Irish singer Dolores O "Riordan died suddenly in London. She was only 46 years old. The vocalist of The Cranberries arrived in the British capital to record a new composition. A representative of the musical group called the soloist's departure from life sudden, but said that he could not yet tell about the details happened.
"Family members are devastated by the news and have asked for privacy during this difficult time," the group said in a statement.
The London police said that the call from the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane near Hyde Park came to them at 09:05 am (12:05 Moscow time) on Monday, January 15. At the moment, Dolores O "Riordan is considered dead under unclear circumstances.
A Hilton spokesperson confirmed that the death of the Irish singer occurred at the hotel. According to her, the hotel on Park Lane is fully cooperating with the police in clarifying all the circumstances of the incident.
One of the first to express his condolences to the family and relatives of the deceased soloist of The Cranberries was the President of Ireland and countryman O "Riordan Michael Higgins. According to him, her work had a huge impact on rock and pop music both in Ireland and around the world.
“With great sadness, I learned about the death of Dolores O'Riordan, a musician, singer and author ... For her family and all those who follow and worry about Irish music, Irish musicians and performers, her death will be a great loss,” said Higgins.
Condolences in connection with the death of O "Riordan were also expressed by her colleagues in the music scene. Lead guitarist and vocalist of the British band The Kinks Dave Davis said that they recently talked with the singer and discussed plans for joint work.
“I’m truly shocked that Dolores O’Riordan left so suddenly. We talked with her a couple of weeks before Christmas. She seemed happy and healthy. We even talked about the possible writing of several songs together. Incredible. God bless her,” wrote Davis.
— Dave Davies (@davedavieskinks) January 15, 2018
Irish performer Andrew Hozier-Byrne, acting under the pseudonym Hozier, recalled his first impression of the voice of Dolores O'Riordan.
“The first time I heard the voice of Dolores O'Riordan was unforgettable. He questioned how a voice can sound in the context of rock. I have never heard anyone use their vocal instrument like that. Shocked and saddened by the news of her death, thoughts - with her family, ”- wrote the musician.
"My first kissing dance was to The Cranberries"
According to music producer and composer Maxim Fadeev, he is upset that good musicians continue to leave the world. In a conversation with RT, he recalled that already in the nineties, when many were just starting in Russia, The Cranberries already had several good songs on their account.
“The Cranberries was when we were just getting started. The band started in the 90s and they had a couple of really cool tracks. Very, very sorry, - said Fadeev. - Musicians leave, cool guys leave, but who comes? .. I would like to see. It’s just a pity for a great musician.”
Russian singer Pyotr Nalich called the soloist of the Irish group a wonderful musician. Nalich admitted to RT that at the party on the day he graduated from a music school, the songs of The Cranberries were played.
“You won’t believe it, I remember how there was a party at the end of the music school. We were 14 years old, and they even poured us some wine (maybe, maybe not), but then we had a dance, and I remember that my first kiss dance was to The Cranberries, Nalich said. “Bless her memory, she was a wonderful musician.”
Pelageya also expressed her condolences in connection with the untimely departure of a young and very talented singer.
“It felt some kind of inner breath of Ireland”
The vocals of the soloist of The Cranberries were outstanding and struck with originality, and the compositions performed by her sounded like a powerful attack, music critic Alexander Belyaev told RIA Novosti.
“Dolores O'Riordan is an outstanding person. Of course, her voice was amazing - a very young, fragile creature with this peculiar voice, with bitterness and oil in the vocal cords,” Belyaev said.
“Such a powerful attack, something folk, real, earthy, grown in those fields. The first album was very much appreciated even by musical snobs. Then they went uphill, released a second album with the song Zombie - and they became such a folk group, ”said the agency’s interlocutor.
According to him, The Cranberries are a real phenomenon of the nineties. The critic explained that its members revolutionized the music of the time with their traditional sound.
“I remember when their album Everybody Else is Doing It, So Why Can't We came out, it made a very big impression, it’s still not clear why. These are such simple songs, simple harmonies, no bells and whistles, but everything was played in some it was in its own way, completely original. It felt some kind of inner breath of Ireland. They had an Irishness that was completely elusive, but clearly felt, "added Belyaev.
Dolores O "Riordan was born in September 1971 in the Irish village of Ballybriken in County Limerick. She was the youngest of seven children in a poor farming family. As a child, Dolores sang in the church choir, and then learned to play the piano and pipe. At 17, she took up the guitar.
