Dolores O'Riordan's partner and D.A.R.K. bandmate Ole Koretsky has spoken of how his "heart is broken and it is beyond repair" after her death on Monday.
A statement from O'Riordan's publicist confirmed on Monday that The Cranberries front woman had died suddenly in London at the age of 46. Her death is not being treated as suspicious by police.
Koretsky, a New York-based DJ and producer who played with O'Riordan in her band D.A.R.K, released a statement about her death on the group's official Facebook page.
"My friend, partner, and the love of my life is gone," he wrote. "Dolores is beautiful. Her art is beautiful. Her family is beautiful. The energy she continues to radiate is undeniable.
"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."
Their bandmate, former The Smiths bassist Andy Rourke, added his devastation at her passing.
"I have truly enjoyed the years we spent together and feel privileged to call her a close friend," Rourke said.
"It was a bonus to work with her in our band D.A.R.K. and witness firsthand her breathtaking and unique talent. I will miss her terribly. I send my love and condolences to her family and loved ones."
D.A.R.K. formed in 2009 after Rourke and Koretsky met gigging in the US and soon invited O'Riordan to join the project. They released their debut album, Science Agrees, in 2016.
The surviving members of The Cranberries said they are "devastated" at the sudden death of their friend and singer.
In a tweet, Noel and Mike Hogan and Fergal Lawler said the Limerick-born star was an extraordinary talent.
"We feel very privileged to have been part of her life from 1989 when we started the Cranberries," they continued. "The world has lost a true artist today."
We are devastated on the passing of our friend Dolores. 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.
— The Cranberries (@The_Cranberries) January 15, 2018
Noel, Mike and Fergal
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Redemptorist priest Father John Goode, who was chaplain at Laurel Hill Coláiste FCJ, where O’Riordan was a student during the 1980s, said her voice had made her stand out back then.
He told The Irish Catholic: "I remember her as having a very distinctive singing voice – there was a unique quality about it, and it would captivate your attention immediately".
Describing people as "deeply shocked" by the news of her death, he added: "She was such a gifted and talented woman – it’s a great loss."
