appreciation
Published Sept. 10 at 4:20 p.m.
Dolores O’Riordan, who fronted the Irish alternative band the Cranberries that became an international sensation in the 1990s, died Monday. She was 46.
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The cause of death hasn’t been made public. O’Riordan “died suddenly” in London where she had been for a short recording session, according to a statement released by the band. On Tuesday, British police said that O’Riordan’s death was not being treated as suspicious.
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The Cranberries, known for hits including “Zombie” and “Linger,” formed in 1990 in Limerick. Their 1993 debut album “Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?” became a huge commercial success.
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Over the course of the band’s career, they’ve released seven studio albums and sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.
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The youngest of seven, O’Riordan had been singing since she was a child and wrote her first song at age 12.
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“If I started to sing, then all the others in the room would stop and listen,” she told Rolling Stone in 1995. “I always had a strong Irish accent, too. People often ask me why I sing with a strong Irish accent. I suppose when I was five years old, I spoke with a strong Irish accent, so I sang with one, too.”
The first song O’Riordan wrote with the band was “Linger.”
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“Initially, it was just a chord shape, with no real melody or lyrics,” O’Riordan told the Irish Times. “I took a tape of it home and came up with a verse and chorus. I wrote about being rejected. I never imagined that it would become a big song.”
The Cranberries went on a hiatus in 2003 and O’Riordan released two solo albums. The group reunited in 2009.
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In 2017, the Cranberries canceled most of their European summer and North American fall tour dates due to “O’Riordan’s recovery from her ongoing back problem.”
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“The outpouring of support The Cranberries have received from fans and followers during the past several months is greatly appreciated,” the July statement from the group read. “Dolores and the band are very disappointed that it has come to this and send their sincere apologies to all fans and ticket holders, and hope to see you all again in the future when Dolores is well again.”