Duncan Sheik dies at 56

Duncan Sheik, the singer-songwriter whose 1996 hit “Barely Breathing” made him a pop radio fixture before he became a Tony-winning Broadway composer with “Spring Awakening,” has died. He was 56.

His death was announced Friday in a statement posted to his Instagram account, which said Sheik died Thursday night “surrounded by love.” His family had said earlier on social media that he was receiving medical care and was in “critical but stable condition.”

NBC News reported that Sheik’s mother, Suzanne Sheik, told The New York Times he died of organ failure and did not provide further details about his condition or what led to the organ failure. CBS News reported that Suzanne Sheik told The New York Times he died from cardiac arrest.

“The world has a lost a singular talent, and deeply influential voice in music and theater,” the Instagram statement said. “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 statement added: “Duncan was a father, husband, son, brother, and friend. He will be remembered for his sensitivity, wit, inteligence, and depth of spirit he brought to those who knew and loved him.”

Sheik rose to prominence with “Barely Breathing,” a single from his 1996 debut that earned a Grammy nomination for best male pop vocal performance. CBS News reported the song charted on the Billboard Hot 100 for more than a year. Sheik went on to release nine studio albums, with his most recent album arriving in 2022.

In a 2020 interview with HuffPost, Sheik said he once resented performing the song because “it lived on the radio far longer than it should have.” He added, “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.”

Sheik also built a major career in theater. His first stage composition came in 2002, when he wrote music for the New York Shakespeare Festival production of “Twelfth Night.” His most acclaimed work followed with “Spring Awakening,” the musical adaptation of a 19th-century German play that he created with Steven Sater.

The Broadway production, which opened in 2006 according to NBC News and in 2007 according to CBS News, became a breakout for performers including Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff. CBS News also named John Gallagher Jr. among its stars. “Spring Awakening” won eight Tony Awards, including best musical. Sheik won best orchestrations and best original score, the latter shared with Sater, and the cast recording won the Grammy Award for best musical show album.

Sheik told music journalist Daniel Van Auken in 2024 that Sater, whom he met through Buddhism, first suggested turning “Spring Awakening” into a musical. “Initially, I was like, ‘It’s a f—–g terrible idea. I don’t want to write a musical!’” Sheik recalled. “But then we did it! And that’s how it went down.”

An off-Broadway revival of “Spring Awakening” is scheduled to begin previews Nov. 27 and open Dec. 17. Sheik also wrote music for stage works including “Alice by Heart,” “American Psycho,” “The Taming of the Shrew” and “The Secret Life of Bees.”

In 2011, Sheik canceled tour dates supporting his album “Cover 80s” and wrote in an archived Tumblr post that he had been receiving care for alcohol addiction. “While this episode may sound like a low point, the experience actually confirmed for me how much I want to go forward in my creative life, and how much I sincerely value all of those who have supported me,” he wrote.

Sheik was a practicing Buddhist and said mantra meditation helped him overcome nerves as a performer. “I was an incredibly self-conscious performer and singer,” he told ABC News in 2016.

The New York Times reported, according to CBS News, that Sheik is survived by his parents, his wife Nora, their daughter Ines and two half-siblings. NBC News reported he shared a daughter with his longtime girlfriend, Nora Ariffin.