What we know
What we know: Glen Hansard, Irish musician who won Oscar for 'Once,' dies in motorcycle crash
Compiled Aug 3
What we know
- Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard died in a motorcycle crash on the outskirts of Dublin early Wednesday, his management said
- He was 56
- Hansard won an Academy Award for the song 'Falling Slowly' co-written for the film 'Once' with co-star Markéta Irglová, awarded in 2008
- He played a member of a Dublin soul band in the 1991 movie 'The Commitments'
- 'Once' was later adapted for Broadway and won eight Tony Awards in 2012, including best musical
- Hansard was long-serving front man for rock band The Frames and half of rock duo The Swell Season with Irglová
- He released solo albums including 'Didn't He Ramble,' nominated for a Grammy for Best Folk Album in 2016
- Hansard is survived by his wife, Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa, and their 3-year-old son, Christy
What we don’t know yet
- Irish police did not name the man who died in the crash
Open questions
- What caused the single-vehicle motorcycle crash?
- Will police release further details about the circumstances of the crash?
- Are there plans for a public memorial or funeral service for Hansard?
Drawn from the Associated Press report. “What we don’t know” lists only what the reporting itself flags as unresolved.