The Cranberries (Irish rock band). “Do you know that I died because of you? What does the Irish band the cranberries sing about?

The origins of the famous Irish band The Cranberries lie in the Irish town of Limerick - it was there that two brothers Noel (Noel Anthony Hogan, December 25, 1971) and Michael Gerard Hogan (04/29/1973), while still schoolchildren, decided to put together a group. Noel played guitar, and Mike played bass - the drummer in their group was Feargal Patrick Lawler (03/04/1971), and the vocalist was their friend and part-time drummer of another local group The Hitchers named Niall Quinn (1973 ), a rather extravagant young man who wrote songs with titles like “My Grandmother Drowned in the Fountain of Lourdes.”

Formed in 1989, the band was originally called The Cranberry Saw Us (“The Cranberry Saw Us” is a literal translation and a play on words – in English this phrase sounds very similar to how to pronounce “cranberry sauce”). They recorded a demo tape "Anything ", which included 4 tracks, but the work stopped there. Quinn did not stay in the group for long, he could not split into two bands at once - being the vocalist of The Cranberry Saw Us and the drummer in The Hitchers, so he chose the latter. But before leaving, he recommended vocalist Dolores Mary Eileen O for the vacant position. `Riordan, 09/06/1971), girlfriend of Quinn-Catherine's then girlfriend.

It was May 1990. Dolores came to the guys' audition in a hot pink suit and with a synthesizer. She sang to the guys one of the songs of her favorite singer Sinead O'Connor from the album "Lion And The Cobra" and shocked everyone with her voice. The musicians handed her a demo recording of the song they were working on at the time, and Dolores returned the very next day with completely finished lyrics for the song “Linger.” Thus, The Cranberries were born in the very form in which they fell in love with millions of listeners .

Having shortened their name, first to The Cranberry`s, and then to the one familiar to the whole world today - The Cranberies, at the suggestion of Dolores, the guys recorded several songs for their demo single "Nothing Left At All" and sent it to music stores in Ireland. When all 300 copies were sold out in a matter of days, the band re-recorded the songs and began sending out demo tapes to various labels. The cassette came to the full attention of the British music press, and soon the labels themselves came running to The Cranberries with offers one better than the other. While still very young, the musicians chose the Island Records label, known for its other high-profile Irish clients, namely the group U2. To work on their first single, “Uncertain,” the musicians hired Pearse Gilmore, the former vocalist of the local Limerick band Private World, which lasted only a couple of years, as a producer, and a sound engineer at Xeric Records, where the Cranberries recorded their demo tapes. The single, released in 1991, was poorly received by critics - the press claimed that the title of the song ("Uncertain") became prophetic, because the group really sounded insecure, the group's music, at the insistence of Piers Gilmour, became paler, with the addition of then fashionable dance songs. rhythms and guitar parts, removing into the background the main thing that the group had - the voice of Dolores. A video was also shot for the song, but to this day only a 40-second version of the video is available. The news that Gilmore secretly contributed to the Their contract with Island, a clause about the label's assistance in maintaining his personal studio, led to a final break in relations with him, and The Cranberries took on another team - Geoff Travis from the Rough Trade label as manager and Stephen Street. , known for his work with The Smiths and Blur, took over as producer of the debut album.

The album with the modest title “Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?” (Everyone's doing it, so why can't we?), which came to Dolores' mind in 1992 while she was at one of the concerts of an Irish rock band with little prospects, was released in the spring of 1993. The single “Dreams” was released first, followed by “ Linger” – but the public did not pay any attention to the group at first. The Cranberries went on tour as almost losers - however, while they were touring, MTV suddenly took a liking to their “Linger” video and began actively promoting it. The single became extremely popular, and the first album of the young group performed a unique operation - initially falling out of the album top 100 for good, it then returned there and climbed all the way to the very first place.

On July 18, 1994, Dolores married Duran Duran tour manager Don Burton (Don Burton, 01/27/1962). They met at the end of 1993, when the group toured as the opening act for Duran Duran. Their romance began to develop rapidly, Don gave young flowers for the singer, made sure the band's concert lasted longer than usual, arranged dates. Don already had a child from his first marriage, son Donny (Donny Burton, 1991), but Dolores reacted positively to this, accepting him as her own. Don chose the wedding date , randomly inviting Dolores to get married “for example, on July 18.” Their wedding was quite actively covered in the press because of Dolores’s revealing wedding attire—transparent pants and a blouse, high boots and a veil; 200 guests were invited (later in the press it was said that Dolores “stole "Duran Duran has a tour manager because after the wedding, Don stopped working with the Durans."

The group's first new single, "Zombie", introduced the public to a new, harder sound - despite this change, "Zombie" turned out to be even more popular than "Linger". The same story happened with the group’s second album, “No Need to Argue,” released in October 1994 – it made real superstars out of The Cranberries. At the moment, the first two records of The Cranberries remain the most successful - the worldwide sales of the album “Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?” is 7 and a penny million copies, and in the case of “No Need to Argue” this figure has exceeded 16 million.

During the tour in support of the second album, rumors began to circulate that O'Riordan was planning to leave the group and pursue a solo career. Dolores really came more and more to the fore in the group - both in videos and in terms of songwriting. She was directly involved in the recording of the Jah Wobble song "The Sun Does Rise", for which a video was released in the spring of 1994 (in the video Dolores was filmed wearing a blonde wig and sitting, due to a recent knee injury after an accident at a ski resort) At the end of 1995, Dolores performed a duet with Luciano Pavarotti himself, performing the song "Ave Maria" (this performance moved Princess Diana, sitting in front row at this concert) and with Duran Duran leader Simon Le Bon, with whom they sang The Cranberries hit "Linger".

