Updated | Dolores O'Riordan, lead singer of Irish band the Cranberries, died suddenly in London at age 46, her publicist Lindsey Holmes said Monday.
O'Riordan was in London "for a short recording session," Holmes said in a statement. "Family members are devastated to hear the breaking news and have requested privacy at this very difficult time."
The cause of death was not immediately given.
O'Riordan joined the Cranberries in 1989 after seeing an advertisement in a local paper. She led the Limerick, Ireland, band to international success in the 1990s with hit singles like "Zombie" and "Linger." The Cranberries sold more than 40 million records worldwide, and O'Riordan released the solo records No Baggage in 2009 and Are You Listening? in 2007.
She performed as recently as December. The month before, she recorded the theme song for Angela's Christmas, a short film that aired on Irish TV last month.
Last year, the Cranberries announced on social media that O'Riordan was experiencing a tough recovery from an ongoing back problem. The band had to cancel most of its European tour as a result.
On December 20, the singer gave fans some hope, tweeting, "Feeling good! I did my first bit of gigging in months at the weekend, performed a few songs at the Billboard annual staff holiday party in New York with the house band. Really enjoyed it!"
Hi All, Dolores here. Feeling good! I did my first bit of gigging in months at the weekend, performed a few songs at the Billboard annual staff holiday party in New York with the house band. Really enjoyed it! Happy Christmas to all our fans!! Xo
— The Cranberries (@The_Cranberries) December 20, 2017
Shortly after the reports of O'Riordan's death, Irish rock band Kodaline tweeted that it was "absolutely shocked" and paid tribute to her.
O'Riordan, who suffered from bipolar disorder, was spared a criminal conviction in 2014 over an air rage incident after a judge ruled she was "mentally ill" at the time.
In May, O'Riordan spoke to The Irish News about her battle with depression.
"There have been times when I've struggled. The death of my father and mother-in-law was very hard. Looking back, I think depression, whatever the cause, is one of the worst things to go through," she said. "Then again, I've also had a lot of joy in my life, especially with my children. You get ups as well as downs. Sure, isn't that what life's all about?"
On Monday afternoon, Holmes did not immediately provide further details on O'Riordan's death.
This story was updated to include information about O'Riordan's battle with depression.
