Duncan Sheik, the Tony- and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter known for the enduring 1990s radio hit “Barely Breathing” and the score to Broadway’s “Spring Awakening,” died Thursday in Manhattan. He was 56.
His mother, Suzanne Sheik, told The New York Times the cause was organ failure, with some reports specifying heart failure that led to cardiac arrest. A statement posted Friday to Sheik’s Instagram said he “passed away last night surrounded by love” and called him “a singular talent, and deeply influential voice in music and theater.”
Sheik first became widely known with “Barely Breathing,” the breakout single from his 1996 self-titled debut. The song reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, stayed on the chart for 55 weeks, and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
He later reinvented himself as a theater composer. With lyricist Steven Sater, he wrote the music for “Spring Awakening,” the 2006 rock musical about adolescent desire, repression, and tragedy. The show won eight Tony Awards in 2007, including Best Musical; Sheik received Tonys for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations, plus a Grammy for Best Musical Show Album. The production launched stars including Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff and later returned in revival.
Born Nov. 18, 1969, in New Jersey, Sheik studied at Phillips Academy and Brown University, where he played with classmates including Lisa Loeb before moving to Los Angeles. He continued releasing solo albums, including “Claptrap” in 2022, while composing for the stage. He is survived by his parents, his wife Nora Ariffin, and their daughter Ines.