However, despite this, the group’s third album, “To the Faithful Departed,” was recorded by the entire band together, from November to December 1995. This time the group replaced Stephen Street with Bruce Fairbairn (Bruce Fairbairn, died May 17, 1999), known for his work with rock bands such as Bon Jovi and Aerosmith. The resulting album was much louder and harsher than The Cranberries' previous works, which led to harsh criticism from the press, which spoke negatively about the band's ambitions to become a stadium rock band, and a decline in sales. The sales of “To the Faithful Departed” were more than impressive (at least 6 million copies worldwide), but these figures could not be compared with the previous albums, and the group decided to take a time out. Tours planned for the fall of 1996 in Europe and Australia were canceled due to renewed pain in the same knee Dolores had injured in 1994, after an unsuccessful stage jump during one of the performances, and physical fatigue of the entire group as a whole, which again gave rise to a lot of rumors about the impending breakup of the group and the departure of Dolores.

The group stopped working for a while, but despite this, Dolores recorded a song for the soundtrack of the film "The Devil's Own", called "God Be With You", and also, together with Noel, took part in the recording of a tribute album to the legendary group Fleetwood Mac recorded a cover version of the song "Go Your Own Way". In April, at the wedding of the band's drummer Fergal, Dolores announced to everyone that she was pregnant. In November 1997, O'Riordan gave birth to her first child, son Taylor Baxter Burton.

The Cranberries returned to work on new records at the end of 1997. The main themes of the songs were Dolores' motherhood and the group's lighter and more carefree attitude towards the press and show business. In November 1998, the group performed at the Nobel Prize in Oslo, a little later Dolores and Fergal were invited to the MTV Europe Music Avards, where they presented the award to singer Natalie Imbruglia for the song “Torn”. In February 1999, a new single “Promises” appeared, and in April the group’s fourth album, “Bury the Hatchet” was released. The musicians’ desire to return to the sound of the first two records was quite obvious, the public reacted favorably to them - the album sold a good circulation of more than 4 million copies, and their world tour of 1999-2000 became their most successful tour. In parallel with the tour, the band re-released their latest album in an expanded form - the edition entitled “Bury the Hatchet – The Complete Sessions” included a bonus disc with songs recorded during the work on the album, but left behind. Later, the group re-released all their albums in this form - and collected them together in a box set called “Treasure Box”. A DVD was also released with a concert in Paris in 1999 - “Beneath The Skin: Live In Paris”.

Their old producer friend Stephen Street returned to record their next record, Wake Up and Smell the Coffee. The album, however, turned out to be the least successful of all their records, as it was recorded during Dolores's pregnancy. The sound turned out to be calm, smooth and gentle. On January 27, 2001, O'Riordan gave birth to her second child, daughter Molly Lee Burton. The next tour ended in 2002, and soon after, The Cranberries released a collection of the best songs, “Stars – The Best of 1992 - 2002.” In 2002, the musicians played a short tour of European countries, gave several concerts in 2003 (some opening for The Rolling Stones, and some solo), and then announced that they were going to go their separate ways for an indefinite period. No one called it the breakup of the group, but in the several years since then, the group has never gotten back together.

In 2003, Dolores recorded the song "Mirror Lover" with the German band Jam & Spoon for the album "Tripomatic Fairytales 3003". In 2004, she sang with the Italian singer Zucchero on his album of duets "Zu & Co" (among other participants in the project were such stars as Sting, Sharyl Crow and Luciano Pavarotti), then she voiced several songs by composer Angelo Badalamenti for the soundtrack of the Italian film “Evilenko”, such as “The Butterfly”, “Ave Maria” (for the soundtrack of “Passion Of” The Christ" at the invitation of Mel Gibson) and "Angels Go to Heaven" (OST "Evilenko").

On April 10, 2005, Dolores gave birth to her third child, a girl, named Dakota Rain.

Noel Hogan released a solo album under the guise of “Mono Band” in 2005, Fergal Lawler became a member of The Low Network, which has not yet released a single album. O'Riordan was also in no hurry to start a solo career - her first steps as a solo artist were rather modest.

In April 2006, Dolores played a small role in the comedy film Click (in Russian release - “Click: with a remote control for life”), starring Adam Sandler. The film premiered in the summer of 2006. Dolores appears near the end of the film, in the wedding scene, singing a new version of Linger (similar to the one performed at the Vatican in December 2005) live on stage. In addition, the film itself contains a small excerpt from the original version of Linger. The role of Dolores is listed in the credits as Singer. As the film's producers and director later said, Linger was chosen because it was one of their favorite songs and Dolores is a wonderful singer.

Dolores recorded her first full-length solo album only on May 8, 2007 - it was called “Are You Listening?”, and was received quite favorably by both fans and critics.

On August 24, 2009, Dolores released her second solo album, called “No Baggage?”. The tour of America planned by Dolores for September 2009 was canceled because one of the musicians let her down and refused to go on tour. And in the end, a decision was made team up with Noel, Mike and Fergal, and in November 2009 go on a joint tour as The Cranberries in full force. Plans include performing both the group’s already well-known world hits and Dolores’ solo material.

