with their quintuple-platinum debut, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?, on the strength of the hit singles "Linger" and "Dreams."
Their 1994 follow-up, No Need to Argue, sold 7 million in the U.S. thanks to "Zombie," and their next record, To the Faithful Departed, peaked at No. 4. But they couldn't maintain their success and their next two efforts, 1999's Bury the Hatchet and 2001's Wake Up and Smell the Coffee, saw their commercial fortunes decline, and they broke up in 2003.
A solo career followed, with Are You Listening? coming in 2007 and No Baggage two years later. But as she was promoting No Baggage, she announced that the Cranberries were reuniting. That led to 2012's Roses, and last year's Something Else, which featured acoustic and orchestral versions of 10 previously released songs and three new ones.
Unfortunately, the band had difficulties promoting their last record. Problems with O'Riordan's back prompted the cancellation of the entire U.S. tour and much of their European tour. However, "Zombie" was back in the news last year when a sample from it wound up on "In Your Head," a track from Eminem's album Revival.
Two years ago, she launched the side project D.A.R.K., a collaboration with Andy Rourke of the Smiths and producer Olé Koretsky. Their only album, Science Agrees, came out in 2016 and featured the singles "Curvy" and "Loosen the Noose."
In recent years, she revealed that she had been sexually abused between the ages of eight and 12. The pain she suffered manifest itself as anorexia, and in 2013 she attempted suicide by trying to overdose. Shortly thereafter, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
"I knew why I hated myself," she told the Belfast Telegaph. "I knew why I loathed myself. I knew why I wanted to make myself disappear. It was something that I noticed manifested itself in my behavior and the pathologies I began to develop in my early adult life, such as my eating disorder, depression and eventually the breakdowns."
She is survived by three children -- Taylor Baxter, Molly Leigh and Dakota Rain -- from her marriage to Don Burton, which lasted from 1994-2014.