Oscar-winning Irish musician Glen Hansard dies in crash

Irish musician Glen Hansard, who won a Best Original Song Oscar ‌in 2008 for the indie film Once and was lead singer for rock group The Frames, has died ‌in a motorcycle crash at the age of 56, his management company says.

Fans paid tribute online and Prime Minister Micheal Martin said he was deeply saddened to hear of the death of “a talented musician and actor who made a significant contribution to Ireland’s cultural landscape over many ‌years”.

Comedian and actor Chris O’Dowd led tributes to Hansard, saying his “soulful, searhing voice made the tough times more manageable … and the joyful times even more memorable”.

Andrea Corr, lead singer of The Corrs, called Hansard “a beautiful artist and man”, while Rachel Zegler – who once performed alongside Hansard – posted “I will love you forever”.

The singer-songwriter ‌began busking on ⁠the streets of his native Dublin as a teen before forming ​the popular Irish band The Frames in 1990.

He released a number of albums under his own name and as part of duo The Swell Season with fellow Oscar winner and Once co-star Marketa Irglova.

The pair’s performances in the low-budget movie shot on handheld camcorders where a street musician falls in ⁠love with a young Czech immigrant, and their Oscar-winning ‌duet Falling Slowly, ​brought Hansard’s music to a wider audience.

The film, which featured a number of other songs ​composed and performed ‌by Hansard and Irglova, was turned into a hit Broadway musical version that won eight ​Tony Awards in 2012.

Accepting his Oscar from presenter John Travolta, a stunned Hansard said: “What are we doing here? This is mad.”

His only acting experience prior to Once was ​as ​a band member in Alan Parker’s 1991 ​hit The Commitments.

“With broken hearts we announce the ‌passing of Glen Hansard who passed away, in the early hours of this morning, following a road-traffic accident in Dublin,” ATC Management said in a statement on Wednesday that thanked emergency services.

Irish police said a man in his 50s had died after a single-vehicle motorcycle collision in the west of ​Dublin. Emergency services were alerted shortly before 4.30am local time and the man was pronounced dead ​a short time after ⁠being treated at the scene.