A band who were set to record a song with Dolores O’Riordan have said they are “heartbroken” the collaboration will not go ahead after the death of the Cranberries singer.
Hard rock band Bad Wolves were due to record a cover of Cranberries hit Zombie with O’Riordian on Tuesday.
The band posted a message on Facebook saying they were “shocked and saddened” at the news of O’Riordian’s death at the age of 46.
The tribute from singer Tommy Vext said: “Zombie is an incredibly personal song and although we are a hard rock band, we always felt the rawness and honesty she projected on stage and in her recordings was something to which all bands should aspire to, regardless of genre.
“When we heard she liked our version and wanted to sing on it, it was the greatest compliment a new band, or any band for that matter, could have received.”
Music producer and friend Dan Waite also paid tribute to the singer, revealing she left him a message the night before the recording session in which she sounded “full of life”.
He said: “Dolores left me a voice message just after midnight last night stating how much she loved Bad Wolves version of Zombie; 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 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.”
The Cranberries have also said they are “devastated” at the death of their former band member, saying “the world has lost a true artist”.
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.Noel, Mike and Fergal
— The Cranberries (@The_Cranberries) January 15, 2018
The singer was found dead at a hotel on London’s Park Lane.
O’Riordian, from Friarstown, Kilmallock, Co Limerick, was renowned for her distinctive singing voice and the Cranberries enjoyed huge success in the 1990s with tracks including Zombie and Linger.