Dolores O'Riordan, Lead Singer Of The Cranberries, Dies At 46

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Cranberries lead singer Dolores O'Riordan, best known for her haunting and beautiful voice, passed away suddenly today. Details on what exactly happened are still scarce at this point, but tributes and shocked statements are already coming in from fans and fellow musicians. She was only 46-years-old and leaves behind three children, family members and longtime admirers who appreciated her distinctive vocals, changing hairstyles and unquestionable originality.

The Cranberries took a break during the mid 2000s, but in recent years, they began touring and playing together again. O'Riordan was reportedly in London with her bandmates this weekend for a short recording session when she passed away without warning. No doubt more information will emerge in the coming days, but for now, all that matters is someone who was deeply loved is no longer here. Her publicist confirmed the shocking news to BBC, releasing the statement below...

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. Family members are devastated to hear the breaking news and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.

Dolores O'Riordan was born in Ireland and slowly found her footing in the music industry. She eventually auditioned for and won the lead singer job in the band that would later become known as The Cranberries. The group slowly gained fame in Europe before busting onto the scene in the mid-90s with No Need To Argue. The album went on to sell millions of copies around the world, spurred on by the success of "Zombie", which remains one of the best songs the 90s ever gave us. You can check out "Zombie" here. Or you can listen to the underrated classic "Dreams" below...

Our sincerest thoughts go out to everyone touched by Dolores O'Riordan's life. She was an absolute joy to watch perform. She'll be remembered for her beautiful lyrics, her energetic stage presence and for being a true inspiration to those of us who hate shoes. There will never be another like her.

Mack Rawden
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Mack Rawden is the Editor-In-Chief of CinemaBlend. He first started working at the publication as a writer back in 2007 and has held various jobs at the site in the time since including Managing Editor, Pop Culture Editor and Staff Writer. He now splits his time between working on CinemaBlend’s user experience, helping to plan the site’s editorial direction and writing passionate articles about niche entertainment topics he’s into. He graduated from Indiana University with a degree in English (go Hoosiers!) and has been interviewed and quoted in a variety of publications including Digiday. Enthusiastic about Clue, case-of-the-week mysteries, a great wrestling promo and cookies at Disney World. Less enthusiastic about the pricing structure of cable, loud noises and Tuesdays.