Compound
1989-1990
Niall Quinn – vocals, lyrics

1990-2003
Dolores O'Riordan - vocals, lyrics, music, guitar, keyboards
Noel Hogan - music, guitar
Mike Hogan - bass guitar
Fergal Lawler - drums

genre of music

Alternative guitar rock (although Dolores believes that their work cannot be classified into any specific genre).

The most famous hits and singles
During its existence, the group released several singles, many of which became hits in the USA, Europe and Asia.

Singles by The Cranberries: "Uncertain" (1991), "Dreams" (1993), "Linger" (1993), "Zombie" (1994), "Ode To My Family" (1994), "Ridiculous Thoughts" (1994), "I Can't Be With You" (1994), "Salvation" (1996), "Free to Decide" (1996), "When You're Gone" (1996), "Hollywood" (1996, single released only in France), "Promises" (1999), "Animal Instinct" (1999), "Just My Imagination" (1999), "You & Me" (1999, single released only in Europe), "Analyse" (2001), " Time Is Ticking Out" (2001), "This Is The Day" (2001), "Stars" (2002).

Distinctive features
Bright and strong vocals of Dolores O'Riordan, melodic rock with light national influences, "open" guitar drive, soulful lyrics (songs about love and songs on serious topics, such as ethnic conflicts, drugs, environmental problems, child molestation, greed, cruelty of people). According to one music observer, The Cranberries are a unique combination of agonizing love songs, menacing denunciations and beautiful melodies.

Temporary leave and solo projects
The Cranberries have been on temporary hiatus since 2003. Three members of the group - Dolores O'Riordan, Noel Hogan and Fergal Lawler - are busy developing their solo projects. Mike Hogan opened a cafe in Limerick and periodically plays bass at his brother's concerts.

In 2005, Noel Hogan released his album “MONO BAND”, and since 2007, together with vocalist Richard Walters, he has been developing a new project - the group “Arkitekt”.

Dolores O'Riordan's debut solo album, Are You Listening? was released on May 7, 2007, its release was preceded by the single “Ordinary Day”.

In 2006-2007 Fergal Lawler wrote songs and played drums in his new band The Low Network, which he formed with his pals Kieran Calvert (of Woodstar) and Jennifer McMahon. However, The Low Network team fell apart, having only managed to record a three-track EP.

Dolores O'Riordan's second solo album, "No Baggage", was released on August 24, 2009. Dolores refused to tour in support of the album, citing the desire to spend more time with her family. However, she was quick to announce that The Cranberries would reunite for a reunion -tour already in November 2009, during which both the group's classic hits and songs from Dolores' two solo albums will be performed.There is no talk yet about recording a new album.

Discography
Uncertain EP - 1991
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
Wake Up And Smell The Coffee - 2001
Stars: The Best of 1992-2002 - 2002

25-09-2012

Irish rock band The Cranberries was formed in 1989 in Limerick and was then called The Cranberry Saw Us. The original lineup included guitarist Noel Hogan, his brother bassist Mike Hogan, drummer Fergal Lawler and vocalist Niall Quinn. A year later, a place at the microphone became vacant, and the musicians decided to try their luck in finding a vocalist. Singer and talented composer Dolores O'Riordan responded to an advertisement posted in a local newspaper. As a test, she was asked to write lyrics and vocals for pre-existing recordings. The group was satisfied with the result, and the team was completed. At the same time, the name was shortened to The Cranberries, and the musicians themselves recorded a demo tape, which was sent to British record companies. The cassette attracted the attention of the public and the press, and the group received several offers at once - in the end the choice fell on Island Records.

In 1991, The Cranberries went into the studio with manager Piers Gilmour, who produced their demo tape, to record their debut EP, U ncertain" However, due to Gilmour's strange views on music, the release turned out to be unimpressive, and the relationship between him and the musicians deteriorated. When it came to recording the debut album in January 1992, the team almost broke up - Gilmour was fired, the material was rejected, and the musicians practically decided to give up music. It took them a lot of effort to pull themselves together and start all over again. In March, The Cranberries, along with new producer Stephen Street, who had worked with The Smiths, tried to record the first album again. The material was almost entirely written by O'Riordan. At the same time, the group toured the UK quite successfully and recorded live for various radio broadcasts.

First single "Dreams" was released in September 1992, in February 1993 the second single “Linger” was released, and a month later the album itself “Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?” The public greeted these releases coolly; “Linger” only reached 74th place in the charts. However, The Cranberries were able to go on tour as the opening act for Suede. The group was suddenly noticed by representatives of the MTV channel, which radically changed the situation. Active rotation of video clips brought popularity to the musicians. After the tour, The Cranberries returned to their homeland of Ireland as stars. In February 1994, “Linger” was re-released and reached 14th place; the single “Dreams”, re-released in May, did not rise high (27th place), but strengthened the group’s position. The debut album again entered the British charts and reached number 1. The group was able to go on tour in North America and Europe.

Inspired by their success, the musicians began preparing new material, which resulted in the release of 1994 album “No Need To Argue”, which brought the group international success and popularity. Compared to the debut, the songs were even deeper and harsher. The disc reached number 6 on the Billboard 200 in the US and number 2 on the British charts, but topped the charts in some European countries. The success was facilitated by the very emotional single “Zombie”, released in September. The song was dedicated to two girls who died in March 1994 as a result of terrorist attacks organized by Irish separatists in the British city of Warrington. The single became the undisputed “number one” in the charts around the world - needless to say, how old and new fans of The Cranberries were waiting for the album. The result was 3x platinum in the UK, 5x platinum in Canada, 7x platinum in the USA, and over 5 million copies sold in Europe. The overall result at the moment is 17 million copies of the album sold.