The story of Dolores getting into The Cranberries, as often happens, is connected with her partial breakup. The band was formed in Limerick in 1989 by brothers Mike (bass) and Noel (solo) Hogan, who recruited drummer Fergal Lawler and vocalist Niall Quinn. The group was then called The Cranberry Saw Us. A year later, Quinn left the band, and the musicians posted an ad looking for a new vocalist. Dolores O "Riordan responded to him by sending several demos.
She was accepted into a group that changed its name to The Cranberries. Dolores very quickly became the face of the group thanks to her original and recognizable voice - a lively, rhythmic mezzo-soprano.
After the appearance of the singles Dreams and Linger, in March 1993, The Cranberries' first studio album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We, was released? However, real fame came to the Irish group and the talented performer a year and a half later.
In October 1994, The Cranberries released their second studio album, No Need to Argue, with Zombie as the title track. This is a protest song with which the musicians opposed the terrorist activities of the militants of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). It became a hymn to the return of the Irish people to a peaceful life.
The creation of this composition was influenced by two explosions that occurred in February and March 1993 in the British Warrington. As a result of the terrorist attacks organized by militants of the IRA, 56 people were injured and two boys, Jonathan Ball and Tim Perry, were killed.
After the release of their second album, which became platinum in many countries of the world, The Cranberries released three more records, after which in 2003 the band members, without announcing the breakup, took up solo projects. Dolores O'Riordan has released two solo albums.
In April 2011, The Cranberries reunited and began recording their sixth studio album, and at the end of April 2017, the seventh album, Something Else, was released. Nevertheless, the tour in support of her had to be canceled due to severe back pain, which began with the vocalist.
Dolores O "Riordan 20 years (1994-2014) was married to the former Duran Duran tour manager Don Burton. She left three children: 20-year-old son Taylor Baxter and two daughters - 16-year-old Molly Lee and 12- Summer Dakota Rain.
O "Riordan was found dead in her room in a hotel in London. At the time of her death, the rock star was 46 years old. According to her agent, she died suddenly, and her family was devastated by the sad news and asked not to disturb them at such a difficult time.
It is reported that the call to the police was received at 9.05 am local time (12.05 Moscow time), the doctors pronounced the death of O "Riordan on the spot. At the moment, the death of the singer is considered as "inexplicable".
It is known that Dolores had health problems: this spring, The Cranberries had to cancel their European tour due to O'Riordan's illness, and this happened almost immediately after it began. A month later, concerts in the USA were also canceled, since the singer's condition did not improved enough to perform, it was reported on the band's website that the singer had back problems.
As O'Riordan's representative noted, she came to London for a short recording session of new material.
The members of the Irish rock band Kodaline were among the first to express their condolences on Twitter: “We are completely shocked by the news of the death of Dolores O'Riordan. It was The Cranberries who supported us when we toured France with them many years ago. Thoughts are with her family and friends."
Absolutely shocked to hear about the passing of Dolores O"Riordan! @The_Cranberries gave us our first big support when we toured with them around France years ago! Thoughts are with her family and friends
— Kodaline (@kodaline) January 15, 2018
Hello everyone, this is Dolores. I feel great! For the first time in months, she made a small appearance, performing a few songs at the annual Billboard Staff Party in New York with a local band. I got great pleasure! Merry Christmas to all our fans! Ho!”, — wrote the singer.
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. Really enjoyed it! Happy Christmas to all our fans!! xo
— The Cranberries (@The_Cranberries) December 20, 2017
It is known that the singer suffered from bipolar disorder and was prone to depression.
“I have been singing since I was five years old,” O'Riordan said in a recent interview. “By the age of 12, I was already writing my songs, so yes, music has always been a part of me. To be honest, I never imagined myself doing something else.
There were times when I had to fight. The death of my father and stepmother was hard. Looking back, I think depression, whatever its cause, is one of the worst things you go through.
But again, there was a lot of joy in my life, especially with my children. The ups go along with the downs. Isn't that the whole point of life?"
A few years ago, the singer stated that she intended to pursue music, dance and performance in order to correct her state of mind after the incident at Shannon Airport in 2014.
Then she was charged with assaulting two airport police officers and a Garda officer.
As a result, the court ordered her to pay €6,000 in favor of those in need and recognized that at the time of the incident she was suffering from a mental disorder.
