From his early days as a teenager busking on Dublin’s Grafton Street, Glen Hansard rightly caught the attention of anyone within earshot with his soaring, passionate vocals and rousing folk tunes that could fill hearts as easily as break them. He served as lead singer for The Frames from 1990 before releasing his solo debut, Rhythm and Repose, in 2012—one of five albums capturing his heartfelt songcraft. He’ll be remembered best, though, for the 2007 film Once, in which he starred alongside Markéta Irglová. The pair also made music together as The Swell Season, and their poignant collaboration for the film, “Falling Slowly,” won them an Oscar. Hansard passed away in July 2026 at age 56.