Oscar-Winning Irish Singer Glen Hansard Killed in Dublin Motorcycle Crash at 56

The Death
Glen Hansard, the Oscar-winning Irish singer-songwriter and frontman of The Frames, died Wednesday following a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Lucan on the outskirts of Dublin. He was 56. Irish police said the crash occurred at the Strawberry Beds area of Lower Road just before 4:30 a.m. Hansard was treated at the scene but was pronounced dead shortly after. Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward.
His management company, ATC Management, confirmed the news 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. Glen’s family is deeply shocked and heartbroken by this tragic loss and respectfully requests privacy at this extremely difficult time.”

From Dublin’s Streets to the Oscars

Grafton Street before breaking into the industry. He made his acting debut in the 1991 film The Commitments, playing Outspan Foster, a young working-class member of a Dublin soul band. That same year, he founded The Frames, a rock band that became one of Ireland’s most beloved acts over the next three decades.
His international breakthrough came with the 2007 film Once, a low-budget Irish musical in which he played a street musician falling for a Czech pianist played by Markéta Irglová. The film’s song “Falling Slowly,” written and performed by Hansard and Irglová, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2008. At the ceremony, Hansard told the audience he had been busking on the streets of Dublin for years, and asked anyone with a dream to keep going.

A Life of Music and Charity

Beyond The Frames, Hansard released several solo albums, including 2012’s Rhythm and Repose and 2015’s Didn’t He Ramble, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album. His most recent release was a two-volume album called Don’t Settle, issued in April and June. He had been due to begin a tour in August, with dates booked through November.
Hansard was a fixture at Dublin’s annual Christmas Eve charity busk outside the Gaiety Theatre, raising money for the Dublin Simon Community, a homeless services organization. The group said Wednesday it was devastated by his death, calling him a true advocate for their work and a giant in the fight against homelessness. In February, The Frames played a tour of small venues across Ireland to draw attention to the importance of local music spaces. In March, Hansard appeared on The Late Late Show and performed Carrickfergus.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said he was deeply saddened by the news, calling Hansard a talented musician and actor who made a significant contribution to Ireland’s cultural landscape. Hansard is survived by his wife and a three-year-old son.
Source: AP, CBS News, Billboard, Hollywood Reporter, Irish Times, Irish Examiner