The Cranberries' next disc, "To The Faithful Departed", was released at the end of April 1996. Despite even greater weight and laudatory reviews, the disc could not repeat the success of its multi-platinum predecessor - it only managed to take two platinums in the USA and gold in the UK. As a result, sales amounted to 6 million copies. Relative success enjoyed the single "Salvation". In the fall of the same year, The Cranberries canceled their tour of Europe and Australia. Rumors spread that the band's main author, O'Riordan, had decided to pursue a solo career, however, this was not the case. The musicians took a break and started working on new material.

The Cranberries' fourth studio album, Bury the Hatchet, was released in April 1999, and sales again showed that the band's popularity was in decline. The first single was the song “Promises” released in February. Positions in the charts and sales figures were modest - “gold” in the USA, Austria, Germany, Canada, “platinum” in Spain and France. Total sales exceeded one million copies only three years later. Nevertheless, after the album release The Cranberries gathered their courage and went on a big world tour, which became the most successful of their career. The group also appeared in the then popular TV series “Charmed.” In the summer of 2000, after the end of the tour, a 2-disc edition of “Bury The Hatchet” was released with b-sides and live recordings.

In October 2001, the band's fifth album, “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee,” went on sale. The disc, released on the group's new label MCA, was not very popular and could not even repeat the sales figures of its predecessor. The situation was not saved by the singles, which did not even make it into the British charts. In 2002, a collection of the best things “Stars – The Best of 1992-2002” was released, as well as a DVD of the same name with video clips. At the same time, the group's first albums were re-released. After a series of small tours, The Cranberries returned to the studio with Stephen Street in February 2003 - the new disc was planned to be released in the spring of 2004. In the summer, the musicians toured independently and opening for the Rolling Stones, and in September they unexpectedly announced the breakup of the group. Each participant then embarked on a solo career with varying degrees of success. In 2008, Island Records released a double best-of collection of The Cranberries, “Gold.”

In early 2009, O'Riordan became an honorary member of the Philosophical Society of the University of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. For this occasion, The Cranberries got together, although they officially announced that it would not be for long. However, in the fall the musicians teamed up again for a tour of the United States and Europe, where they played both their own classics and new tracks, as well as O’Riordan’s solo songs. Actually, the band’s reunion was largely dedicated to the release of the vocalist’s second solo album, “No Baggage.” One way or another, the group continued to perform throughout 2009-2010, and in the spring of 2011 they went into the studio with their permanent producer Stephen Street to record their new and first studio album in 10 years, called “Roses”. It included material that was in progress when The Cranberries announced their breakup in 2003. The disc was released in February 2012.

Today, the Irish rock band The Cranberries is known to music lovers all over the world, their songs never cease to be heard on FM stations, their CDs are sold out in millions of copies, and their concerts attract stadiums full of fans. But their path to fame was by no means filled with roses. It all started back in 1990, when Dolores O'Riordan introduced herself to the band members with the words “okay, guys, show me your equipment.”

At the time, Noel and Mike Hogan (lead guitar and bass) and Feargal Lawler (drums) were looking for a vocalist for their band. They began performing as teenagers when young Firgal, learning that the Hogan brothers were planning to form a team, joined them with his brand new, newly purchased drum kit. At first the band was called THE CRANBERRY SAW US. This name was given to her by Niall, who was the first vocalist of the group. Nobody took Nial seriously. He loved to write comedic lyrics like “My Granny drowned in a fountain.” Unfortunately, he died early and the band had to look for a new vocalist. Dolores lived several miles away, attended school and sang in the church choir.

So, the group needed a vocalist, but the guys were quite surprised to see in front of them a fragile-looking girl of small stature. She was clearly not suitable for the role of a soloist. But there was nothing to be done, Noel played her a few chords he had recently composed, and Dolores went home. That same evening she wrote lyrics to this melody. The next day, Dolores returned with a song called "Linger". After listening to what she “did” in just one evening, the guys took her into the group. The composition "Linger" was dedicated to Dolores's first boyfriend, but when she sang it for the first time, the band members didn't even listen to the words: they were amazed how such a little girl could sing so powerfully. The guys were simply delighted.

And here a completely legitimate question may arise: what did they want to do now that Dolores was in the group? Of course, they decided to head straight to the studio in their hometown of Limerick, Ireland, where they recorded three songs. Then the young musicians prepared 300 copies of these recordings on cassettes, placed them in local music stores and began to wait for them to quickly sell out. The result was impressive: all 300 copies were sold in just a few days!

Inspired by the success of their music, the band members shortened the team's name to THE CRANBERRY'S, prepared a demo tape and sent it to all the studios they had ever heard of. Dolores was delighted with the team, because her most cherished desire was to sing in rock music. group. “One of my earliest memories is when I was 5 years old and I was at school,” Dolores said. - The headmistress brought me to the sixth grade, where twelve-year-old girls studied. She sat me down at the teacher's table and asked me to sing. I really liked singing, because singing is what I excelled at other people. But I'm still very embarrassed to sing, even now I'd rather die than sing in a pub."

When the group recorded their first demo tape, the average age of its members was only 19 years old. It contained five songs, including early versions of "Linger", "Dreams", and "Put me down". When this recording reached the London record labels, the final choice of the group's name was made and it began to look like the familiar THE CRANBERRIES.