O "Riordan joined The Cranberries in 1990 - then the team was still called The Cranberry Saw Us.
She was accepted after she presented the other members with a draft version of the song "Linger", which later became one of the cranberries' calling cards.
Fame came in 1993 - the group went on tour with the Britpop band Suede and attracted the attention of MTV.
The real success overtook The Cranberries with the release of the second disc - "No Need to Argue", for which such hits as "Zombie" and "Ode to My Family" were recorded.
"Zombie" - one of the most poignant anti-war songs - quickly rose to the top of the charts.
At the beginning of the 2000s, The Cranberries went on a sabbatical, during which O'Riordan took up a solo career.
Having participated in the creation of several soundtracks for films (in particular, for the film "The Passion of the Christ"), she began recording her debut album "Are You Listening?", Which was released in 2007. A sequel, No Baggage, followed two years later.
The Cranberries reunited in 2009 and released their sixth studio album Roses in 2012. From October to December 2013, O "Riordan participated as a mentor in the third season of the Irish Voice. Her ward Kelly Lewis took second place.
In 2014, the singer joined the supergroup D.A.R.K., founded by former The Smiths bassist Andy Rourke and DJ Ole Koretsky. The band's only album was released in 2016 and was called "Science Agrees".
In the spring of 2017, The Cranberries' seventh LP "Something Else" was released. The record was recorded in acoustic sound, it includes updated versions of old compositions, as well as new material.
"The Cranberries" became popular in the pre-Britpop English scene of the early 90s, blending the Smiths' guitar melody with trance-inducing dream-pop musical textures and Celtic influences. At the very beginning of its activity, the group was called "Cranberry Saw Us" and consisted of the Hogan brothers, Noel (b. December 25, 1971; guitar) and Mike (b. April 29, 1973; bass), drummer Fergal Lawler (b. March 4, 1971) and vocalist Niall Quinn. Soon this team from the Irish city of Limerick was reduced to a trio, as Quinn left its ranks. The remaining musicians considered that it would be better to invite a woman to the microphone and filed an ad looking for a vocalist. A talented person named Dolores O "Riordan (b. September 6, 1971) responded to this proposal, in addition to her main activity, she undertook to write lyrics and music. She composed several songs for the first sampler, including the most beautiful ballad "Linger".
After all 300 copies of the demo were sold out in Irish stores, the band shortened the name to "The Cranberries" and headed to the UK market, sending the tapes to several English record labels. The reaction of the labels was positive, and offers rained down from them, from which the musicians settled on what came from "Island Records".
With Piers Gilmour as manager and producer, the ensemble went into the studio and recorded their first single, "Uncertain". The release was unsuccessful, and the showdown with Gilmour that broke out during this period almost led to the breakup of the group. The situation was resolved by breaking off all relations with Pierce. Jeff Travis of Rough Trade took over as manager, and Steven Street, formerly of The Smiths, became the producer. In the spring of 1993, the debut album, "Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?", appeared on sale, and the single "Dreams" followed it. But neither the one nor the other release, nor the next EP ("Linger" ) did not make a big impression on the British public. Then the Cranberries went to the States to open the concerts "The The" and "Suede". Surprisingly, the group was given a warmer reception there than the headliners. Catching this chip, MTV set to work, putting "Linger" went into heavy rotation, which propelled the single to number eight on the US charts and pushed the album close to double platinum sales.
The following year, cranberry mania spread to England, where "Everybody Else" took its rightful first place. Of all the musicians in the group, the press paid the most attention to the vocalist, which was facilitated by her pompous wedding with Cranberries tour manager Don Burton. The positions of O "Riordan strengthened with the release of the album" No Need To Argue ".
This record with a slightly harder and more straightforward sound, produced by the same Street, took 6th place in the American charts and became three times platinum. The biggest hits from the disc were "Zombie" and "Ode To My Family", which served as the main catalysts for sales. Soon, rumors began to circulate in the press about the departure of Dolores. Fortunately, they were not confirmed, and instead, in 1996, another album appeared on store shelves. More rocky, "To The Faithful Departed" was recorded with Bruce Fairbairn, former Aerosmith producer. And although the record debuted at number six, it didn't have any big hits like "Linger" or "Zombie". As a result, the disc received only one platinum, and slipped out of the charts pretty quickly. As a result of the cancellation of the Australian and European tours, rumors about O'Riordan's departure again spread, but they again turned out to be just rumors. In the unchanged line-up of Cranberries, they recorded a couple more albums, and on the second of them ("Wake Up And Smell The Coffee") they returned to collaborate with Stephen Street.
