Singer-songwriter and Broadway composer Duncan Sheik dies at 56
Singer-songwriter and Broadway composer Duncan Sheik has died, according to a post on his Instagram account. He was 56.
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His mother, Suzanne Sheik, told The New York Times that his cause of death Thursday night was cardiac arrest.
“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,” the Instagram statement said.
“Duncan was a father, husband, son, brother, and friend. He will be remembered for his sensitivity, wit, inteligence [sic], and depth of spirit he brought to those who knew and loved him,” it continued.
2001: Duncan Sheik performs and previews ‘Spring Awakening’
“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love from his fans, friends, collaborators, and the artistic community,” the statement said. “His musical legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.”
“Duncan passed away last night surrounded by love,” the statement added.
Sheik had recently been receiving medical care, with his family saying in a statement on Wednesday that he was in “critical but stable condition.” At the time, it was not immediately clear what he was being treated for or where.
Sheik shared a daughter with his longtime girlfriend, Nora Ariffin, and was a practicing Buddhist.
Sheik exploded onto the pop music scene in 1996 with the hit single “Barely Breathing.” The song earned him a Grammy nomination for best male pop vocal performance.
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He went on to release nine studio albums over his career, but “Barely Breathing” remains at the top of Sheik’s Spotify page. His most recent album was released in 2022.
In 2020, he told HuffPost that he used to resent performing “Barely Breathing” because “it lived on the radio far longer than it should have,” he said. “And then other things that I was hoping would make it onto the radio never got a chance to, so I was being cock-blocked by my own song at the time.”
Breaking out on Broadway
Sheik also found his footing composing for the theater. His first gig for the stage came in 2002, when he composed the music for the New York Shakespeare Festival production of “Twelfth Night.”
Sheik saw his biggest theater break in 2006, when he and Steven Sater wrote the music for the breakout Broadway musical “Spring Awakening,” an adaptation of a German play from the 1800s.
The show proved to be a big break for many: Actors Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff got their first major Broadway jobs playing the starring roles.
Sheik went on to win two Tony Awards for the “Spring Awakening” music, including best orchestrations and best original score, which he shared with Sater.
“Spring Awakening” also won best musical that year at the Tony Awards and earned a Grammy Award for best musical show album.
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