BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG
I’m taking a break from nature stories to celebrate the life of talented musician Glen Hansard, who passed away suddenly yesterday morning. Look for new nature in Chicagoland stories coming soon.
Beloved musician Glen Hansard died in a one-person motorcycle crash in the early hours of yesterday in Dublin, Ireland, his hometown. Hours before the accident, he’d participated in a trad Irish music session at The Wren’s Nest.
Hansard started his musical life as a busker on the streets of Dublin when he was 13. Through drive, hard work, ambition, and probably a little luck, he formed a popular band, The Frames; built a following; and became internationally known for his role as a street musician in the lovely film Once (Hansard also had a role in The Commitments). He and his co-star, Markéta Irglová, won an Academy Award for “Falling Slowly,” which is featured in the film. Since then, Hansard enjoyed a well-received solo career, while also forming and performing in the Swell Season, with Ms. Irglová. Hansard had planned a busy latter portion of 2026, with a European tour starting next month that would have featured stops in more than 20 cities.
I was moved by the intensity of the tributes to Hansard that were given by his friends and fellow musicians and thought I’d write a brief appreciation.
Hansard’s music brought me joy, and his stories made me laugh or expanded my view of the world as I went about my life. Sometimes it’s these simple things that really matter in this complex, contentious, and competitive universe. But Hansard was more than a great entertainer. My beloved friend Vanessa once went around a room at a party and pointed out the “shiny people” and those who were not. Hansard was shiny. He was a talented musician and songwriter (more than a songwriter…a poet), but there are plenty of talented performers. Hansard played with passion, authenticity, and a crazy lifeforce that was matched by only a small percentage of performers. It was as if some sort of invisible bolt of energy was sent from the gods, the muses, or somewhere else to supercharge his creativity and animate him during his performances. Hansard was also a wonderful storyteller in the great Irish tradition of storytelling, and he had a wicked sense of humor. If you’re not a fan, I encourage you to spend a few hours listening to his concerts and interviews on YouTube. I promise that you’ll be entertained by the music, but also by his stories and humor (including his joyous and deft use of profanity). That’s what I did yesterday after I heard the bad news.
Like most of the world, I was not Glen Hansard’s friend, but a fan who was surprised and saddened to hear the bad news of his passing. I saw him perform once, and I now regret not going to a few of his recent performances at the Old Town School of Folk Music that were on my concert “to do” list. At the Hideout Fest on September 14, 2012, Hansard played on a bill with the War on Drugs, Iron & Wine, and others. He performed with passion, skill, and joy (no surprise). He told stories, and the crowd followed his every word. There were, of course, his great songs, but then there was his big booming personality on stage, which gave the audience a double serving of entertainment. He made people feel good, laugh, and think.
Hansard was not only a musician, but a fighter for social justice. It’s not a bad phrase even if some people feel that way these days. Hansard performed at annual Christmas Eve Busk events in Dublin to advocate and raise money for the homeless. He was also a huge supporter of lesser-known musicians, as well as a bridge to traditional Irish music and culture. He entertained and moved us with his music, but he also made the world better with his actions. Many people are doing the opposite these days.
The Conveyor Belt of Life and the Urge to Capture Time
Famous people die every day, and I usually don’t experience an overtly emotional response to their deaths. Don’t get me wrong. It’s always sad when someone of kindness and seemingly good character passes away, but life is one big conveyor belt that gives us time for our story and then moves us out of the way for the next person’s story. This becomes clearer as you get older when you realize that there are 8,300,000,000 other people in the world who share some of the same hopes, dreams, challenges, and regrets as you. I’d prefer that my conveyor belt ride provides a smooth, healthy, no-broken-hip, sans Alzheimer’s journey to age 100 that is filled with piles of pulled pork sandwiches, massive servings of gumbo (with corn bread on the side), eye-popping slices of apple pie, ample microbrews, large Lotto winnings, many remaining friends and family, and unlimited admission to Cubs and Sox games, but that’s unfortunately out of my control.
But Hansard was only 56 (my age), and that’s probably what also hits me especially hard. He leaves behind his wife, Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa, and their three-year-old son, which is the main tragedy. But Hansard also had so many more songs to write and perform, people to help and encourage, and perhaps a powerful memoir to write in his future. As I get older, and I’ve seen contemporaries and older friends and family pass away, I feel inspired to push harder to start or finish creative projects and achieve other goals because life’s conveyor belt keeps moving whether we want it to or not. Having a father who died at age 59 has reinforced this mindset in me since I was age 27.
If people take lessons from Hansard’s life (and unfortunate death), they would be to use one’s time wisely; help others; and, let me roll out a true cliché, seize the day. Start or finish pet projects. Try something that you haven’t done before (e.g., singing, skydiving, painting, dancing). Take dream vacations. Take chances. Advocate for your causes and educate others to improve the world. Keep working for a better world as the current presidential administration tries to give us a worse world than they found it. Hansard embraced these philosophies. He seemed like he was almost everywhere—writing songs, performing, giving interviews, and fighting for his causes. He packed a lot into his life from his busking start at age 13 to his untimely death at 56.