During this time the band continued to perform in Limerick, but what audiences saw then was very different from what can be seen at their concerts now. This is how Dolores told about it: “THE CRANBERRIES concerts were a performance of four timid, little teenagers, and the vocalist stood to the side like a statue, afraid to move, so as not to trip and fall. At that time we did not know how to “present” our music, but "I think the audience saw our good potential." When the group began to receive invitations from various record labels, the musicians chose Island Records. At first, things seemed to be going smoothly for THE CRANBERRIES. But then serious problems began.

The band's demo tape was distributed to journalists, who responded favorably to its music. The group was predicted to have a good future. Great hopes were pinned on the band's very first single, also promisingly titled "Uncertain". It came out in 1991. And after all this hype around the group, the first single was released with a quality that was far from the quality of the demo tape. In the press it was generally called a “second-rate” composition. This is how THE CRANBERRIES began to learn the insidiousness and volatility of music show business. “It was a terrible time for us when the debut single was not well received,” Dolores recalled. “I believed in the band’s capabilities, but I didn’t believe in the music industry. And then I lost faith in the whole world. I was 18 years old, I was home in Limerick and was really depressed." The group's difficulties were not limited to this: among others, THE CRANBERRIES had serious problems with their first manager, and at the time when the team was about to record their first album in the studio, it was on the verge of collapse.

But one evening, Dolores, carrying all these troubles, disappointments, thoughts about the lack of prospects in her soul, found herself in Limerick at a concert of one of the local bands. She watched the team play from the audience, and then returned to her friends and said: “Everyone is doing it, so why can’t we?” Thus came a turning point in the biography of THE CRANBERRIES, and Dolores’ words became the title of their debut album (it was entitled: “Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We”).

The band found a new manager, Geoff Travis, formerly of Trade Records, and recorded their debut album in Dublin in 1992. By the time the album hit stores the following March, 1993, THE CRANBERRIES found themselves needing to restart their career, as even at this early stage they had been regarded as failures.

In retaliation against ill-wishers who stubbornly refused to see the band's potential, they went on an extensive tour in 1993. The musicians visited the UK (performing with BELLY), Europe (with HOTHOUS FLOWERS) and the USA (with THE THE and SUEDE). “The strangest thing about the American tour,” Dolores said, “was that we behaved like tourists and had a lot of fun, and meanwhile our album kept selling and selling. They told us: “Your record sold another 7,000 copies this week.” And we said, ‘Is this good?’ People laughed at us because we didn’t know how the album was selling.”

By the end of 1993, sales of "Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We" reached the million mark in the United States, and the musicians returned to their native Ireland as real heroes. "I left as a nobody, and when I returned home, people called me a 'star.' , - said Dolores. - After success in America, the album began to climb, began to climb up the British charts and finally reached number one. The group members were happy with their success, but they did not want to be considered “caliphs for an hour.”

Therefore, the musicians sat down in the studio again and by March 1994 recorded the next album, “No Need To Argue”. The recording went so quickly and well that the members of THE CRANBERRIES decided to take a break and, after finishing work in the studio, went skiing. Dolores had never skied before, and her inexperience caused a serious injury: she severely damaged her knee. Later, at the zenith of their fame, the group was even forced to cancel all their concerts until Doloeres started going again.

But the event she didn’t miss was O’Riordan’s wedding to Don Burton, which took place in Ireland in July 1994. “I met my future husband (he’s Canadian) when we toured the US with the band DURAN DURAN. Then he was their concert manager. We are very happy together," said Dolores. The album "No Need To Argue" was released in October 1994 and was a great success. In the first three weeks after its release, a million copies were sold. The first single from this album, called "Zombie", became one of the popular compositions. And although it was not released as a single in the states, nevertheless, this “action movie” became one of the most frequently played compositions on American alternative radio stations and became one of the main hits at THE CRANBERRIES concerts. “The composition “Zombie" was was written about the time of the Warrington bombs in the UK (when an Irish Republican Army bomb killed two small children), Dolores recalled. “But it’s not really about the situation in Northern Ireland.” This song is about a child who died in England because of the situation in Northern Ireland."

Most of the compositions of "No Need To Argue" were written during THE CRANBERRIES' American tour in 1993. “Anybody could have been at the front of the tour bus, but I was at the back, protecting my voice,” Dolores said. “I wrote all these songs about my life in Limerick, about how I miss my parents. That's what the song talks about.” "Ode To My Family" The only thing on the album that reflects my new family life is "Dreaming My Dreams".

At the end of 1994, THE CRANBERRIES behaved like stars whose album had become a worldwide hit. In October 1994, the group went on an extended tour, deciding to continue it the following year. “The best thing for all of us is that we answered our own question, which was the title of our first album,” said Dolores. “We proved it with our first album and continued to prove it with our second.” Indeed, THE CRANBERRIES' answer to the question they posed point-blank was impressive. After the triumphant success of "No Need To Argue", the modest "klyukovki" ascended to the rank of superstars. THE CRANBERRIES' third album, "To The Faithful Departed", further cemented their fame.

The release of this disc was accompanied by a world tour and grandiose promotion, which could have been the envy of even the coolest superstars. As always, Dolores received special attention from journalists, while the other three members of THE CRANBERRIES modestly kept in the shadows. "Rolling Stone" generally jokingly called the group "Dolores O" Riordan & THE CRANBERRIES", which, however, is true. This very extraordinary person is worthy of telling more about her.

