Glen Hansard, celebrated musician, dies at 56. His annual 'Christmas Eve busk' raised millions for the homeless | Small Wins Matter

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On July 29, legendary Irish musician Glen Hansard died at the age of 56 in a motorcycle accident.

In 2007, Hansard gained critical acclaim when he starred in the musical drama “Once.” The following year, he won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the film’s central ballad, “Falling Slowly,” which he shared with his co-writer and co-star, Markéta Irglová. The success of “Once” later spurred a Broadway musical, which won eight Tony Awards.

Hansard was also a well-known musician in his own right, with five solo studio albums and a 36-year career as the frontman of The Frames.

In addition to his musical talent, Hansard has been memorialized for his generosity and warmth of spirit.

“A smiling rascal if you needed him to be,” said Bono, the famed singer of U2. “This most musical and mischievous archangel of Ballymun … no airs, plenty of graces.”

“He was such an incredible human, an incredible force,” said musician Ed Sheeran.

“Oh, I will love you forever,” Rachel Zegler shared on Instagram. “Rest now, my friend.”

Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy, an Irish political figure, said that Dublin had “lost one of its truest voices.”

“Glen Hansard’s music spoke with a rare honesty,” she said in a statement. “He was there, too, for the homeless and for others whose voices needed to be heard, using his own platform to lift theirs. He gave a voice to Irish music on the world stage while remaining, always, a Dubliner at heart.”

Hansard’s connection to Dublin’s homeless community stretches back to 2010, when he established the first “Christmas Eve Busk” on the iconic Grafton Street.

That inaugural busk became an annual effort, raising money for the Dublin Simon Community, a charity that provides emergency housing, medical aid, and counseling for people experiencing homelessness.

“What started out as his brainchild soon became an iconic Dublin Christmas event, a festive singsong that spread cheer but also raised vital awareness of the homelessness crisis as well as funds to keep our essential services running,” the Dublin Simon Community said in a statement.

“To put it simply,” they wrote, “the Busk would not have become what it is today without Glen as the driving force behind it.”

Over the last 16 years, Glen took it upon himself to invite some of “Ireland’s brightest stars” to the Busk to shine a spotlight on the cause, playing side-by-side with musicians like Bono, Sinéad O’Connor, Imelda May, and Shane MacGowan on the cobblestoned streets of Dublin.

“Thanks to Glen, over two million euro has been raised and used directly to support people when they needed it most,” the charity said. “Glen’s focus and concern was always on the wellbeing of the individuals and clients of Dublin Simon that he met. He had deep respect and empathy for those navigating the challenges of homelessness and his natural warmth and compassion always shone through in those moments.”

To read more about Hansard’s work with the Dublin Simon Community, and support his favorite cause, you can visit their website.

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Featured Image: Andy Witchger (CC BY 2.0)

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