Dolores O’Riordan, the lead singer of Irish band The Cranberries, has died suddenly aged 46.

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The singer, who was originally from Limerick, lead the band to international success in the ’90s with hits including Linger, Ode to my Family and Zombie. She later launched a solo career, before reuniting the band.

The singer’s publicist has confirmed that O’Riordan was in London for a short recording session when she suddenly passed away, no details of her death have been provided.

Her band mates in The Cranberries – Noel Hogan, Fergal Lawler, and Mike Hogan – paid tribute to the lead singer on social media saying they were devastated by the news.

“She was an extraordinary talent and we feel very privileged to been part of her life from 1989 when we started The Cranberries.” the trio said.

The Cranberries fist arrived on the music scene in 1993 when their debut album Everybody’s Doing It, So Why Can’t We was released. It was the band’s second stab at recording their debut album, their first attempt remains unreleased.

Produced by acclaimed producer Stephen Street, who worked with The Smiths and  Blur, the album wasn’t an immediate hit. After the band toured as the support act for Seude, MTV began playing their videos more frequently. More than a year after it was first released the band’s album topped the charts. The song Linger was the band’s breakout hit.

Their second album No Need to Argue produced one of their most popular songs, the harder sounding Zombie. Released just a year after their first record it kept the band on the top of the charts. In 1996 the band released To the Faithfully Departed. All three albums were produced by Stephen Street.

The band parted ways with Street for their fourth album Bury the Hatchet, but they reunited in 2001 for the band’s fifth record Wake Up and Smell the Coffee.

The band’s album’s often featured an image of the foursome sitting on a couch in different locations.

Following the release of their greatest hits album, and after a decade of recording and touring the band went on hiatus in 2002. Dolores O’Riordan released two solo records, 2007’s Are You Listening, and 2009’s No Baggage. 

In 2012 the band reunited and released their sixth album Roses. Last year they released an series of acoustic recordings of their earlier hits.

O’Riordan also teamed up with Andy O’Rourke, formerly of The Smiths, and musician Ole Koretsky to form a new band called D.A.R.K as well as spending some time as a judge on the Irish version of The Voice. 

O’Riordan was married to Don Burton, the former tour manager of Duran Duran for over 20 years, the couple divorced in 2014. Together they had three children.

Last year the singer revealed that she had been diagnosed as having bipolar disorder, after experiencing symtoms for many years.

OIP Staff