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Irish Songwriter Glen Hansard Dies Aged 56
Irish singer-songwriter and The Frames frontman Glen Hansard has died following a motorcycle crash in Dublin. He was 56.
Hansard’s management company, ATC Management, confirmed his death in a statement on Wednesday, July 29, asking for privacy for his family, friends and colleagues.
The single-vehicle crash occurred in Lucan, west Dublin, during the early hours of the morning.
A prominent figure in Irish music for more than three decades, Hansard was best known as the lead singer and principal songwriter of rock band The Frames.
Hansard first reached a wider international audience after appearing in the 1991 musical film The Commitments. He later starred alongside Czech musician Markéta Irglová in the independent musical drama Once, for which the pair wrote and performed the soundtrack.
Their song “Falling Slowly” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2008. The film was subsequently adapted into a successful stage musical, while Hansard and Irglová continued working together as The Swell Season, releasing three albums.
Hansard also developed a solo career, releasing albums including and received a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album.
Throughout his career, Hansard collaborated and performed with artists including Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder and Bono. Springsteen said he was “heartbroken” by the musician’s death, describing him as a great musician, good friend and generous man. Tributes were also paid by Ed Sheeran, Bono and musicians across Ireland’s music community.
Alongside his recording and touring career, Hansard was closely associated with Dublin’s annual Christmas Eve charity busk, which brought together leading Irish and international performers to raise funds for organisations supporting homeless people.