Duncan Sheik soundtracked a generation of extremely online theater kids
Duncan Sheik, the "Barely Breathing" singer and "Spring Awakening" composer, has died at 56. His Broadway music became an obsession for a generation of online fans.
Duncan Sheik, a singer-songwriter, passed away on Thursday at the age of 56 in Manhattan due to heart failure leading to cardiac arrest, according to his mother, Suzanne Sheik. Sheik is best known for his 1996 hit single "Barely Breathing," which reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned him a Grammy nomination. However, many millennials associate Sheik's most enduring work with "Spring Awakening," a musical that premiered on Broadway in December 2006.
The show resonated with a generation of online teenagers who connected with its themes of young people struggling to be understood by adults and dealing with intense emotions. Fans of the musical traded recordings and photos online, with actors like Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, and John Gallagher Jr. gaining a dedicated following.
Sheik's music provided a soundtrack for these young fans as they navigated their complex emotions during a formative time in their lives. Nearly two decades later, those same fans are mourning the loss of the composer who captured their formative experiences through his music.
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