RIP

Dolores O’Riordan, the lead singer with the multi-platinum selling band the Cranberries, has died aged 46. O’Riordan had been in London for a recording session. A statement described the death as sudden, and added: “Family members are devastated to hear the breaking news and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.” A Metropolitan Police statement said that O’Riordan’s body was found at a Park Lane hotel. Family and close friends accompanied her body to her home town church in Co Limerick ahead of her funeral.  Candles lit the streets as her coffin was brought to the Church of Saint Ailbe in Ballybricken. O’Riordan, who had suffered from depression throughout her career. The star had three children, son Taylor, 20, and daughters Molly, 16, and Dakota, 12 with her ex-husband Don Burton. The children live in Canada with their father, a former tour manager for Duran Duran. Ronan Keating told of his sadness at the “loss of an incredible talent and a lovely soul”, while singer Brian McFadden said he was “in shock”. “Iconic vocalist and a lovely woman too.” Duran Duran wrote on Twitter: “We are crushed to hear the news about the passing of Dolores O’Riordan. Our thoughts go out to her family at this terrible time.” Talk show host James Corden spoke about meeting the singer when he was 15 and she signed his train ticket. “I got her autograph and it made my day,” he wrote. “She had the most amazing voice and presence.” Her Her mother and six siblings were in attendance at the funeral, and her Cranberries bandmates left a floral tribute beside her coffin which read ... "The song has ended, but the memories linger on."

The Zombies bassist Jim Rodford has died aged 76 just days after his final performance. The musician, whose career spanned six decades and included 18 years with the Kinks, died on Saturday after a fall on the stairs, his cousin and the band’s frontman Rod Argent confirmed. Following the break-up of the Zombies in 1968, he joined Argent’s new band, the eponymously named Argent – with gold records and chart success following as they released Hold Your Head Up and God Gave Rock & Roll to You. Rodford had just returned home to England after completing a short tour in Florida with the Zombies with his final on-stage appearance coming on the 14th January. "Jim was not only a magnificent bass player, but also from the first inextricably bound to the story of The Zombies. An enormous enabler for us," Argent wrote in his long tribute to Rodford. "To the end, Jim's life was dedicated to music. He was unfailingly committed to local music - an ever present member of the local scene in St.Albans, where he had spent his whole life." The Kinks' Dave Davies tweeted  "I'm devastated Jim's sudden loss I'm too broken up to put words together it’s such a shock I always thought Jim would live forever in true rock and roll fashion - strange - great friend great musician great man - he was an integral part of the Kinks later years."


Veteran US concert promoter Jack Boyle of Cellar Door Productions in Washington DC and Fort Lauderdale has died. He was 83 years old. With the 160-capacity Cellar Door Nightclub in DC as his trademark venue, Boyle was the major concert promoter from Baltimore to South Florida and promoted shows in venues ranging from clubs to stadiums with artistes such as the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, The Who, U2, Madonna and Bruce 

Legendary South African jazz musician Hugh Masekela has died at the age of 78 after a decade-long fight with cancer, Often called the “Father of South African jazz”, Trumpeter, singer and composer Masekela, affectionately known locally as “Bra Hugh,” started playing the horn at 14 and quickly became an integral part of the 1950s jazz scene in Johannesburg as a member of the Jazz Epistles. In the 1960s he went into exile in the United Kingdom and the United States, where he collaborated with American jazz legend Harry Belafonte and used his music to spread awareness about the oppressive system of white-minority rule in South Africa. He also scored an international number one hit in 1968 with “Grazing In The Grass.” He collaborated with many musicians including Paul Simon and Herb Alpert. He was married to South African singer and activist Miriam Makeba for two years. “A baobob tree has fallen,” Nathi Mthethwa, South Africa’s minister for arts and culture, wrote on Twitter. “The nation has lost a one of a kind musician . We can safely say Bra Hugh was one of the great architects of Afro-Jazz and he uplifted the soul of our nation through his timeless music.”  Image by Maurice: Hugh Masekela playing at The Hague Jazz 2009.

Mark E Smith, frontman for The Fall, has died after a lengthy period of illness. He was 60. In a statement, the band's manager Pam Vander said last night: "It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Mark E Smith. He passed this morning at home". Smith's continuing ill health led to the cancellation of various Fall shows in the UK, Europe and the US last year.  Smith formed The Fall aged nineteen in 1976. His authoritarian approach to band leadership led to many changes in the outfit's line-up over the years, and a total of 66 different members passed through the group during their 40 year history, many fired by Smith. The band released 32 studio albums, most recently last year's 'New Facts Emerge'. There were an equal number of live albums, plus numerous other releases. Smith also found time for two solo albums, and various collaborations, including with Gorillaz and Coldcut.

David Zard, the pioneering concert promoter who was the first to bring some of the biggest names in rock music to Italy, has died aged 75. Born in Tripoli, Zard emigrated to Italy in 1967 and over the next five decades established himself as one of the country’s leading promoters, organising stadium tours by Cat Stevens, Elton John, Tina Turner, Lou Reed, Frank Zappa, the Rolling Stones, Genesis, Bob Dylan, Madonna, Michael Jackson and many more. Zard is survived by his wife, Patrizia Tomasich, and their son, Clemente, who now leads Warner Music Italy’s live operation, Vivo Concerti.

Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, best known for his work in film soundtracks, has died. He was 48. Jóhannsson released his debut solo album, 'Englabörn', in 2002, featuring music written for a play of the same name. In 2014, he won a Golden Globe for Best Original Score for his work on Stephen Hawking biopic 'The Theory Of Everything', for which he also received an Oscar nomination. His score for 2016's 'Arrival' was one of his best received works and in the same year, he also released his final standalone album, 'Orphée', based on the Orpheus myth. He is survived by his parents, three sisters and a daughter