Irish singer and musician Glen Hansard, winner of an Oscar for best original song in 2008, died Wednesday at the age of 56 in a motorcycle accident, several Irish media reported.
“It is with broken hearts that we announce the death of Glen Hansard, who occurred in the early hours of this morning following a road accident in Dublin,” announced ATC Management, the agency which represents him, in a press release transmitted to the Irish public television channel RTÉ.
Contacted by AFP, ATC did not immediately respond. The Irish police (Garda) confirmed to AFP the death, in a motorcycle accident, of a man “around fifty years old”, without naming him as is customary.
Glen Hansard was one of the most renowned and influential Irish musicians in his country, with an international career spanning more than three decades in music, film and theater, highlights RTE.
Born in Ballymun, Dublin, on April 21, 1970, he began playing music at a young age, performing on the streets of Dublin before co-founding rock band The Frames in 1990.
As the band’s lead singer, guitarist and songwriter, he helped make The Frames one of the most popular bands on the Irish music scene.
International success came with the film “Once”, released in 2007, directed by John Carney, in which he starred alongside Czech musician Marketa Irglova. The duo plays two musicians who meet in Dublin and create an artistic partnership. The film won him the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Falling Slowly,” one of the standout tracks from its soundtrack.
The singer also had a successful solo career, earning him several Grammy nominations.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said he was “deeply saddened” by the death. He praised on X “a talented musician and actor who has made a major contribution to the Irish cultural scene for many years.”
