Oscar-winning singer Glen Hansard dead at 56

Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, the Academy Award-winning musician behind the beloved song "Falling Slowly" and star of the acclaimed film "Once," has died after a motorcycle crash in Dublin. He was 56.Hansard's management confirmed his death Wednesday, telling Irish broadcaster RTÉ that his family was "deeply shocked and heartbroken."

According to Irish police, a man in his 50s was killed in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Lucan, on the outskirts of Dublin, before 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.

First responders treated the rider at the scene, but he was pronounced dead shortly after.'IT TAKES TWO' RAPPER ROB BASE DEAD AT 59 AFTER CANCER FIGHT HE KEPT HIDDEN FROM FRIENDSHansard's legacy was tied to "Once," the 2007 Irish musical drama that transformed him from a respected hometown musician into an international star.Starring opposite Markéta Irglová, Hansard played a struggling street musician whose connection with a fellow artist unfolds through music on the streets of Dublin.

The film became a global success, earning roughly $23 million at the worldwide box office and producing one of the decade's most memorable original songs, according to Rolling Stone.GEORGE MICHAEL DIED WORTH $128M, BUT FRIENDS SAY HE SECRETLY GAVE AWAY MILLIONS FOR DECADES: AUTHORHansard and Irglová won the Academy Award for best original song in 2008 for "Falling Slowly," a quiet acoustic ballad that became synonymous with the film.Long before Hollywood recognition, Hansard had already established himself as one of Ireland's most respected performers.

Born in Ballymun, Dublin, in 1970, he began playing music as a teenager while busking throughout the city. In 1990, he founded The Frames, a band that developed a devoted following over several decades. Around the same time, Hansard expanded into acting, appearing as guitarist Outspan Foster in Alan Parker's 1991 film "The Commitments."

His career continued to evolve after "Once." Alongside Irglová, he formed The Swell Season while also maintainin