Glen Hansard, Oscar-Winning Songwriter, Dies at 56 in Motorcycle Crash
Glen Hansard, the Irish singer-songwriter who won an Academy Award for the beloved film Once and fronted the rock band The Frames for more than three decades, has died in a motorcycle crash in Dublin. He was 56.
His management company, ATC Management, confirmed his death in a statement. "With broken hearts we announce the passing of Glen Hansard who passed away, in the early hours of this morning, following a road traffic accident in Dublin," the statement read. "Glen's family is deeply shocked and heartbroken by this tragic loss and respectfully requests privacy at this extremely difficult time. The family is grateful for the support they have received and wishes to thank the emergency services who attended the scene."
According to police, emergency services responded to a single-vehicle motorcycle collision near the Strawberry Beds in Lucan, west Dublin, shortly before 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. Hansard was pronounced dead a short time later after being treated at the scene. As the incident remains the subject of an active Garda investigation, the family said no further comment would be made at this time.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin offered condolences following news of Hansard's death, calling him "a talented musician and actor who made a significant contribution to Ireland's cultural landscape over many years."
A Career Built From Busking to an Oscar
Hansard was born in Ballymun, Dublin, in 1970, and left school at 13 to begin busking on the city's streets, a tradition he continued for decades, including his long-running participation in Dublin's annual Christmas Eve busk. He formed The Frames in 1990, building the band into one of Ireland's most celebrated rock acts.
His breakthrough to international audiences came through two very different roles. In 1991, he appeared as guitarist Outspan Foster in Alan Parker's BAFTA-winning film The Commitments. Then in 2007, he starred in director John Carney's low-budget musical drama Once, playing a Dublin street musician who falls in love with a young Czech immigrant, played by his real-life musical partner, Markéta Irglová.
Hansard and Irglová, who performed together as the folk duo The Swell Season, wrote and performed all of the film's original music. Their duet "Falling Slowly" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 80th Academy Awards in 2008. Accepting the Oscar alongside Irglová from presenter John Travolta, a visibly stunned Hansard said, "What are we doing here? This is mad." The film, made on a shoestring budget, grossed $23 million worldwide, and its story later became the basis for a Broadway musical adaptation that went on to win eight Tony Awards, including best musical.
A Life Devoted to Music and Community
Hansard remained a prolific touring and recording artist throughout his career, releasing his most recent project, the two-volume album Don't Settle, in recent months. He was a frequent presence at benefit concerts, supported campaigns addressing homelessness, and performed in February with The Frames on a tour of small Irish venues meant to highlight their importance to the country's music scene. "We must keep community alive. Keep meitheal alive," Hansard told a packed crowd at DeBarra's in Clonakilty, County Cork, during that run.
In March, Hansard appeared on the St. Patrick's Day edition of The Late Late Show, performing a rendition of "Carrickfergus." He also organized musical performances for Shane MacGowan's funeral in 2023, leading a rendition of "Fairytale of New York" alongside singer Lisa O'Neill.
Tributes poured in from across the music world. The Waterboys' Mike Scott wrote, "Just heard that Glen Hansard has died. Travel on well, Buddy. You made your dreams come true. I'm so sorry that he leaves his wife and 3-year-old child." Hansard was also known to be admired by artists including Joni Mitchell and Bruce Springsteen, with whom he once performed a live cover of "Drive All Night."
Hansard is survived by his partner, Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa, and their son, Christy, born in 2022.
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