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Glen Hansard’s Greatest Subject Was Life Itself
Glen Hansard, the Irish singer-songwriter best known for his role in the 2007 film Once and for fronting The Frames, has died at the age of 56 following a motorcycle accident. Rolling Stone's tribute describes him as far more than the gentle busker-turned-balladeer persona many associated with Once or his earlier role as bassist Outspan Foster in The Commitments, noting that his wider body of work was often darker, more restless and musically adventurous than his popular image suggested.
The piece recalls a standout 2019 performance at Carnegie Hall, where Hansard was taking part in a tribute to his idol Van Morrison; after apparent sound issues, he unplugged his guitar and performed Morrison's "Astral Weeks" acoustically at the edge of the stage, turning the 2,800-seat venue into an impromptu sing-along reminiscent of his busking roots on Dublin's streets. The writer, Jonathan Bernstein, who interviewed Hansard in 2019, praises his gift as both a songwriter and an interpreter of others' material, citing a celebrated 2012 cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Drive All Night" as evidence of his ability to reveal himself through other artists' songs.
In short
- Irish musician Glen Hansard, star of Once, has died aged 56
- Cause was a motorcycle accident, reported the same day
- Tribute recalls his 2019 Carnegie Hall performance honouring Van Morrison
Explained simply
Glen Hansard was an Irish singer-songwriter best known for the 2007 film Once, in which he played a Dublin busker. He was also the frontman of the rock band The Frames, which he founded in the mid-1990s, and had appeared as an actor in the 1991 film The Commitments.
Though many knew him through Once's intimate, gentle aesthetic, Hansard's broader musical work was considerably darker and more adventurous than that image suggested. He was valued equally as a songwriter and as an interpreter of other artists' songs, from Bruce Springsteen to Van Morrison, and his live performances—rooted in his street busking heritage—were known for their emotional immediacy and direct connection with audiences.