Women Music March 2022 – Day 30 – Dolores O’Riordan

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/The_Cranberries_%40_Olympia_Theatre_%284127551777%29.jpg/576px-The_Cranberries_%40_Olympia_Theatre_%284127551777%29.jpg
Dolores O’Riordan at the Olympia Theater in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 2009

Dolores Mary Eileen O’Riordan (b. 9/6/71 – 1/15/18) was an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. She was best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist for the alternative rock band the Cranberries. O’Riordan had one of the most recognizable voices in rock in the 1990s. She was known for her lilting mezzo-soprano voice, signature yodel, emphasised use of keening, and strong Limerick accent.

O‘Riordan was born in County Limerick, Ireland, to a Catholic working-class family. She began to perform as a soloist in her church choir before leaving secondary school to join the Cranberries in 1990. Recognized for her “unique” voice, she quickly achieved worldwide fame. During her lifetime, she released seven studio albums with the Cranberries, including four number-one albums. Over the years, she contributed to the release of Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? (1993), No Need to Argue (1994), To the Faithful Departed (1996), Bury the Hatchet (1999) and Wake Up and Smell the Coffee (2001) before taking a six-year hiatus starting in 2003.

O’Riordan’s first solo album, Are You Listening?, was released in May 2007 and was followed up by No Baggage in August 2009. She reunited with the Cranberries the same year, and the band released Roses (2012) and went on a world tour. She appeared as a judge on RTÉ’s The Voice of Ireland during the 2013–14 season. In April 2014, O’Riordan joined and began recording new material with the trio D.A.R.K. Throughout her life, she had to overcome personal challenges. O’Riordan struggled with depression and the pressure of her own success, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2015. She subsequently released her last album with the group, Something Else (2017.)

O’Riordan died from drowning due to alcohol intoxication in January 2018. The following year, the Cranberries released the Grammy-nominated album In the End (2019,) featuring her final vocal recordings, and subsequently disbanded. With the Cranberries, O’Riordan sold more than 40 million albums worldwide during her lifetime; that total increased to almost 50 million albums worldwide as of 2019, excluding her solo albums. In the US, she was awarded fourteen Platinum album certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and in Canada, ten Platinum certifications. In the UK she received five Platinum certifications. She was honored with the Ivor Novello International Achievement award, and in the months following her death, she was named “The Top Female Artist of All Time” on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart.

Discography and Filmography:

With The Cranberries

Studio albums

8

Live albums

3

Compilation albums

6

Video albums

7

Music videos

19

EPs

6

Singles

22

Promotional singles

12

As a solo artist
albums = 2
singles = 5
other appearances = 7
other contributions = 9

With D.A.R.K.
Album = 1

Filmography = 3 (TV)

One thing to share:
There are just too many things to choose from. Please go to wikipedia for a wealth of information about Dolores.

Official website: for The Cranberries here

Source: wikipedia

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9 Comments Add yours

  1. Very powerful vocalist with a distinct voice. I only know Dolores O’Riordan from The Cranberries. I haven’t heard any of her solo or other work. Drowning in a bath tub due to alcohol intoxication really is a freakish death!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. msjadeli says:

      It’s a dirty rotten shame she died. Another talented musician lost to heaven.

      Like

  2. Dale says:

    She did have such a unique voice and once again, one with demons who left too soon.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. msjadeli says:

      In my research I unearthed childhood sexual abuse by family or a close friend of her family and other perpetrators as well. None ever get over it but many can learn ways to cope with the mangling reality of it. With her she had not only that to contend with but a diagnosed mental illness, superstardom, easy access to and resources to buy to drugs, and who knows what else. She sings with the angels now ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Dale says:

        This is so true. Not everyone has the tools to deal with such trauma. It is so sad.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Badfinger (Max) says:

    I listened to them a lot in the 90s but I lost track of them. Since the blogs I have started to listen again. I was shocked when she passed.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. msjadeli says:

      Max, I only know the hits that have gotten radio play, and I never realized she went solo and then joined another band. She is an iconic figure in the world of music. I’m glad you are back to listening to Dolores again.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Dave says:

    Like a wren – a huge, great voice from a tiny body. Cranberries were high on my list of favorite bands to emerge in the 90s. I think her death is too often forgotten amidst the slew of other artists in that time period.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. msjadeli says:

      Perfect description of Dolores, Dave. ❤

      Like

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