Glen Hansard RIP

[Queequeg]

This is very sad news.
Great talent and nice guy.

"Glen Hansard, the singer-songwriter who achieved international fame starring in the 2007 drama Once and fronted the rock band the Frames and the duo Swell Season, died in a motorcycle crash in Dublin on Wednesday. Gardaí and emergency services were called to the scene shortly before 4.30 a.m. after receiving reports of a single vehicle collision. ATC Management, which represented him, confirmed Hansard's death. He was 56."

Excerpt From
"Glen Hansard, Oscar-winning 'Once' musician, has died at 56 after a motorcycle crash"
Nick Reilly, Kory Grow
Rolling Stone
https://apple.news/A5wjQWzCRQ3W_MG1y5GcyLg

[Silence Dogood]

Pretty sad news.  I used to ride a motorcycle as my only means of transportation.  It was back in my early 20s when I couldn't afford a car.  Lots of fun but insanely dangerous. One or two really close calls took most of the joy out of it and as time went on I was able to get a car.  Never got another motorcycle. 

I didn't follow Hansard's music but have a cool story about one of his songs.  About 15 years ago one of my wife's friends was getting married and she asked me if I would play the music as she walked down the aisle.  She showed me the song "Falling Slowly" which I'd never heard before. She loved the melody but the lyrics didn't go along with a wedding theme.  I had recently started playing the mandolin, so I got a guitar playing friend to lay down the chords on acoustic and I played the melody on mandolin. 

The ceremony was in an old warehouse that had been turned into a hipster event center, so rather than walk down a traditional aisle, the bride had to descend some stairs to get to the alter.  Me and my buddy were set up on the landing of part of the staircase.  I remember playing the tune and getting to the bridge where the music really swelled and built.  I had my head down concentrating on my mandolin and the bride's dress swept by me in that moment and brushed against my leg.  It's hard to explain it but there was a deep sense of holiness in that moment.  I had never experienced anything quite like it. 

Wish I had a recording of it but I don't.  I did find a pic of my rehearsing in the middle of that staircase with my mandoolin, though.  We were setup lower down where there was more room.  Not sure why but I can never get pics to upload here anymore.  At any rate, such a cool memory!

[StringPicker6]

Great Story!  RIP Glen.  There are some great clips of him on youtube