Dolores O'Riordan, lead singer/songwriter for the famed Irish rock band, The Cranberries, passed away at the age of 46 on January 15th, 2018. Her publicist broke the tragic news back then in a statement explaining:
In September, 1995, Dolores performed "Ave Maria" with Luciano Pavarotti at a charity concert in Modena, Italy. In attendance at the concert was Princess Diana, who O'Riordan recalled meeting to the Independent:
O'Riordan, who only a few years ago opened up about her bleak history of sexual abuse, won the lead singer spot with The Cranberries in an audition and successfully fronted the band for 13 years. The band released five full-length albums, their greatest being No Need To Argue (1994), which sold 17 million worldwide.
The parish priest from her home town, Father James Walton, has confirmed that O'Riordan's funeral will take place in Ireland, at Ballybricken & Bohermore Parish. The date of the funeral will depend on when her body is returned to Ireland.
He said: 'I only found out this afternoon. Her family is very devastated and upset. The suddenness of her death has been a shock. I met Dolores two or three times when she was home visiting family. She was a lovely lady."
In an interview after meeting Pope John Paul II, O'Riordan credited her faith as one of her greatest musical influences:
Dolores was survived by her children: Taylor Baxter, Molly Leigh, and Dakota Rain.
