Duncan Sheik, ‘Barely Breathing’ Singer and ‘Spring Awakening’ Composer, Dies at 56

Duncan Sheik, the singer-songwriter who scored a lasting pop hit with ‘Barely Breathing’ and later won Tony Awards for composing the Broadway musical ‘Spring Awakening,’ died Thursday night in Manhattan. He was 56.

His family confirmed the death in a statement posted Friday on Sheik’s Instagram account. The cause was organ failure, his mother, Suzanne Sheik, told The New York Times. Sheik had been hospitalized earlier in the week and was reported to be in critical but stable condition.

‘It is with profound sadness that we confirm the passing of Duncan Sheik,’ the family said in the statement. ‘The world has lost a singular talent, and deeply influential voice in music and theater.’

The statement described him as ‘a father, husband, son, brother, and friend’ and said he died ‘surrounded by love.’

On Wednesday, before his death, a statement on his Instagram account said he was ‘receiving medical care’ and remained in ‘critical but stable condition.’ The family asked for privacy at that time and did not disclose further medical details.

Sheik was born in Montclair, New Jersey, on November 18, 1969, and studied semiotics at Brown University, where he played in a band with Lisa Loeb. He moved to Los Angeles in 1992 to pursue a music career.

His self-titled debut album, released in 1996, produced the hit single ‘Barely Breathing.’ The song reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 55 weeks on the chart. It earned Sheik a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

He released nine studio albums over his career, including ‘Humming’ in 1998 and his final album, ‘Claptrap,’ in 2022.

Sheik found his greatest success in musical theater. He wrote the music for ‘Spring Awakening,’ with lyrics and book by Steven Sater. The rock musical, based on Frank Wedekind’s 1891 play, opened on Broadway in 2006 and won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Sheik won Tonys for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations.

The show ran for more than 860 performances and launched the careers of actors including Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff. A revival was staged on Broadway in 2015.

Sheik also composed music for other stage productions, including ‘American Psycho,’ ‘Alice by Heart,’ and ‘The Secret Life of Bees.’

Two of his musicals were scheduled to open Off-Broadway this season. ‘Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen,’ a new musical based on Moyoco Anno’s manga, was set to begin previews on September 25 at The Night Egg at the Culture Club. An Off-Broadway revival of ‘Spring Awakening,’ directed by Danya Taymor, is scheduled to begin previews on November 27 at Studio Seaview, with an official opening set for December 17.

Sheik is survived by his wife, Nora Ariffin, and their daughter, Ines.