Barack Obama included Glen Hansard’s ‘Song Of Good Hope’ in his summer 2026 playlist and paid tribute to the Irish musician after his reported death. Obama said he and Michelle Obama loved the song and offered condolences to Hansard’s family, adding to tributes from across music and film.

Hansard, 56, reportedly died in a motorcycle crash in Lucan, west of Dublin, on 29 July, with police seeking witnesses. His playlist appearance also placed newer songs by The Strokes, Noah Kahan, Mumford & Sons and others alongside classics by David Bowie, The Police, Neil Young, Johnny Cash and Chaka Khan. Hansard was known for The Frames, The Swell Season and his Oscar-winning work on the film Once.