Glen Hansard, busker-turned-Oscar-winner and frontman of Irish band the Frames, dies at 56

Glen Hansard, a singer-songwriter who was the frontman of popular Irish band the Frames and who shared an Oscar for “Falling Slowly,” a song from the 2006 film “Once,” died Wednesday in Dublin. He was 56.

His death was confirmed in a brief statement on his website.

On Wednesday, Irish police issued a news release about a single-vehicle motorcycle crash that took place in West Dublin early Wednesday. Irish news media later reported that Hansard was the victim.

Hansard, who started out as a busker on the streets of Dublin, formed the Frames in 1990, and the band went on to have multiple hit albums in Ireland. He achieved international fame after starring in “Once,” the tender tale of an Irish street musician and the Czech pianist he falls for. He and his co-star, Markéta Irglová, won an Academy Award for “Falling Slowly,” which is featured in the film.

Hansard had previously had a small role in the 1991 soul-band film “The Commitments.”

Glen James Hansard was born in Dublin on April 21, 1970, to James and Catherine (Cahill) Hansard.

He grew up in a working-class household, he told The New York Times in 2012, and said his father, a heavy drinker, was prone to bouts of violence. “My dad was quiet, angry, shut down,” he said, “so my thing is: I express everything that’s there. I want to get it all out.”

When an uncle left a guitar behind after being sent to prison, Hansard picked up the instrument.

He dropped out of school in his early teens to busk and play in bands, and when he was about 20 he formed the Frames.

“Once,” written and directed by John Carney, one of Hansard’s former bandmates, was filmed in 17 days on a modest budget. It became a hit when a finished cut was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in early 2007.

He had leaned into solo work in the years since “Once,” releasing albums including “Didn’t He Ramble” (2015), which was nominated for a Grammy for best folk album. Hansard also formed the Swell Season, a folk duo, with Irglová, his “Once” co-star and his onetime romantic partner.

He campaigned for awareness of homelessness and protested housing shortages. He performed often in an annual Christmas Eve Busk event in Dublin, an event that raises money to help people at risk of becoming homeless.

He is survived by his wife, Maire Saaritsa; a son, Christy; and three brothers.