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U.K. police say death of Dolores O'Riordan is not suspicious

LONDON - The death of Cranberries lead singer Dolores O'Riordan is not being treated as suspicious, British police said Tuesday. A friend said the singer sounded excited and "full of life" just hours before her death.

O'Riordan was found dead Monday morning at a London hotel. Police initially said the death was "unexplained," but on Tuesday ruled it non-suspicious, meaning that they found no evidence of foul play. The case will be passed to a coroner to determine the cause of death.

O'Riordan had suffered physical and mental health problems over the years. The Cranberries cut short a world tour in 2017 because of the singer's back problems.

The 46-year-old Irish singer was in London to record vocals for a cover of The Cranberries' hit "Zombie" by the Los Angeles rock band Bad Wolves.

Dan Waite of music label Eleven Seven, a friend of the singer, said O'Riordan left him a voice message early Monday saying she was looking forward to the recording. He said "she sounded full of life, was joking and excited to see me and my wife this week."

"The news of her passing is devastating and my thoughts are with Don, her ex-husband, her children, and her mother," Waite said.

The Cranberries formed in the Irish city of Limerick at the end of the 1980s and had international hits in the '90s with songs including "Dream," ''Linger" and "Zombie."

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said that "for anyone who grew up in Ireland in the 1990s, Dolores O'Riordan was the voice of a generation."

In her hometown of Limerick, residents signed a book of condolence at the city council offices. Mayor Stephen Keary said O'Riordan "put Limerick on the music map and on a world stage."

"She achieved so much in her short years. Her memory will live on," he said.

FILE - In this Sunday, Jan. 27, 2008 file photo, Cranberries lead singer Dolores O'Riordan performs during the European Border Breakers awards, or EBBA awards, in Cannes, southern France. O'Riordan, lead singer of Irish band The Cranberries, has died. She was 46, it was announced on Monday, Jan. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Bruno Bebert, File) The Associated Press
FILE - In this May 6, 2004 file photo, lead singer Dolores O'Riordan from the The Cranberries performs onstage during a benefit show in aid of the United Nations UNHCR refugees fund held at the Royal Albert hall, central London. O'Riordan, lead singer of Irish band The Cranberries, has died. She was 46, it was reported on Monday, Jan. 15, 2018. (Yui Mok/PA via AP, file) The Associated Press
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