Oscar-winning Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, the raspy-voiced frontman of The Frames who shot to global fame in the film “Once,” died in a motorcycle crash in Dublin. He was 56. Irish police said the single-vehicle crash happened on Lower Road at the Strawberry Beds in Lucan, on the western edge of the Irish capital, and was reported to emergency services shortly before 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
ATC Management, which represented Hansard, confirmed his death and said the musician’s family was “deeply shocked and heartbroken” by the loss. The company thanked emergency crews who responded to the scene and asked for privacy while a police investigation continues.
Officers said a motorcyclist, a man in his 50s, was treated at the scene but did not survive. His wife, Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa, and the couple’s young son, Christy, who is 3 years old, survive him.
An Oscar-Winning Career on Stage and Screen
Growing up in Dublin, Hansard left school as a teenager at age 13 and began performing as a street musician before founding The Frames in 1990. The following year, he gained international attention as guitarist Outspan Foster in the 1991 musical comedy film “The Commitments,” which follows a young musician assembling a soul band of working-class kids in North Dublin.
His profile soared with the 2007 film “Once,” a low-budget musical romance written and directed by John Carney about two struggling Dublin musicians who develop a romantic connection. Hansard starred alongside Czech singer Markéta Irglová, and the pair composed and performed the movie’s original music. Their breakout duet, “Falling Slowly,” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 80th Academy Awards in 2008. The film was later adapted for Broadway, where it captured eight Tony Awards, among them the prize for best musical.
Hansard and Irglová went on to record three albums as the folk duo The Swell Season. He focused for years on recording with The Frames, releasing seven albums between 1991 and 2006. As a solo artist, his 2012 debut studio album “Rhythm and Repose” preceded “Didn’t He Ramble,” which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album in 2016. He continued releasing solo work, including “Between Two Shores” in 2018.
Tributes Pour In From Around the World
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin led the tributes, saying he was “deeply saddened” by the news and calling Hansard a gifted performer who had enriched Ireland’s artistic heritage throughout his career. Ireland’s culture minister, Patrick O’Donovan, said few artists had as big an impact on modern Irish storytelling, adding that Hansard’s influence would “last generations” in Irish music.
Ryan Tubridy, former host of the Irish chat show “The Late Late Show,” mourned Hansard with a heavy heart, calling him one of the greats who cared deeply about homelessness and Ireland. West Side Story actress Rachel Zegler shared photos of the pair and wrote a brief message that she would love him forever.
American rock legend Bruce Springsteen, who brought Hansard out for a duet on “Drive All Night” at a concert in Kilkenny in 2013, said he and his E Street bandmates were “heartbroken”. Springsteen recalled meeting Hansard years earlier and said he was generous, gracious, and always ready to sing.
English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran said he was heartbroken, calling Hansard an incredible human and an incredible force. Andrew Strong, who also starred in “The Commitments,” described the death as a truly senseless, tragic loss. Actor Chris O’Dowd said he could not believe Hansard had left the world so early, sending love to his wife and young son.
A Champion for the Homeless
Beyond his music, Hansard was widely praised for his charity work. Starting in 2010, he organized a yearly Christmas Eve street performance in central Dublin featuring prominent musicians like Bono, Sinéad O’Connor and Shane McGowan, with proceeds supporting The Simon Community, which helps homeless people across the UK and Ireland.
The charity said it was “devastated” by his death, adding that it would always be grateful to him for his profound impact on those they help. Hansard’s friend, artist Colin Davidson, said the annual busk had become an international Irish institution in its own right, describing it as Hansard’s way of not just shining a light on homelessness but actually doing something about it financially.
Davidson told the BBC’s “Evening Extra” programme that he was quite broken by the news and finding it difficult to put his feelings into words. He remembered Hansard as a uniquely kind, loyal and warm human being whom he was proud to call a friend. Police have appealed for witnesses as their investigation into the crash gets underway.