In pursuit of them, the musicians released the compilation "Stars: The Best Of 1992-2002", and only after that they announced that they were going on a long-term vacation, during which Dolores finally got the opportunity to do solo work. The return of the Cranberries from the holidays took place in 2009, and although at first no official reunion was planned, after some time the band, with the participation of Street, recorded the album Roses.
Last update 15.02.12Irish singer Dolores was born into a poor farming family in the city with the poetic name of Limerick and was the youngest of seven children. The owner of the most extraordinary voice of the 90s. studied music from an early age: she sang in the choir, played the piano, pipe and guitar. In the group The Cranberries (translated from English - “cranberry”) got in 1990. She impressed the new team not only with singing, but also with the lyrics of her songs.
Thus, the popular hit “Zombie” is dedicated to the protracted armed confrontation between England and Ireland. This song is an emotional reaction to what is happening. The song's lyrics were written by the lead singer of The Cranberries after she learned about the death of two boys in a 1993 terrorist attack. A bomb exploded, planted by militants of the Irish Republican Army. “It’s the same old theme since 1916” (“It’s the same old theme since 1916”), this line reminds us of the historical events that preceded the attack. Ireland's struggle for independence from Great Britain began in 1916 with the Easter Rising. With the word "Zombie" the singer calls all the terrorists and murderers who obey their ideas and try to achieve justice at the cost of the death of ordinary people. “What's in your head, zombie?” "What's on your mind, zombie?"
The song was released as a single in September 1994. It subsequently became a hit and topped the Billboard charts as "Most Played on Radio".
The Cranberries sang about the war and its victims more than once. So, the songs “Bosnia” and “War Child” are dedicated to the tragic events of the civil war in Yugoslavia:
And the song “I Just Shot John Lennon” tells about the murder of one of the leaders of The Beatles in 1980. “I just shot John Lennon” is the real answer of the killer to the question: “What did you do?”:
Dolores dedicated the popular ballad “Will you remember” to her husband, former Duran Duran tour manager Don Burton. The singer got married in 1994 and divorced in 2014. The couple has five children. The singer had a hard time breaking up, and this affected her mental health: Dolores was diagnosed with bipolar disorder (a mental disorder characterized by alternating manic and depressive states, mixed states, alternating euphoria and depression. - Ed.).
The singer, together with the main composer of the group, wrote another hit "Animal Instinct" while pregnant in 1997. The plot of the clip tells how the social service separates the mother from the children, but the woman kidnaps them and runs away. The image of the singer in this clip is absolutely different from the previous ones. From a short-haired tomboy, she turned into a gentle woman with long hair:
In 2003, Dolores left The Cranberries and started singing solo.
And in 2009, the group announced a reunion and managed to record two albums.
In 2017, The Cranberries announced the start of a world tour, but in May of the same year, the group canceled the remaining concerts due to O'Riordan's health condition.
It was reported that the singer has back problems. On December 20, the vocalist wrote on the group's official social media pages that she was fine. And the last time the vocalist got in touch with fans on her Twitter page on January 3rd.
celtic rock
soft rock
The Cranberries(translated from English- "cranberry") - Irish rock band, formed in 1989 and achieved worldwide fame in the 1990s. Known for the song "Zombie".
Story
Start
Early work
After Quinn left The Cranberry Saw Us, the remaining members of the band filed an ad looking for a vocalist, which was answered by Dolores O'Riordan, who came to the audition with the words and music written by her for the group's demo recordings. Having subsequently offered a draft version of the song "Linger", she was accepted into the group.
Having thus received a vocalist and author in one person, the band set about creating a demo recording, which consisted of three songs, was released in 300 copies and distributed to local music stores. The cassettes sold out within a few days. Inspired musicians sent a demo to record companies. In 1991, the band changed its name to The Cranberries.
The demo tape received attention from both the British press and record labels, and was the subject of bidding between the UK's major labels for the release rights. As a result, the group signed a contract with Island Records. The group's first single "Uncertain" was a complete failure. After an unsuccessful concert in London, where representatives of music companies and journalists who came to watch the "Future Rock Sensation" saw four shy teenagers, led by a shy vocalist who constantly turned away from the public, music publications criticized the Irish, although shortly before the release of the song they also painted in bright colors how a promising young group from the provinces would soon wipe out all their competitors from the face of the earth.
