Tributes have poured in from fellow celebrities like James Corden and Hozier as well as Irish President after news broke that the lead singer of rock band The Cranberries suddenly passed away.
- Jan 16, 2018
AceShowbiz - The world is losing one of the best singers. Dolores O'Riordan, the lead singer of The Cranberries which is known for their hit songs such as "Dreams" and "Zombie", has died at the age of 46. She suddenly passed away on Monday, January 15 in London, where she was recording.
Her publicist confirmed the sad news in a statement which read, "The lead singer with the Irish band The Cranberries was in London for a short recording session. No further details are available at this time." The statement continued, "Family members are devastated to hear the breaking news and have requested privacy at this very difficult time."
Investigators for Scotland Yard said, "Officers were called at 9:05 A.M. on Monday Jan. 15 to a hotel in Park Lane. A woman in her mid-40s was pronounced dead at the scene. At this early stage the death is being treated as unexplained and enquiries continue."
Many have paid tributes to the late singer. Among them was Irish President Michael D. Higgins who said O'Riordan and The Cranberries "had an immense influence on rock and pop music in Ireland and internationally." Higgins added, "To all those who follow and support Irish music, Irish musicians and the performing arts, her death will be a big loss."
O'Riordan bandmates, Fergal Lawler, Noel Hogan and Mike Hogan, wrote in a joint statement on social media, "We are devastated on the passing of our friend Dolores. She was an extraordinary talent and we feel very privileged to have been part of her life from 1989 when we started the Cranberries. The world has lost a true artist today."
James Corden recalled his meeting with O'Riordan when he was just 15 years old. "She was kind and lovely, I got her autograph on my train ticket and it made my day," he tweeted. "She had the most amazing voice and presence. So sorry to hear that she's passed away today x."
Questlove posted on Instagram a picture of The Cranberries and wrote along with it, "Damn. Delores O'riordan passed of #TheCranberries. rip."
Hozier wrote, "My first time hearing Dolores O'Riordan's voice was unforgettable. It threw into question what a voice could sound like in that context of Rock. I'd never heard somebody use their instrument in that way. Shocked and saddened to hear of her passing, thoughts are with her family."
He went on sharing, "She sounded full of life, was joking and excited to see me and my wife this week. The news of her passing is devastating and my thoughts are with Don her ex-husband, her children, and her mother."
Meanwhile, O'Riordan's longtime friend and Eleven Seven International Managing Director Dan Waite revealed the Irish musician left a voicemail on his phone hours before she died. "Dolores left me a voice message just after midnight last night stating how much she loved Bad Wolves' version of 'Zombie.' She was looking forward to seeing me in the studio and recording vocals," Waite revealed.
Bad Wolves' singer Tommy Vext posted on Facebook, "We are shocked and saddened at the news of Dolores's passing, mere hours before she was to record vocals on our upcoming version of 'Zombie'. We have always had deep respect for her as an artist and a vocalist and she was never afraid to bare her soul in her music and lyrics."
"Zombie is an incredibly personal song and although we are a hard rock band, we always felt the rawness and honesty she projected on stage and in her recordings was something to which all bands should aspire to, regardless of genre. When we heard she liked our version and wanted to sing on it, it was the greatest compliment a new band, or any band for that matter, could have received," he continued.
Vext concluded his post, "Our hearts are broken that we were not able to see this collaboration through and our deepest condolences go out to her family, friends, loved ones and fans in Ireland and around the globe. We hope we can still make her proud by sharing our version of 'Zombie' with the world."
O'Riordan is survived by her three children, 20-year-old son Taylor, 16-year-old daughter Molly and 12-year-old daughter Dakota.
