Dublin, Ireland – The music world is mourning the sudden loss of Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, who died in a motorcycle crash near his native Dublin on Wednesday morning. He was 56. The Oscar-winning co-writer of “Falling Slowly” from the film Once is being remembered by a host of musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Billie Eilish, and Finneas O’Connell, as an “angelic presence” and a “once in a lifetime songwriter.”
Bono penned a lengthy essay, recalling Hansard’s kindness and his work to help those living on the streets. “He really was who you thought he was. He could never walk by a person living rough without checking they were OK… and more than that, he worked very hard so that less people had to live on the streets in the first place,” Bono wrote. “For me, he will always be everywhere I see a coin spinning into an open guitar case.” Bruce Springsteen, who met Hansard in Ireland “many years ago,” described him as “nothing but a great musician, a good friend and a generous and gracious man.”
Hansard’s Once co-star and co-writer Markéta Irglová shared her “deepest condolences” to his family, adding, “May his love always surround you, his spirit guide and protect you, and may his light shine on throughout your days.” Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell also expressed their grief, with O’Connell noting that “Falling Slowly” was the first song he ever performed onstage. “His songs made me want to write songs and they also made me cry,” he wrote. Eilish added, “Wouldn’t be who I am today without Glen.” Their mother, Maggie Baird, shared that Hansard was “a force in [their] lives.”
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Tributes poured in from across the industry. Searchlight Pictures, which released Once, said Hansard’s “melodies gave voice to first love, first heartbreak and many milestones in between.” Former President Barack Obama also honored Hansard by including his “Song of Good Hope” on his summer playlist. Lin-Manuel Miranda called him a “once in a lifetime songwriter,” while Josh Groban remembered him as an “absolute gem of a man.” Fellow Irish musician Hozier wrote that Hansard was “a uniquely central feature and vessel of Irish story telling,” adding that his “beautiful work was an inspirational component of my own and so many other’s upbringing.” Glen Hansard leaves behind a legacy of profound music and a community of fans and friends who will cherish his memory.
