Finneas and Billie Eilish are “heartbroken” following the death of Glen Hansard.
The brother-and-sister duo have paid tribute to the Irish musician after he died aged 56 in a single-vehicle motorbike crash near Dublin, Ireland on Wednesday morning.
Following the news, Finneas took to Instagram to share a photo of himself and Hansard with their arms around each other.
In the caption, the singer-songwriter revealed that the Once star’s Oscar-winning song Falling Slowly inspired his own music career.
“Glen Hansard. North Star songwriter, most wonderful person,” he wrote. “The first song I ever got on a stage to perform was Falling Slowly when I was 11. His songs made me want to write songs and they also made me cry.”
The Let’s Fall in Love for the Night singer went on to recall the first time he and his family met Hansard.
“When our family met him in Dublin in 2019, he greeted us like old friends even though we were just his fans,” he penned. “Today I am a heartbroken fan. Hope he knew how much he meant to so many, this is how much he meant to me.”
Meanwhile, Billie shared a brief tribute on her Instagram Stories, writing, “Devastated… wouldn’t be who I am today without glen.”
Their mother, Maggie Baird, also honoured Hansard on Instagram, reiterating Billie’s sentiment that her children would “not be who they are without his music” or the 2007 film Once.
“He was a thrilling human to be in the presence of I hope you have a little inkling of what he meant to people,” she shared. “I know it’s a very hard thing to feel… I doubt that he really knew, but he was such a gift I’m so so sad. I’m so grateful for what he brought to the world.”
Hansard’s management confirmed his death in a statement to BBC News on Wednesday, saying that his family is “deeply shocked and heartbroken by this tragic loss”.