Dolores was infected with music by her parents. In her youth, her father performed in one of the local bands, playing the accordion. When he took out his accordion and played very loudly, I shouted to him: “Dad, stop it!” I sang and they asked me to stop. My mother has always inspired me. She knew that I loved music, I had talent and my voice was good. But my mother wanted me to teach music, so she sent me to learn to play the piano. She dreamed that I would get a diploma, but I didn’t get it, but instead joined a group,” - this is how Dolores recalled her introduction to music. Any mature husband could envy her self-motivation and perseverance, as well as what she already knew from childhood O'Riordan, who he wants to be. Maybe this confidence of hers that she would be a singer and definitely famous, left no chance for a different outcome.

The singer’s childhood idol (and her only one) was Elvis Presley. It seemed to her that he was God. Dolores' parents played a lot of country music - Jim Reefs, Bing Crosby, Frank Sentra, but nothing touched them all as much as what the King of Rock and Roll performed. Here are Dolores' most vivid memories: “I remember one morning I came down to breakfast, and my mother was sitting in the kitchen and sobbing, wailing: “He died, he died.” I asked: “Who? Dog?" and she said, "No, Elvis." All of Ireland went crazy. He was great. Sometimes they show old films of his concerts. Elvis would go down to his fans, kiss them, or dab his face with towels and give them to the fans. He He was cool, no bullshit."

Many critics paint Dolores O'Riordan in a very dark color. They paint the image of a bitch of the worst kind: arrogant, touchy, irritable, over-selfish... One can hardly agree that Dolores has at least a small fraction of these “glorious” qualities. She is - a self-made person. No one looked after her, did not control her. Doloros, having met the guys from the group, left her home and moved to the city. She worked and works very hard, so she has no desire and time for idle communication with numerous people who would be flattered to communicate with a celebrity. Dolores is sincere and can, with all straightforwardness, say not very pleasant things to journalists pestering her, which can offend and cause impartial words to appear in the press addressed to her. “You come to a state when you get tired of people who annoy you. You talk to a journalist and you know that they want to misrepresent you. They want you to be an arrogant bitch. But you are not an arrogant bitch, and the journalist continues to ask idiotic questions. This is very unpleasant, especially when such questions come from women. So I answer: “Listen, honey, thanks for coming in. I’m sorry to waste my time, and I’d rather wash my cat.” And she continues: “Can you explain yourself?” And he continues to look at me strangely. I think it's quite disgusting. That's when I said I've had enough."

She is so straightforward and stubborn, this Irishwoman Dolores O'Riordan. If she feels that someone is giving her negative energy and she does not like this person, she simply tries to stay away from him. It is better for her to walk away than to argue or object and get into trouble. Dolores doesn't want to put up with things like that just because she's a celebrity. She likes to do things her own way. Dolores herself calls herself a "knucklehead."

And now the time has come to tell you a “terrible” secret. When Dolores joined the group at age 19, she left home and moved to Limerick, not only to perform on the team, but (perhaps mainly) to “live with one man in sin.” Dolores' parents were, as befits the Irish, “devout” Catholics. But they were not shocked; they understood their daughter. Therefore, Dolores' action was not discussed. Moreover, in Limerick they had an apartment with many rooms. One was Dolores, the other was her chosen one. Her mother was more worried when The Cranberries became successful, they began touring actively and her daughter practically stopped being at home. This acceptance by the parents of their daughter is also surprising because Dolores is the youngest in the family. She has six brothers. Mother Dolores cared more about the boys, which, however, is typical for Ireland. She was quite strict towards the girl. Dolores went to discos only a couple of times a year under the supervision of her brothers. Moreover, they took their responsibilities very seriously. “For example, I’m dancing with a guy, and they come up and ask: “Where are his hands?” Who is he? What is he doing?” Probably, the brothers saved me, protected me from many troubles,” Dolores recalled. But, despite the severity, her parents tried to understand her. Nowadays, when The Cranberries perform in their hometown, parents are happy to come to their concerts.

Dolores was very unlucky with her first chosen one. This relationship was difficult for her. "I wanted to leave, but it took years. I was completely under control. My mother was very worried when I told her what was happening: I was unlucky, I had fallen into the hands of the wrong person. I was ashamed." And the further their relationship continued, the harder it was for Dolores, the more aggression she had to face. It got to the point where she couldn’t communicate with anyone. The irony here is that at the time, working at The Cranberris distracted her, helped her forget about her fear. It wasn’t even work, but rather some kind of fun, entertainment. Moreover, despite the fact that the group’s fame was growing, Dolores constantly thought about how she did not want to return to Limerick to be subjected to threats and violence again. “I couldn’t understand what it meant to truly love and trust. I thought: here it is, first love, first guy. When you lose your virginity, you think that only one person will ever want to sleep with you. You think: you have to get married for this man, all this nonsense." This three-year period was the most difficult for Dolores. But, she believes, the trials strengthened her character and helped her realize many things. Although, when Dolores found the courage to break with this connection, she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Her current husband, Don Burton, helped her a lot here. With him, Dolores considers herself truly happy. After all, complete trust and support are important to her. For their fifth wedding anniversary, they are going, according to Dolores, to renew their vows given to each other on their wedding day. In the song "Will you remember" from the album "To The Faithful Departed" Dolores recalls how one day she went to the airport to meet her husband and wondered, "Does he remember all these little tricks that I did at the wedding: lipstick, hair, clothes and other things that men usually don’t remember..."

