Glen Hansard, the Oscar-winning singer-songwriter whose song Falling Slowly became a modern standard, has died in a motorcycle crash in his hometown of Dublin, Ireland. The news of his death was confirmed on Wednesday, drawing an outpouring of grief from fans of his music and film work alike.
Hansard was 56 years old. According to the account of his death, he was killed early Wednesday morning in the crash in Dublin, the city where he was born and built his career.
He was best known to a global audience for Falling Slowly, the song he wrote and performed for the film Once. The track won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2008, cementing his place as one of the most recognized voices to come out of the Irish music scene.
Once, the film that carried the song, told the story of struggling musicians, and Hansard did not simply provide its music. He also co-starred in the movie, appearing on screen alongside his bandmate in a role that mirrored the film's intimate, music-driven story.
The success of Once extended well beyond the cinema. The film was later adapted for the Broadway stage, and Hansard won a Tony Award in connection with that stage production, adding a major theatrical honor to his Academy Award.
Taken together, the Oscar and the Tony marked Hansard as a rare artist who found acclaim across music, film and theater, all rooted in the same body of work that began with a quiet song about love and loss.
His death in a motorcycle crash in Dublin brings a sudden end to that career at the age of 56. For admirers around the world, the loss lands hardest through the song that made him famous, a piece of music that will now be tied to his memory.