Lead singer of the Irish band The Cranberries, Dolores O’Riordan, passed away at the age of 46 while in London. The reason for her death has not yet been revealed.

O’Riordan was in London for a recording session on a new album, said in a statement from her publicist. It added: “Family members are devastated to hear the news and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”

The musician, originally from Limerick, led the band to international success in the 90s with their debut album “Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?”. Hit singles included “Linger”, “Dreams” and “Zombie” and they went on to sell over 40 million records worldwide. The band went on hiatus in 2003, but reunited in 2009 for a North American tour, and also played shows in Latin America and Europe.

Last year, the band released an acoustic album, “Something Else” and announced tour dates in Europe, the UK and the US. However shortly into the European tour, the band had to cancel the remainder of the dates as a result of O’Riordan ill-health.

The official Cranberries website cited “medical reasons associated with a back problem” preventing singer Dolores O’Riordan from performing.

But just before Christmas O’Riordan had posted on Facebook saying she was “feeling good” and had done her “first bit of gigging in months”, leading fans to believe she would soon be performing again.

Fans and fellow-celebrities have flocked to social media to pay tribute to O’Riordan.

Duran Duran’s official Twitter feed posted a message saying the band was “crushed” to hear of the singer’s death. Others to pay tribute include The Late, Late Show presenter, James Corden, who said meeting her when he was 15 years old “made his day”.

He tweeted: “I’m really shocked that #DoloresORiordan has passed so suddenly. I was talking to her a couple of weeks before Christmas. She seemed happy and well – we even spoke of maybe writing some songs together – unbelievable God bless her.”

Ireland’s President Michael D Higgins paid tribute to the late singer as well. He said she and The Cranberries had an “immense influence on rock and pop music in Ireland and internationally”.

O’Riordan is survived by her three children, 20-year-old son Taylor, 16-year-old daughter Molly and 12-year-old daughter Dakota.

“The best time in my life was the years spent at home with my family,” she told the Irish News in May 2017. “I love being a mum. My kids don’t see me as a famous person, or have any kind of expectation; I’m just their mum.”