Duncan Sheik, the singer-songwriter behind the 1996 hit “Barely Breathing” and the Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening, has died at 56. He passed away Thursday night, September 17, in a Manhattan hospital from heart failure leading to cardiac arrest, according to The New York Times.
Sheik’s loved ones confirmed his death Friday, saying he was “surrounded by love.”
“The world has lost a singular talent, and deeply influential voice in music and theater,” his family wrote on Instagram. The statement remembered Sheik as a “father, husband, son, brother, and friend,” praising “his sensitivity, wit, intelligence, and depth of spirit he brought to those who knew and loved him.”
The news came a day after Sheik’s family revealed on Instagram that he had been “receiving medical care” and was in “critical but stable condition.” They declined to share further medical details at the time and asked for privacy.
Sheik released his self-titled debut album in 1996, with “Barely Breathing” becoming a major pop hit. Driven by Sheik’s acoustic-guitar playing, the song reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 55 consecutive weeks on the chart. It earned Sheik a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1998.
“It kind of took on a life of its own,” Sheik said of the song in a 2015 interview with Broadcast Music, Inc. He had previously revealed that “Barely Breathing” was inspired by his real-life pursuit of a woman who was involved with another man.
His subsequent albums, including 1998’s Humming, 2001’s Phantom Moon and 2002’s Daylight, did not match the commercial success of his debut. But Sheik was already moving in a different direction, beginning a career as a composer for musical theater in the early 2000s.
That work culminated in Spring Awakening, his collaboration with lyricist and book writer Steven Sater. Based on Frank Wedekind’s 1891 play, the musical took eight years to develop before reaching Broadway in 2006. Sheik and Sater used a rock score to explore the sexuality, repression and emotional turmoil of its teenage characters.
Spring Awakening became a major Broadway success, winning eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Sheik won Best Orchestrations and shared the award for Best Original Score with Sater. The pair also won a Grammy for Best Musical Show Album.
Sheik continued to write for the stage, including the music and lyrics for American Psycho, based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel. The musical premiered in London in 2013 before opening on Broadway in 2016.
At the time of his death, Sheik was preparing for the Off-Broadway premiere of Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen, a musical adaptation of the manga by Moyoco Anno for which he wrote the music and lyrics. The production was scheduled to begin performances September 25, with an official opening set for October 15.
Sheik’s family cited both “Barely Breathing” and Spring Awakening among his greatest accomplishments, writing that “Duncan’s artistry touched many and leaves an indelible mark on the cultural landscape.”
They also thanked “his fans, friends, collaborators, and the artistic community” for the outpouring of love, adding that Sheik’s “musical legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.”
Sheik is survived by his mother and siblings, as well as his daughter, Inez, whom he welcomed in 2018 with his wife, Nora Ariffin.
