Glen Hansard Irish musician and actor Date of Birth: 21.04.1970 Country: Ireland

1. Biography of Glen Hansard
2. Early Life and Influences
3. Music Career with 'The Frames'
4. 'The Swell Season' and 'Once'
5. Later Projects and Activism
6. Legacy

Biography of Glen Hansard

Glen Hansard is an Irish musician, vocalist, and guitarist known for his work with the Irish rock band 'The Frames'. He is also recognized as an actor, having appeared in the musical drama film 'The Commitments' in 1991 and starring in the Irish musical melodrama film 'Once' in 2006.

Early Life and Influences

Glen Hansard was born in 1970 in Dublin, Ireland. At the age of 13, he dropped out of school and became a street musician. He has mentioned that Leonard Cohen, Van Morrison, and Bob Dylan were the musicians who had the greatest influence on him during his childhood.

Music Career with 'The Frames'

In 1990, Glen formed the band 'The Frames', which continues to be successful in the Irish music scene. Their first album, 'Another Love Song', was released in 1991 under the label 'Island Records'. Throughout the 1990s, they released albums such as 'Fitzcarraldo' and 'Dance the Devil', gaining recognition outside of Ireland after Hansard's role in the film 'The Commitments'.

Hansard believes that his involvement in acting during the early 1990s hindered his musical career. However, he continued to release albums with 'The Frames' in the new millennium, including 'For the Birds', 'Breadcrumb Trail', 'Set List', 'Burn the Maps', and 'The Cost' in 2006.

'The Swell Season' and 'Once'

In 2006, Hansard embarked on a side project called 'The Swell Season', collaborating with Czech multi-instrumentalist Markéta Irglová, Finnish violinist and violist Marja Tuhkanen, and French cellist Bertrand Galen. Their most notable composition from the album was 'Falling Slowly', which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2008, making Hansard the first Irish artist to receive an Oscar.

In the same year, Hansard starred in the film 'Once', playing a street guitarist alongside his partner Markéta Irglová. He also contributed to the film's soundtrack, including the song 'Falling Slowly', which brought the film widespread acclaim and numerous awards, including the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival.

Later Projects and Activism

Aside from his music career, Hansard has been involved in various projects, including participating in the group 'Oxfam' and 'Colm Mac Con Iomaire'. In 2009, he performed 'Amazing Grace' at the funeral of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and later appeared with Bono, Damien Rice, and other Irish musicians on Grafton Street in Dublin for a charity event benefiting the 'Simon Community' organization, which aids the homeless.

In 2010, 'The Frames' released the album 'Another Love Song', and that same year, Hansard appeared in the film 'Fast Boy'. Additionally, he collaborated with Irglová on the music for the 2011 documentary romance film 'The Swell Season'.

Legacy

To this day, Glen Hansard's most recognizable and popular composition remains the song 'Falling Slowly', which was featured in the film 'Once' and has received over a dozen awards and accolades.