Dolores O’Riordan’s boyfriend, Olé Koretsky, has broken his silence after the singer died in London on Monday, January 15. She was 46.
The record producer had been working with The Cranberries singer and Andy Rourke from The Smiths in a new band called D.A.R.K. Koretsky shared a message about his girlfriend’s passing on the group’s website. “My friend, partner, and the love of my life is gone. My heart is broken and it is beyond repair,” Koretsky wrote. “Dolores is beautiful. Her art is beautiful. Her family is beautiful. The energy she continues to radiate is undeniable.”
He added: “I am lost. I miss her so much. I will continue to stumble around this planet for some time knowing well there’s no real place for me here now.”
O’Riordan’s publicist confirmed her passing in a statement to Us Weekly on Monday. “Irish and international singer Dolores O’Riordan has died suddenly in London today. She was 46 years old,” the statement read. “The lead singer with the Irish band The Cranberries was in London for a short recording session. No further details are available at this time. Family members are devastated to hear the breaking news and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”
Just three weeks before her death, the singer shared on The Cranberries Facebook page that she was feeling well after performing for the first time since canceling a tour because of her health issues in July 2017. “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,” she wrote to fans. “Really enjoyed it! Happy Christmas to all our fans!! Xo.”
The band’s remaining members — Noel Hogan, Mike Hogan and Fergal Lawler — also tweeted a statement on Monday about O’Riordan. “We are devastated on the passing of our friend Dolores,” they wrote. “She was an extraordinary talent and we feel very privileged to have been part of her life from 1989 when we started the Cranberries. The world has lost a true artist today.”
O’Riordan is survived by her three children — Taylor, 20, Molly, 16, and Dakota, 12 — whom she shares with ex-husband, former Duran Duran tour manager Don Burton.
