Singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik dies at 56, cause identified as heart failure
Duncan Sheik, known for his 1996 hit "Barely Breathing" and work on the musical "Spring Awakening," died at age 56 from heart failure that led to cardiac arrest, according to his mother.
American singer, songwriter and composer Duncan Sheik died at age 56, his family announced on Instagram. The post described him as a "singular talent" whose work spanned pop music and Broadway, noting his Grammy-nominated hit "Barely Breathing" and the Tony- and Grammy-winning score for "Spring Awakening."
His mother, Suzanne Sheik, told The New York Times that the cause of death was heart failure that resulted in cardiac arrest. Earlier in the week, the family had posted that Sheik was in critical but stable condition after being hospitalized, and asked for privacy while declining to share further medical details.
Sheik had been active on social media in the weeks before his death, posting from a hospital and commenting that he preferred to be at home making music. He rose to fame in the mid-1990s with "Barely Breathing," which reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, and later co-wrote the Broadway hit "Spring Awakening," earning a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album in 2008. His most recent album, "Claptrap," was released in 2022.