Duncan Sheik, the singer-songwriter associated with the 1990s alt-pop song ‘Barely Breathing’ and the composer of the Tony-winning musical ‘Spring Awakening’, has died aged 56.
He died on Thursday in a Manhattan hospital. Suzanne Sheik, his mother, confirmed his death to the New York Times.
Heart failure preceded cardiac arrest, which caused his death. The information confirming his death gave no further account of the events that led to the heart failure.
Sheik’s work moved between pop music and musical theatre over a career that covered multiple decades. ‘Barely Breathing’ placed him among the alt-pop songwriters of the 1990s and became a fixture of the era.
His later work included the score for ‘Spring Awakening’. The musical received a Tony Award, giving Sheik a prominent achievement in theatre alongside the pop song for which he was widely known.
The two works reflected the range of Sheik’s career. ‘Barely Breathing’ belonged to the 1990s alt-pop scene, while ‘Spring Awakening’ brought his composing to Broadway musical theatre.
Sheik is survived by his wife, Nora Ariffin. The couple married in 2011.
He is also survived by their daughter, Ines, who is seven years old.
His death brings together two strands of a career that reached audiences through recorded pop music and through the stage. The confirmation from his mother identified heart failure followed by cardiac arrest as the cause of death.
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