The failure of the first album and the discovery of Piers Gilmour's secret deal with Island Records led to the termination of the contract between the group and Gilmour, in place of which Jeff Travis was invited.
Popularity and heyday
After concluding a contract with producer Stephen Street, the band members resumed work in the studio, and in March 1993 the album " Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? appeared in record stores in the UK. By the end of the year, it had sold over a million copies in the US alone. The album was selling 70,000 copies a day [ ] .
During the recording of the fifth album in 2000, Dolores became pregnant again and most of the songs were dedicated to this joyful event. The album was released in October and did not achieve commercial success. Despite this, it became the most favorite among the participants themselves - even and calm compositions, rarely interspersed with fatal action movies, conveyed the group's mentally balanced state. A world tour was held, after which in 2002 the group released a greatest hits collection, and since 2003, without officially announcing the breakup, the participants focused on their solo projects.
Temporary leave, solo projects and The Cranberries reunion
The Cranberries have been on temporary leave since 2003. The three members of the band - Dolores O'Riordan, Noel Hogan and Fergal Lawler - were busy developing their solo projects. Mike Hogan opened a café in Limerick and occasionally played bass at his brother's concerts.
In 2005, Noel Hogan's Mono Band released a self-titled album, and since 2007, Hogan, together with vocalist Richard Walters, has been developing a new project - the Arkitekt group, which was noted for the release " The Black Hair EP».
Debut solo album by Dolores O'Riordan Are You Listening?" was released on May 7, 2007, its release was preceded by the single "Ordinary Day". The second album No Baggage was released on August 24, 2009.
Fergal Lawler writes songs and plays drums in his new band The Low Network, which he created with his buddies Kieran Calvert (Woodstar member) and Jennifer McMahon. In 2007, their first release "The Low Network EP" was released.
On January 9, 2009, Dolores O'Riordan, Noel and Mike Hogan performed together for the first time in a long time for University Philosophical Society at Trinity College Dublin. This happened as part of the award to Dolores of the highest award (for those who are not members of the society) "The Honorary Patronage".
On August 25, 2009, in an exclusive interview with New York radio station 101.9 RXP, Dolores O'Riordan officially confirmed that The Cranberries would reunite in November 2009 to tour North America and Europe (in 2010). During the tour, new songs will be performed with " No Baggage as well as classic hits.
In April 2011, The Cranberries began recording their sixth studio album, titled Roses". The album was released on February 27, 2012. On January 24, 2012, the band released the only video for a song from this album, "Tomorrow".
On January 15, 2018, the media reported the sudden death of the band's lead singer, Dolores O'Riordan. The announcement of the cause of death has been delayed until April 3, 2018, while the coroner awaits the results of the autopsy. On September 6, 2018, confirmation was released that the cause of death was bathtub drowning, caused by alcohol intoxication.
On March 7, 2018, the band announced the remastering of their debut album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We to celebrate his 25th birthday, with previously unreleased material and bonus tracks from the period. However, due to the death of O'Riordan, the release was delayed until the end of 2018. The band also decided to complete their new album, to which O'Riordan managed to record vocals before her death. Noel Hogan confirmed that the next album, which will be released in 2019, will be the last for the group: “We will finish this album and put an end to it. There is no need to continue."
On January 15, 2019, on the anniversary of Dolores' death, the band released the first single from the upcoming album In the end, "All Over Now" .
Compound
After the change of the soloist at the beginning of the creative path, the composition of the group did not change. The legend reflects the main role of each participant.
Former members
- Niall Quinn - lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1989-1990)
- Noel Hogan - lead, occasional rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1989-2003, 2009-2019)
- Mike Hogan - bass guitar, backing vocals (1989-2003, 2009-2019)
- Fergal Lawler - drums (1989-2003, 2009-2019)
- Dolores O'Riordan - lead vocals, rhythm, occasional lead guitar, keyboards (1990-2003, 2009-2018)
concert musicians
- Russell Burton - keyboards, rhythm guitar (1996-2003, 2012)
- Steve DeMarchi (English)Russian- rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1996-2003)
- Danny DeMarchi (English)Russian- keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2009-2011)
- Joanna Kranich - backing vocals (2012)
Chronology of the group's line-up:
Discography and videography
The official discography of The Cranberries includes 8 studio albums, 2 live albums and 7 compilations.
