The music world was stunned yesterday by news that Cranberries lead singer, Dolores O’Riordan, had passed away unexpectedly at the age of 46.
The death was reportedly sudden and unexpected, leaving fans confused as to what might have befallen the seemingly healthy rock icon.
Earlier today, police issued a statement declaring that there was “nothing suspicious” about O’Riordan’s passing.
The news prompted widespread speculation as to other possible causes.
Not surprisingly, the leading theory seems to be that O’Riordan either took her own life or died accidentally in connection with her history substance abuse.
Both possibilities have been erroneously reported by various media outlets, but currently, there is not enough information to confirm either theory.
Seemingly suggesting that O’Riordan may have overdosed on sleeping pills, The National Enquirer reprinted this quote from a 2014 interview:
“I cannot have sleeping pills around, because if I have a few drinks, I’ll take them,” O’Riordan remarked.
“On tour, it was just so easy to say: ‘I can’t sleep, I’ve had a couple of drinks, maybe I’ll take one.’ Then you take another. Then you don’t wake up. That can happen. I am careful now.”
Irish tabloid The Mirror hinted that O’Riordan’s history of heavy alcohol consumption may have factored into her death, digging up this comment from an interview the singer gave several years ago:
“I am pretty good but sometimes I hit the bottle,” she said.
“Everything is way worse the next morning. I chain smoke when I drink. I have a bad day when I have bad memories and I can’t control them and I hit the bottle. I kind of binge drink. That is kind of my biggest flaw at the moment.”
Both outlets pointed out that O’Riordan’s final years were marred by erratic behavior and domestic unrest.
In 2014, the singer was arrested for assaulting a police officer and a flight attendant on a flight from Dublin to New York.
That same year, her twenty-year marriage ended on contentious terms.
None of this is to say that O’Riordan necessarily turned to drugs in her final years or intentionally ended her own life.
Police say it may be weeks before they’re able to release a cause of death, as they’re currently waiting on results from an intensive toxicology screening.
What matters most to fans, of course, is not the manner in which O’Riordan died, but the cherished body of work she left behind.
Our thoughts go out to her family during this difficult time.