We can say that Dolores has gone through everything: fire, water, and copper pipes. Moreover, the test of fame was also difficult for her. True, having such “senior comrades” as Bono and Luciano Pavoroti, it was a little easier for Dolores. "They went through the same thing and said that if I'm having a hard time, I can just call, we'll be together and everything won't be so bad. Bono is really wonderful, he's like a big brother to me."

It is interesting that for the recording of "To The Faithful Departed" the members of The Cranberries decided not to invite Stephen Street, the producer of their previous albums. The musicians wanted to work with someone else, they needed a change. They didn't need a super sound or a lot of keyboards, they wanted the music to be alive and sound fresh. In addition, it was important for the band members not to feel pressure from the producer, but to feel free, enjoy life, and laugh, which is what they did during the recording of the album. And all this had an impact. "To The Faithful Departed" was lively and more radical than previous albums by The Cranberries.

Maybe the success of all the group's discs is due to the fact that Dolores is truthful in her lyrics. “I don’t create false images, although I exaggerate emotions a little and over-dramatize something for songs. Poems are always personal experience, personal relationships, personal emotions.”

It remains to be said that, according to Dolores, traditional Irish and African music have other things in common. She believes that all music comes from one source, from the same roots. Therefore, the prayers of the Middle East are similar to how the banshees (these creatures from Irish folklore) howl.

Dolores is a very romantic person. She loves old-fashioned romance, simple things that are often neglected. So, in her opinion, “Sex is too hyped up, I love forebodings, little things that mean a lot.”

Yes, if you think that we forgot to talk about the other three members of the group, then this is not so. And the point here is not only that they keep a low profile, not arousing the same interest among journalists as Dolores, and giving the impression of such good boys who would not even be noticed in the pub. It’s just that The Cranberries owe the lion’s share of their success, if not all of it, to this talented girl. The band's drummer Fergal Lawler stands out for the fact that he buys a huge number of CDs on tour. Mike Hogan (junior) does not buy CDs at all, since he can always steal them from the elder Noel.

Quiet here they are, these lovely “klyukovki”, who have enchanted the whole world with their music.

Irish singer Dolores was born into a poor farming family in the city with the poetic name of Limerick and was the youngest of seven children. The owner of the most extraordinary voice of the 90s. She studied music from an early age: she sang in the choir, played the piano, pipe and guitar. She joined the group The Cranberries (translated from English as “cranberry”) in 1990. She impressed the new team not only with her singing, but also with the lyrics of her songs.

Thus, the popular hit “Zombie” is dedicated to the protracted armed confrontation between England and Ireland. This song is an emotional reaction to what is happening. The lyrics of the song were written by the lead singer of The Cranberries after she learned about the death of two boys as a result of the 1993 terrorist attack. A bomb planted by Irish Republican Army militants exploded. “It’s the same old theme since 1916” - this line reminds us of the historical events that preceded the terrorist attack. Ireland's struggle for independence from Great Britain began in 1916 with the Easter Rising. The singer uses the word “Zombie” to describe all terrorists and murderers who obey their ideas and try to achieve justice at the cost of the death of ordinary people. “What’s in your head, zombie?” - “What's on your mind, zombie?”

The song was released as a single in September 1994. It subsequently became a hit and reached number one on the Billboard charts as the "most played song on radio".

The Cranberries have repeatedly sung about the war and its victims. Thus, the songs “Bosnia” and “War Child” are dedicated to the tragic events of the civil war in Yugoslavia:

And the song “I Just Shot John Lennon” talks about the murder of one of the leaders of The Beatles in 1980. “I just shot John Lennon” is the killer’s real answer to the question: “What have you done?”:

Dolores dedicated the popular ballad “Will you remember” to her husband, former Duran Duran tour manager Don Burton. The singer got married in 1994 and divorced in 2014. The couple has five children. The singer had a hard time with the breakup, and this affected her mental health: Dolores was diagnosed with bipolar disorder (a mental disorder characterized by alternating manic and depressive states, mixed states, alternating euphoria and depression - editor's note).

The singer, together with the main composer of the group, wrote another hit, “Animal Instinct,” while pregnant, in 1997. The plot of the clip tells how social services separate a mother from her children, but the woman kidnaps them and runs away. The image of the singer in this video is completely different from the previous ones. From a short-haired tomboy she turned into a gentle woman with long hair:

In 2003, Dolores left The Cranberries and began singing solo.

And in 2009, the group announced a reunion and managed to record two albums.

In 2017, The Cranberries announced the start of a world tour, but in May of that year the group canceled the remaining concerts due to O'Riordan's health.

It was reported that the singer had back problems. On December 20, the vocalist wrote on the group’s official pages on social networks that everything was fine with her. And the last time the vocalist contacted fans on her Twitter page was January 3.

Irish singer Dolores O'Riordan died suddenly in London. She was only 46 years old. The vocalist of The Cranberries arrived in the British capital to record a new composition. A representative of the musical group called the soloist's death sudden, but said that he could not yet tell about the details what happened.

“The family members are devastated by the news and have asked for privacy during this difficult time,” the group said in a statement.

London police said they received a call from the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane near Hyde Park at 09:05 am (12:05 Moscow time) on Monday, January 15. At the moment, Dolores O'Riordan is considered dead under unclear circumstances.

A Hilton spokeswoman confirmed that the Irish singer's death occurred at the hotel. According to her, the hotel on Park Lane is fully cooperating with the police in clarifying all the circumstances of the incident.

