A number of tests have been carried out to establish the cause of the death of The Cranberries frontwoman Dolores O’Riordan, an inquest opening has heard.
The Irish singer was found dead aged 46 at a hotel on central London’s Park Lane on Monday morning.
A inquest opening in Westminster today heard that the coroner is still awaiting the results of a number of tests which were carried out during the post-mortem examination.
O’Riordan’s family chose not to attend the short hearing in London this morning, but have been in contact with the Metropolitan Police.
Dolores O’Riordan, pictured on stage last year, was found dead in a hotel room in London on Monday morning. A coroner is still awaiting results of tests after a post-mortem
The singer is best known for fronting the 1990s rock band The Cranberries, whose hits included Zombie, which she wrote, Linger and Dreams
Coroner’s officer Stephen Earl said: ‘This lady was staying at a hotel in central London when on Monday 15 January she was found unresponsive in her room.
‘The London Ambulance Service was contacted and verified her death at the scene.
‘Subsequently the Met Police attended and they determined the death to be non-suspicious.’
He continued: ‘A post-mortem has now been carried out and the court is awaiting results of various tests that have been commissioned.’
Coroner Shirley Radcliffe adjourned the hearing until April 3 when a date for the full inquest will be set.
The singer had been in London to record a cover of Zombie with hard rock band Bad Wolves and, hours before her death, had sounded ‘full of life’ in a voicemail, according to her friend and music producer Dan Waite.
O’Riordan, from Friarstown, County Limerick, was renowned for her distinctive singing voice and The Cranberries enjoyed huge success in the 1990s with tracks including Zombie and Linger.
The singer posted photos of herself with her cat and her boyfriend Ole Koretsky less than two weeks before her death
New York-based DJ Mr Koretsky, pictured with O’Riordan last year, said he is heartbroken
Her Cranberries bandmates – Noel Hogan, Fergal Lawler, and Mike Hogan – said they were ‘devastated’ by the news, adding ‘the world has lost a true artist’.
O’Riordan’s boyfriend Ole Koretsky, who played with her in alternative rock band D.A.R.K, said this week that his ‘heart is broken and it is beyond repair’ in a statement on the group’s official website.
The Irish singer suffered with bipolar disorder and depression throughout her career, and US website TMZ yesterday reported friends describing her as ‘dreadfully depressed’ in recent weeks.
She once spoke of a ‘terrible self-loathing’ which had been worsened by her accelerating career and led to anorexia. Miss O’Riordan also suffered with back pain, which caused her to cancel a string of shows in May last year.
But a long-time friend and music producer, who was one of the last people to hear from her, told how she sounded happy and excited in a voicemail message just hours before her death.
Mrs O’Riordan was found dead in the bathroom of her room at London’s Park Lane Hilton
Dan Waite, who was involved in the collaboration between her and Bad Wolves, said: ‘She was looking forward to seeing me in the studio and recording vocals.
‘She sounded full of life, was joking and excited to see me and my wife this week. The news of her passing is devastating.’ Dave Davies, former guitarist of The Kinks, also said Miss O’Riordan seemed ‘happy and well’ when he spoke to her before Christmas.
In 2014, O’Riordan split from her husband of 20 years, former Duran Duran tour manager Don Burton. They have three children together.