Duncan Sheik, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter behind the 1996 hit Barely Breathing and the Tony Award-winning composer of Broadway’s Spring Awakening, died Thursday in a Manhattan hospital at age 56 from cardiac arrest, according to his family and his mother, Suzanne Sheik.
His family shared the news of his passing in a statement on Instagram, noting that he passed away surrounded by love, as reported by Sheik’s family on his Instagram page. Just days prior, his family had released statements indicating he was receiving medical care and remained in critical but stable condition.
From 1990s Pop Stardom to the Broadway Stage
Born on Nov. 18, 1969, in Montclair, New Jersey, Sheik rose to fame in 1996 when he released his self-titled debut album, which included his hit song, Barely Breathing.
He moved to Los Angeles to work as a musician in the early 1990s, and rose to pop stardom with the 1996 single Barely Breathing.
The release featured his Grammy-nominated hit single, Barely Breathing, which peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, charted on the Billboard Hot 100 for over a year, and spent 55 weeks on the chart, earning him a Grammy nomination for best male pop vocal performance. Following his debut album, he released “Humming” in 1998, “Phantom Moon” in 2001 and “Daylightin 2002. While
Barely Breathing” established Sheik as a singer-songwriter, his career later expanded into musical theater, where he found success. Seeking to move beyond his pop-star image, he pivoted to musical theater and won two Tony Awards for composing the landmark 2006 musical Spring Awakening,
Playbill reported.
With the exception of our director, we are all kind of Broadway outsiders. We wanted to shake things up a bit. And we just set out to make this really cool piece of theater,
Sheik told The Associated Press in 2007, as the show swept Tony nominations.
Revolutionizing Musical Theater with “Spring Awakening”
In 1999, Broadway playwright Steven Sater approached Sheik to discuss working together on a musical based on the German play Spring Awakening.
Their eventual collaboration would lead to a musical of the same name that opened on Broadway in 2006 and starred Lea Michele, Jonathan Groff and John Gallagher Jr. The musical was adapted from a 19th-century play by German playwright Frank Wedekind, with music by Sheik and lyrics by playwright Steven Sater.
Spring Awakening
went on to win eight Tony Awards, including best musical. Sheik won best orchestrations and best original musical score. The show ran for over 860 performances on Broadway starting in 2006. The production is frank in its portrayals of incest, abortion and suicide, and it’s intended partly as a warning that teens need good information about sex to avoid tragic mistakes.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful to more traditional theater composers,
he told the Los Angeles Times in 2015. I love Stephen Sondheim. But it’s my mission to make sure that the theater is paying attention to what the rest of the world is listening to.
Expanding the Palette Through Pop Culture Adaptations
Sheik also worked on a musical adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho,
which bowed on Broadway in 2016, and Alice by Heart.
He released nine studio albums over his career and provided scores for numerous other stage productions, including American Psycho,
Alice by Heart,
and The Secret Life of Bees,
according to NBC News.
Ongoing Artistic Projects and Lasting Legacy
At the time of his passing, Sheik was preparing for back-to-back off-Broadway projects this season, including the debut of Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen
and a revival of Spring Awakening,
Playbill reported. The show is due to return to New York City with an off-Broadway run in November.
In a post on his Instagram page, Shiek’s family said he passed away last night surrounded by love.
It is with profound sadness that we confirm the passing of Duncan Sheik,
the statement read. “The world has a lost a singular talent, and deeply influential voice in music and theater. From his Grammy-nominated hit ‘Barely Breathing’ to his groundbreaking, Tony and Grammy Award-winning work on Spring Awakening, Duncan’s artistry touched many and leaves an indelible mark on the cultural landscape.” Duncan was a father, husband, son, brother, and friend. He will be remembered for his sensitivity, wit, intelligence, and depth of spirit he brought to those who knew and loved him,
it added. We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love from his fans, friends, collaborators, and the artistic community. His musical legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.