One of the first to express his condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased lead singer of The Cranberries was the President of Ireland and fellow countryman O'Riordan Michael Higgins. According to him, her work had a huge impact on rock and pop music both in Ireland and around the world.

“It is with great sadness that I learned of the death of Dolores O'Riordan, a musician, singer and author... For her family and all those who follow and care about Irish music, Irish musicians and performers, her death will be a great loss,” said Higgins.

Condolences for the death of O'Riordan were also expressed by her colleagues in the music scene. The lead guitarist and vocalist of the British group The Kinks, Dave Davis, said that they recently spoke with the singer and discussed plans for joint creativity.

"I'm truly shocked that Dolores O'Riordan passed away so suddenly. We spoke to her a couple of weeks before Christmas. She seemed happy and healthy. We even talked about possibly writing some songs together. Incredible. God bless her," he wrote Davis.

— Dave Davies (@davedavieskinks) January 15, 2018

Irish performer Andrew Hozier-Byrne, performing under the pseudonym Hozier, recalled his first impression of the voice of Dolores O'Riordan.

"The first time I heard Dolores O'Riordan's voice was unforgettable. It challenged what a voice could sound like in a rock context. I've never heard anyone use their vocal instrument like that. Shocked and saddened to hear about her death, my thoughts are with her family,” written by musician.

“My first kissing dance was to The Cranberries song.”

According to music producer and composer Maxim Fadeev, he is saddened that good musicians continue to leave the world. In a conversation with RT, he recalled that already in the nineties, when many in Russia were just starting out, The Cranberries already had several good songs to their credit.

“The Cranberries was when we were just starting out. The band came out in the nineties and had a couple of really cool tracks. It’s a very, very pity,” Fadeev said. — Musicians leave, cool guys leave, and who comes?.. I would like to see. It’s just a pity for a great musician.”

Russian singer Pyotr Nalich called the lead singer of the Irish group a wonderful musician. Nalich admitted to RT that at the party on the day he graduated from music school, songs by The Cranberries were played.

“You won’t believe it, I remember there was a party at the end of music school. We were 14 years old, and they even poured us some wine (maybe, maybe not), but then we had a dance, and I remember my first dance with kisses was to a song by The Cranberries,” Nalich said. “Blessed memory of her, she was a wonderful musician.”

Pelageya also expressed her condolences in connection with the untimely death of the young and very talented singer.

“You could feel some of the inner breath of Ireland in it.”

The vocals of the lead singer of The Cranberries were outstanding and striking in their originality, and the compositions performed by her sounded like a powerful attack, music critic Alexander Belyaev told RIA Novosti.

“Dolores O'Riordan is an outstanding person. Of course, her voice was amazing - a very young, fragile creature with this peculiar voice, with bitterness and oil in the vocal cords,” Belyaev said.

“Such a powerful attack, something folk, real, earthy, grown in those fields. The first album was highly valued even by music snobs. Then they went uphill, released a second album with the song Zombie - and they became such a folk group,” the agency’s interlocutor noted.

According to him, The Cranberries are a real phenomenon of the nineties. The critic explained that its members revolutionized the music of that time with their traditional sound.

“I remember when their album Everybody Else is Doing It, So Why Can't We came out, it made a very big impression, it’s still unclear why. These are such simple songs, simple harmonies, no bells and whistles, but everything was played in some way.” "Their Irishness was completely elusive, but clearly felt," Belyaev added.

Dolores O'Riordan was born in September 1971 in the Irish village of Ballybricken in County Limerick. She was the youngest of seven children in a poor farming family. Already as a child, Dolores sang in the church choir, and then learned to play the piano and pipe. At the age of 17 she picked up the guitar.

The story of Dolores joining The Cranberries, as often happens, is connected with its partial collapse. The band was founded in Limerick in 1989 by brothers Mike (bass) and Noel (solo) Hogan, who recruited drummer Fergal Lawler and vocalist Niall Quinn. The band was then called The Cranberry Saw Us. A year later, Quinn left the band, and the musicians posted an advertisement looking for a new vocalist. Dolores O'Riordan responded to him by sending several demo recordings.

She was accepted into the group, which changed its name to The Cranberries. Dolores very quickly became the face of the group thanks to her original and recognizable voice - a lively, rhythmic mezzo-soprano.

After the appearance of the singles Dreams and Linger, The Cranberries' first studio album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We, was released in March 1993. However, real fame came to the Irish group and talented performer a year and a half later.

In October 1994, The Cranberries released their second studio album, No Need to Argue, the main song of which was Zombie. This is a protest song with which the musicians spoke out against the terrorist activities of the militants of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). It became a hymn to the return of the Irish people to peaceful life.

The creation of this composition was influenced by two explosions that occurred in February and March 1993 in the British city of Warrington. As a result of the terrorist attacks organized by IRA militants, 56 people were injured and two boys, Jonathan Ball and Tim Perry, were killed.

After the release of their second album, which went platinum in many countries around the world, The Cranberries released three more records, after which in 2003 the band members, without announcing their breakup, took up solo projects. Dolores O'Riordan has released two solo albums.

In April 2011, The Cranberries reunited and began recording their sixth studio album, and at the end of April 2017, their seventh album, Something Else, was released. However, the tour in support of her had to be canceled due to severe back pain that the vocalist began to experience.

Dolores O'Riordan was married for 20 years (1994-2014) to former Duran Duran tour manager Don Burton. She is survived by three children: 20-year-old son Taylor Baxter and two daughters - 16-year-old Molly Lee and 12-year-old summer Dakota Rain.