Tributes have been pouring in for Irish rock singer and The Cranberries front woman Dolores O’Riordan, who passed away yesterday aged 46.
The music icon died suddenly in London. She was there for a recording session for a new album. No cause of death has been revealed.
As part of The Cranberries, Dolores shot to fame in the 1990s. The group is one of the most successful Irish musical acts of all time, selling more than 40 million records globally.
Their biggest hits include “Linger”, “Zombie” and “Dreams”.
While O’Riordan was never connected to Eurovision, her music inspired many of those who were. Here is a selection of the tributes paid by past song contest alums.
Erica Jennings (Lithuania 2001)
I have been listening to “No need to argue” since the news broke. Dolores was the first Irish female rock singer to…
Posted by Erica Jennings on Monday, January 15, 2018
I’ll be introducing my kids to The Cranberries today. ? https://t.co/4ahujOhsEW
— Erica Jennings (@Erica_Jennings) January 16, 2018
Elhaida Dani (Albania 2015)
Albania’s 2015 singer Elhaida Dani shares a personal story of meeting Dolores. Writing on Facebook, she says:
I had the opportunity to share the stage with her to meet her personally in the Vatican Christmas concert! She’ll be missed, Rest in peace!
Ho avuto l'opportunità di condividere il palco con lei e di conoscerla personalmente nel Concerto di Natale in…
Posted by Elhaida Dani on Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Katrina Leskanich (United Kingdom 1997)
Very sad news. RIP Dolores O’Riordan https://t.co/gBp5nb35tA
— Katrina of The Waves (@KatrinasWeb) January 15, 2018
Brian Kennedy (Ireland 2006)
Poor Dolores O'Riordain, it beggars belief that she's gone at only 46. I met her once in italy and what a shy fragile presence she was, until she got onstage. Lovely smile too. RIP.
— Dr BRIAN KENNEDY (@KennedySinger) January 15, 2018
Amandine Bourgeois (France 2013)
Oh mince je viens de voir ça ? #DoloresORiordan elle avait 46 ans à peine ? … https://t.co/q77cmX5oEU
— Amandine Bourgeois (@ABourgeois) January 15, 2018
Dalal Midhat (Bosnia and Herzegovina 2016)
— Dalal Midhat (@dalalmidhat) January 15, 2018
Harun Tekin (Turkey 2008)
I feel alright and I cried so hard,
the ridiculous thoughts, oh.
I feel alright, alright, alright, alright. #RIPDoloresORiordan https://t.co/6dlqJHkrXN— Harun Tekin (@harun_tekin) January 15, 2018
Molly Sterling (Ireland 2015)
Dolores. We love you. RIP. ??
— MOLLY STERLING (@SterlingMolly) January 16, 2018
Emma Marrone (Italy 2014)
Ira Losco (Malta 2002 and 2016)
One of my ultimate favourite during my teenage years was Dolores o’Riordon. RIP. Extremely sad news. She was only 46 :-(…
Posted by Ira Losco on Monday, January 15, 2018
Marc Roberts (Ireland 1997)
So sad to hear of the passing of @DolORiordan @The_Cranberries Met her once, we chatted, she was feisty & fabulous! Loved her voice & her writing #DoloresORiordan #RestInPeace
— Marc Roberts (@MarcRobertsIRL) January 15, 2018
Lise Darly (Monaco 2005)
#doloresOriordan ??? quelle tristesse #zombie #Cranberries
— Lise DARLY ? (@LiseDARLY) January 15, 2018
Dolores was hugely influential too, many other singers that followed say they were inspired by her singing and her songs. She had the most incredible distinctive voice and her songs and lyrics were first rate.
Shocked and sad because she passed away too young. I used to hear Free to Decide and Animal Instinct from Cranberries. Wishing God confort her children and all family.
Shocked & heartbroken by her death…
Goodbye Rose of Ireland….
Extremely sad.
The Cranberries “Ode To My Family” played over part of the opening sequence to the 1995 contest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfLfPg9OuE0
Btw, Nina Kralji? has a live cover of “Linger” somewhere out there on youtube. Her voice is really quite similar to Dolores’s…
“Linger” is such a beautiful track! Outstanding!
R.I.P!
The soundtrack to my high school years… Rest in peace, Dolores 🙁
The Cranberries were always so great, I was really shocked yesterday. I was planning on going to one of their concerts when they reunited a couple of years ago but I postponed it because I had to work. 🙁
WHAT?! The Journey was my jam back in the late 00s. Rest in peace. 🙁
An amazing artist gone way too soon. My sincere condolences to her family, friends and numerous fans.