Hansard provided the last lesson to us while he was still alive—celebrate those who’ve passed on but have a good time doing it. In December 2023, Hansard was one of the guest musicians at the funeral mass of Shane MacGowan, the poet and lead singer of The Pogues. Other guest musicians included Nick Cave, Imelda May, Liam Ó Maonlaí from the Hothouse Flowers, and surviving members of The Pogues, among others. MacGowan’s funeral at St. Mary’s of the Rosary Church in Nenagh, Ireland, was at times more like a cheerful get-together among friends. People smiled and laughed at the warm stories that people told about him. Hansard and Lisa O’Neill, backed by an all-star group of Irish musicians—performed a stirring version of MacGowan‘s and Jem Finer’s “Fairytale of New York.” The mourners sang along and some jumped over the pews to dance in front of MacGowan’s casket. I think MacGowan would have liked that part. Even on the video, you could see a type of emotional release by the mourners. They probably left the church happier (maybe “uplifted” is a better word) than when they arrived. Our funerals in the US (at least in my European, Midwestern experiences) are so formal, formulaic, and sad. Watch Shane MacGowan’s funeral mass and you will certainly see sadness, but you will also see joy, humor, and the healing power of music in action that soothes the pain of those bereft with grief. After watching the funeral—and especially Hansard’s and O’Neill’s rendition of “Fairytale of New York”—I asked my wife to give me that kind of sendoff if I’m first to the end of the conveyor belt. After all, funerals are for the living, and I’ve always liked a good party.
Hansard loved Chicago, and I was reminded that he lived in the North Center neighborhood in the early 2000s. We almost bought a condo there at that time, and the bars and restaurants in that great neighborhood were our stomping grounds during those years. I’d like to think that I once sat next to him at a pub (maybe Gannon’s or The Grafton up Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Square?) without realizing it was him, but that’s just a fan’s wish. But I’ll be raising a glass to toast him in the days ahead. At least we’ll always have his music and words. Rest in peace, Glen.
Copyright (text): © Andrew Morkes
Copyright (photo of myself with my book): © Andrew Morkes
Copyright (photos): #1 (main), © Ben Houdijk, Shutterstock; #2, ©haak78, Shutterstock; #3, © Adam McCullough, Shutterstock
Looking for some other great nature destinations in Chicagoland? If so, check out my book, Nature in Chicagoland: More Than 120 Fantastic Nature Destinations That You Must Visit. It features amazing destinations in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Click on the title to learn more. The book has 306 pages and 210+ photos and is only $19.99.
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ABOUT ANDREW MORKES
I’ve been a writer and editor for more than 30 years. I’m the founder of College & Career Press (2002); the author and publisher of The Morkes Report: College and Career Planning Trends blog; and the author and publisher of Hot Health Care Careers: 30 Occupations With Fast Growth and Many New Job Openings; Nontraditional Careers for Women and Men: More Than 30 Great Jobs for Women and Men With Apprenticeships Through PhDs; They Teach That in College!?: A Resource Guide to More Than 100 Interesting College Majors, which was selected as one of the best books of the year by the library journal Voice of Youth Advocates; and other titles. They Teach That in College!? provides more information on environmental- and sustainability-related majors such as Ecotourism, Range Management, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Built Environment, Sustainability Studies, and Sustainable Agriculture/Organic Farming. I also served as a member of the parent advisory board at my son’s school for five years.
In addition to these publications, I’ve written more than 80 books about careers for other publishing and media companies including Infobase (such as the venerable Encyclopedia of Careers & Vocational Guidance, College Readiness: The Vault Guide for High School Juniors and Seniors, the Vault Career Guide to Consulting, and many volumes in the Careers in Focus, Discovering Careers, What Can I Do Now?!, and Career Skills Library series), Lerner Publishing, and Mason Crest (including those in the Careers in the Building Trades, Hands-On Careers, Social Media Today, Woman in STEM Careers, Getting Started, and Cool Careers in Science series).
Here’s a list of the environmental- and clean energy-focused titles that I’ve written or co-written:
- Nature in Chicagoland: More Than 120 Fantastic Nature Destinations That You Must Visit
- Wind Turbine Technicians (Great Careers Without a Bachelor’s Degree series)
- Environmental Scientists (Cool Careers in Science series)
- Renewable Energy Careers (Cool Careers in Science series)
- Environment (Getting Started series)
- Solar Power Technicians (Careers in Infrastructure series)
- Women in Environmental Sciences (Women in STEM Careers)
Articles about my work have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Practical Homeschooling, and other publications. My photographs of musicians, artists, and the natural world have been published in several books. My poetry has been published in Cadence, Wisconsin Review, Poetry Motel, Strong Coffee, and Mid-America Review. As an amateur artist, I’m pleased to say that four of my paintings were included in the 2025 Beverly Art Walk.