International Rock Legend found peace in her Canadian home
O’Riordan died unexpectedly this Monday, January 15 from causes currently unknown. At 46 she was found in her hotel washroom by Hilton staff at the London, England hotel. The Cranberries are an Irish rock-band founded in Limerick in 1989, O’Riordan joined the band in 1990 as the lead singer. With over 40 million records sold worldwide their top songs include Dreams, Zombie, Ode to My Family and Salvation.
photo: @marci_wolly79
What many didn’t know about the rock legend is that she found peace in her second home in our very own Ontario. O’Riordan was often found at her cottage north of Peterborough, about 90 minutes Northeast of Toronto. It was here that she recorded her two solo albums. Are You Listening was produced in 2007 by Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ontario. No Baggage was produced in 2009 by EMAC Recording Studios in London, Ontario. The cover image of No Baggage shows O’Riodran reflecting, perched on a purple stool atop the frozen Big Bald Lake, the backyard of her Canadian home.
From 1994 to 2014 O’Riordan shared a marriage with Toronto born Don Burton. Burton was the tour manager of Duran Duran and brought The Cranberries to his company. It was during this time they that they fell in love. The pair was married for 20 years; O’Riordan commented she enjoyed living in Canada as she felt more like an ordinary person here. In an interview with the Canadian Press she even commented that she thought of herself “half a Canuck”. She truly embraced the Canadian outdoors often riding a Sea-Doo or snowmobile across the lake. Their two children remained living in Canada with their father after the split.
After incredible Billboard success with albums like Everybody Else is Doing it, So Why Can’t We? and Bury the Hatchet the band took a break in 2003 to focus on their solo work – finding the pressures of being celebrities overwhelming. It was said that this contributed to O’Riordan’s struggle with depression. In 2009 the band reunited for a North American, European and Latin American tour. They recorded their sixth album Roses in 2011. O’Riordan’s steely, powerful, lustful voice will continue to live through her incredible art.
photo: @leonierose_320
By: Amanda Havey
