Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard died Wednesday in a motorcycle crash in Dublin. He was 56. Tributes have come in from musicians including Bono and Bruce Springsteen.
Hansard, born April 21, 1970, fronted the Frames and performed as part of the Swell Season with Markéta Irglová. He co-starred in the 2007 film Once and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Falling Slowly.”
The crash occurred early Wednesday morning in Lucan, Dublin, in a single-vehicle collision. His management confirmed the death, and his family requested privacy while thanking emergency services.
Bono wrote on Instagram that Hansard was “such an angelic presence” and a “voice of the streets,” noting his work with the Christmas Eve Busk charity event. Springsteen called him “a great musician, a good friend and a generous and gracious man.”
Other tributes came from Rachel Zegler, Ed Sheeran, Finneas, and the Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle, who recalled Hansard’s connection to music during a 2024 benefit show.
