KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:
The lead singer of the Irish rock band The Cranberries died today. Dolores O'Riordan's smooth but powerful voice became known around the world after her band's success with songs like "Linger" and "Zombie."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ZOMBIE")
DOLORES O'RIORDAN: (Singing) In your head, in your head, zombie, zombie, zombie.
MCEVERS: O'Riordan died suddenly today at the age of 46. We don't have many details about her death, so we're going to talk about her life. To do that, we are joined by Jim Sullivan. For over 25 years, he was a music critic for The Boston Globe. Welcome to the show.
JIM SULLIVAN: Thank you, Kelly.
MCEVERS: How popular was Dolores O'Riordan and The Cranberries in the '90s?
SULLIVAN: Well, at their peak very popular. They rose up, you know, quite meteorically from the club level to the arena level. There was also, of course, the drop-off. They kind of hit their peak and then went down.
MCEVERS: And what we know about her life - O'Riordan grew up in a big family in Limerick, Ireland. She was the youngest of seven. She was actually known as the queen of Limerick. How did she become the lead singer of this band?
SULLIVAN: Well, it's kind of interesting. I talked to her in 1993 and this is what she told me. She said, I played harmonium in my church for 10 years, spent eight years with classical piano. And then I used to go to piano lessons, and then I'd go to church, and then I'd have to do some homework and go to bed. I came from a very strict childhood, didn't get out much right up till I was 17. And I kind of had to run away. And basically The Cranberries found her, recruited her and brought her into the band.
MCEVERS: She was known for some outbursts, though, right? And what was it like to cover her?
SULLIVAN: Yeah, well, she was a very feisty performer, which maybe contrasts with what people think about when they think about Cranberries music. Cranberries live, by the way, were a much more electric band than what you tend to hear on record. And when I asked her about that she was very funny. She said, I reckon if we played live like we do on our album everybody might fall asleep.
And when you're live, well, you strike a chord on the guitar, and you've got a distortion pedal, and it sounds a lot louder. And the emotion is there. It's very strong. And she was very - she was kind of like a - she was like a pixie, kind of a tough-as-nails pixie. And even if some of what she sang sounded like it might be innocuous there was an edge to it underneath it all.
MCEVERS: How would you remember her?
SULLIVAN: You know, the usual thing that happens when somebody dies who maybe hasn't been in the public eye for a while is there'll be this outpouring of remembrance and shock and sadness. Then it will be time to kind of reassess where she and The Cranberries fit into the spectrum. And, I mean, in all honesty, I mean, they had their peak. They had their period where they were popular.
But it's a long look back for a lot of people. I mean, we're talking the mid-'90s there. And so it's not something - I mean, let's face it. I don't think she anymore would have been a household name. I know she was recording in London recently. She was performing in a band called D.A.R.K. with the former Smiths bass player Andy Rourke.
MCEVERS: Former longtime music critic for The Boston Globe Jim Sullivan remembering Irish singer Dolores O'Riordan of The Cranberries. She passed away today at the age of 46. Thanks so much.
SULLIVAN: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LINGER")
O'RIORDAN: (Singing) You know I'm such a fool for you. You got me wrapped around your finger.