Glen Hansard, the musician and songwriter known for bringing music to audiences, dies in a motorcycle crash at the age of 56. Reports across outlets note that Hansard began playing guitar at a young age, leaving school at 13 to perform on the street. The articles describe him as a performer who found ways to connect with people through music, highlighting his early start and ongoing public presence. Multiple sources converge on the cause and circumstances as a fatal motorcycle crash, and they consistently state his age at death as 56. While the provided excerpts do not include details such as location, date, or official statements from authorities, the overall accounts align on the key biographical point about his early decision to leave school to play guitar and the confirmation of his death in the crash. Taken together, the coverage emphasizes both his early street-level musicianship and the fact of his death at midlife due to the crash.