In Memoriam
Dolores O'Riordan
September 6, 1971 – January 15, 2018 · aged 46
Alternative Rock
Dolores Mary Eileen O'Riordan was the fierce, incredibly distinct voice of the Irish alternative rock band The Cranberries. Born in Limerick in 1971, she joined the band in her late teens, bringing a breathtaking vocal style characterized by her thick Irish lilt and a soaring, traditional Celtic yodel. In the 1990s, her voice drove the band to global superstardom with beautifully melancholic ballads like 'Linger' and 'Dreams.' However, it was the explosive 1994 grunge-inspired anthem 'Zombie'—a powerful protest against the violence of the Troubles in Northern Ireland—that showcased the sheer, ferocious power of her vocals. Offstage, O'Riordan openly battled bipolar disorder and physical ailments. On January 15, 2018, at the age of 46, she accidentally drowned in a London hotel bathtub due to alcohol intoxication. Her hauntingly beautiful voice remains one of the defining sounds of 90s alternative rock.
Milestones
Zombie, Linger, Dreams
Also remembered in 2018
- Aretha Franklin (1942–2018)
- Avicii (1989–2018)
- Mac Miller (1992–2018)
- Vinnie Paul (1964–2018)