Dolores O'Riordan, the Cranberries Singer, Dead at 46

The band confirmed O'Riordan's death in a brief 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."

The statement continued, "No further details are available at this time. Family members are devastated to hear the breaking news and have requested privacy at this very difficult time."

No cause of death was revealed. The Irish Times notes that the Cranberries were forced to cancel tour dates in 2017 due to O'Riordan's ill health; the band cited "medical reasons associated with a back problem." O'Riordan had previously been diagnosed as bi-polar.

President of Ireland Michael Higgins said in a statement, "It is with great sadness that I have learned of the death of Dolores O’Riordan, musician, singer and song writer. 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 anorts her death will be a big loss."

The Kinks' Dave Davies tweeted, "I’m really shocked that #DoloresORiordan has passed so suddenly. I was talking to her a couple weeks before Christmas she seemed happy and well - we even spoke about maybe writing some songs together - unbelievable god bless her."

 Born in Limerick, Ireland as the youngest in a family of seven children, O'Riordan auditioned to become singer of the Smiths-inspired band The Cranberry Saw Us, formed by brothers Noel and Mike Hogan, in 1990. As lead singer of the Cranberries, O'Riordan fronted what Rolling Stone said in 1995 was "Ireland's biggest musical export since U2." 

The alternative rock quartet released their debut album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? – which spawned the singles "Dreams" and "Linger" – in early 1993. After initially failing to make an impact upon release, "Linger" entered heavy rotation on MTV in late 1993, eventually climbing to Number Eight on the Billboard Hot 100. "Dreams" was similarly successful upon re-releaseI know exactly what every song on that album was about," O'Riordan told Rolling Stone in 1995 of writing Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?, which explored "a young woman's painful failures as an adolescent and her subsequent rebirth as a young adult." "And I know exactly what night I wrote it on and why I wrote it. And I'm kind of proud of them because they do elaborate very much how I felt at that time."

The Cranberries quickly followed up the multi-platinum success of Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? with 1994's No Need to Argue, another worldwide bestseller that boasted the hit lead single "Zombie," a political rocker about a young child killed in a terror attack. At the height of their fame, the Cranberries also appeared on Saturday Night Liveand headlined their own MTV Unplugged concert. Over the course of their career, the Cranberries would sell over 40 million albums worldwide.