Shocking News…RIP Oscar-Winning Singer/Songwriter Glen Hansard…
Such sad news to wake up to.
Glen Hansard, the Irish folk-rock musician and actor who fronted the band the Frames and had Oscar-winning success with the 2007 film Once, has died…he was 56 years old.
As reported by The Guardian:
“He died in a motorcycle crash in Lucan on the outskirts of Dublin, early on Wednesday morning. Without naming him, Irish police said he was treated at the scene for his injuries but died a short time later.”
Here is an homage to his unique career…
Hansard The Busker!
Glen Hansard was born and raised in Dublin, and he quit school at age 13 to begin busking on local streets. “Busking” is the term for street performers in Europe…
He formed his own band The Frames in 1990, and acted in “The Commitments” that same year.
While “The Commitments” is a great film, Hansard had stated later that he regretted taking the role, because he felt it distracted him from his music career.
In 2006, he released his first album without The Frames, The Swell Season, in collaboration with Czech singer and multi-instrumentalist Markéta Irglová, Marja Tuhkanen from Finland on violin and viola, and Bertrand Galen from France on cello.
His working relationship with Irglova became a worldwide phenomenon soon after, thanks to his second movie role…
Hansard starred with Irglova in the Irish film “Once”. The film is a modern-day musical about a busker and an immigrant and their eventful week in Dublin, as they write, rehearse and record songs that tell their love story.
Bob Dylan was such a big fan of the film that he had Hansard and Irglová open for him on part of his world tour.
The film is full of great music, but the best known song was the ballad “Falling Slowly…” After filming the “Falling Slowly” scene in the movie, Glen Hansard jokingly said “and the Oscar for Best Song goes to…”
He proved to be highly prophetic, because, in one of Oscar’s most surprising – but well deserved – upsets, Hansgard and Irglova won the Oscar for the original song “Falling Slowly”, beating out the three songs from the Disney film “Enchanted”…the duo also performed the song live on the show…
Here is the song as performed in the film:
The entire soundtrack is terrific, and I own both the movie and the CD…and it led me to more great music of his as well:
“Swell Season” is full of beautiful ballads and soft pop slices of life, and Hansgard and Irglova toured the world with their music.
“Once” was turned into a Broadway musical, where it won the Tony for “Best Musical” and still tours the country…
Hansard also found time to contribute music to another of “Once” Director John Carney’s films as well!
“Begin Again” is also a musical, and one of the best films of 2014…read all about this great film here:
As for Hansard and Irglova, they broke up in 2009, the year they released the Swell Season album “Strict Joy”, though a documentary was made about the pair in 2011 and they reunited as musicians for a third album, 2025’s Forward. They also recorded a song in 2022, Take Heart, with Ukrainian refugees.
Here is another candid performance by the duo – “When Your Mind’s Made Up”…
Hansard went on to release five solo albums and tour the world.
Truly gut-wrenching news about his death…here is more about his work on the film “The Commitments”.
Glen Hansard’s Commitment!
A very young Glen Hansard was cast in the film as the shy guitar player. He had a difficult time during filming. A clash early on with Director Alan Parker made it very difficult for him to enjoy the experience. He says it took him almost 20 years before he watched the full film.
He is great in the film, which is one of my favorite musicals…see more about the film here:
RIP Glen Hansard…you left incredible music as your legacy…
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Let me know if you have any stories to share about Hansard and his music…
Categories: Academy Awards, Art, British Cinema, Cult Movies, Film Fight Club, Great Films, Independent Cinema, London, Movies, Music, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities
johnrieber 
Sad indeed, John. I haven’t seen ‘Once’, so only really know him from ‘The Commitments’, a film I love and have seen many times. You gave him a fine tribute. Shared on Twitter.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I just heard this on NPR as I was driving. My all time favorite musician from the moment I first heard him. I am heartbroken along with many others. I’m sure ☘️💕
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