Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan is dead at 46

ByANDREA DRESDALE ABCNews logo
Friday, January 19, 2018

Dolores O'Riordan, the lead singer of the Irish group the Cranberries, which rose to prominence in the 1990s, has died.

A spokesperson confirmed her death to ABC News in a 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. 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."

O'Riordan's distinctive, lilting voice led the Cranberries to international fame in the '90s, thanks to hits like "Linger," "Dreams" and "Zombie." They sold over 40 million records worldwide before taking a hiatus in 2003. In 2009, they re-formed and released the album "Roses" in 2012.

Last April, the band released an acoustic album that featured orchestral arrangements of their previous hits, as well as a few new songs. A 2017 tour of Europe and the U.S. was canceled due to O'Riordan's health issues. Also in 2017, she announced that she'd been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

O'Riordan released two solo albums: 2007's "Are You Listening?" and 2009's "No Baggage."

"Hi All, Dolores here. Feeling good! I did my first bit of gigging in months at the weekend, performed a few songs at the Billboard annual staff holiday party in New York with the house band," O'Riordan tweeted on Dec. 20. "Really enjoyed it! Happy Christmas to all our fans!! Xo."

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