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It’s going to be much, much harder to listen to Glen Hansard’s “Falling Slowly” from the day he passed on, especially when you find out that he started as a busker at the age of 13, when he should have attended school and experienced childhood like many other children. The late Glen Hansard’s friendly and humble nature meant he was good, close friends with personalities including Finneas, Billie Eilish (of Irish-Scottish descent), Bono, the frontman of Irish rock band U2, and Bruce Springsteen. The first two popular singer-songwriters, who are also real-life siblings, have lots to be grateful for as they wouldn’t have joined the music industry if not for Hansard. A little trivia – Finneas performed “Falling Slowly” when he was just 11. Meanwhile, Billie Eilish and family later attended one of Hansard’s talks at the Grammy Museum. The siblings’ mother, actress-activist and singer-songwriter Maggie Baird, remembers meeting Hansard at Ireland’s music festival, Electric Picnic. Meanwhile, Bono from U2, acknowledged how Hansard had always advocated for the less fortunate and homeless folks, having come from a difficult background himself (It seems Hansard grew up with an abusive father and five other siblings).

For Bruce Springsteen, the American musician and singer-songwriter, it was an honour to share the stage with Hansard at Kilkenny, Ireland, as part of a show by E Street Band, the American rock band which has been active since 1972. In fact, Springsteen remembers Hansard as a generous, gracious person, always ready to sing and have a good time performing.

News outlets reported of Hansard’s passing as a result of a single-vehicle mishap. Several hours before the tragic incident, Hansard was performing at an Irish pub in Dublin, as part of the Trad 15 musical group, featuring various traditional Irish musicians, singers and dancers, who perform weekly and come together as a community. The pub involved has since expressed shock and sadness on the passing of one of the voices who had brought folk music to life.

The message behind “Falling Slowly” is about healing gradually from turmoil and a difficult past, including when relationships don’t work out. Written for the 2007 musical film “Once”, the song bagged the Best Original Song award at the 80th Academy Awards ceremony at the Kodak Theatre, Los Angeles, where the winning song was also performed live for viewers at home and the in-person attendees at the venue.

Glen Hansard produced the song, while both Markéta Irglová, the Czech-Icelandic singer, and Hansard had co-written the song. They both also play the unnamed lead characters in the film, a romance musical. The same song was also recorded by The Frames, the Irish rock band that Hansard was a part of. Hansard also formed “The Swell Season” with Irglová.

“Once” the musical film has been adapted for Broadway and has won eight Tony Awards, including Best Direction, Best Musical, Best Orchestration, and Best Actor.

The song has appeared on American Idol (contestant cover version), The Voice (a blind audition) and Netflix’s Emily in Paris (a romantic duet).

Hansard would sing in the genres of folk rock, alternative rock, folk, rock, and indie rock.  

Hansard leaves behind his Finnish poet and translator wife, Maire Saaritsa. They both have a son, born in 2022. They have been dividing time between Ireland and Finland, so far.