Glen Hansard shared a poignant video with US music legend Bruce Springsteen just hours before his death.
The Irish singer and Oscar-winning Once actor died aged 56 after a motorbike crash in Dublin in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
His poet wife Maire Saairtsa, with whom he shared three-year-old son Christy, said she was “deeply heartbroken and shocked” over his sudden passing.
Just hours before the tragedy, Hansard posted a throwback video of him performing Springsteen’s 1980 hit Drive All Night with the rocker in Ireland.
The clip showed the pair rocking out to the iconic track onstage, zooming in on them as they shared a mic.
It was captioned: “This week in 2013 Glen had the honor of joining Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band on stage in Kilkenny for Drive All Night, which Glen released his own version of later that year. Were you there?”
Fans flooded the comments with their shock over Hansard’s death, with one writing, “I really hope it’s not real, just a hoax... GLEN. You are loved,” and another adding: “Your music and energy were pure love.”
A slew of celebrities also paid tribute, including Dawn O’Porter and Ryan Tubridy.
Hansard was best known for appearing in the 2007 music drama Once, which earned him several major awards, including the Oscar for Best Original Song for Falling Slowly, co-written with co-star Markéta Irglová.
The Commitments actor was pronounced dead shortly after being treated following a single-vehicle collision in Lucan, Dublin.
He is survived by his wife Saairstsa and child. Hansard and Saairtsa married in 2022, with Hansard revealing his mother’s death in 2020 prompted him to propose.
“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,” his family said in a moving statement.
“Glen's family is deeply shocked and heartbroken by this tragic loss and respectfully requests privacy at this extremely difficult time.”
The statement went on: “The family is grateful for the support they have received and wishes to thank the emergency services who attended the scene. As this matter remains the subject of an active Garda investigation, no further comment will be made at this time.”
Gardai have launched an investigation into the crash and Forensic Collision Investigators this morning preserved the scene for examination.
Hansard was one half of the rock duo The Swell Season, and released solo albums including Didn’t He Ramble, which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Folk Album in 2016.
His first brush with fame came when he played guitarist Outspan Foster in director Alan Parker’s Irish movie smash The Commitments.
He then appeared in the low-budget cult hit film Once, playing a Dublin busker who connects with a Czech immigrant, played by Irglová, through music.
Once was turned into a musical in 2012 and enjoyed huge success at Broadway - scooping eight Tony Awards - and at the West End.
At the funeral of The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan in 2023, Hansard performed Fairytale Of New York with Irish singer Lisa O’Neill, which prompted dancing in the aisles of the Co Tipperary church.
Hansard had a number of upcoming tour dates in London, Norway and Sweden.
He was then due to perform a slew of shows in Ireland in October, with dates in Cork, Limerick, Killarney, Sligo, Galway, and Belfast.
