Duncan Sheik, Who Traded Pop Stardom for Broadway, Dies at 56
Weary of the heartthrob label after his 1996 hit “Barely Breathing,” he pivoted to musical theater and won two Tonys for composing “Spring Awakening.”
Duncan Sheik, the singer-songwriter and Tony-winning Broadway composer, has passed away at the age of 56. His family announced on Instagram that he had died "surrounded by love." The cause of his death was organ failure, according to his mother Suzanne Sheik. Sheik's death came after he spent at least a month in a hospital, where he posted updates on his Instagram, including feelings of boredom and a desire to be home making music.
The Grammy-nominated 1996 single "Barely Breathing" helped launch Sheik's career, earning him a best male pop vocal Grammy nomination. The song reached No. 1 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart and No. 2 on Adult Pop Airplay. Sheik's other notable works include the Tony- and Grammy Award-winning music for the 2006 musical Spring Awakening.
He was born in Montclair, New Jersey, in 1969 and studied semiotics at Brown University, where he played in a band with Lisa Loeb.
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