Pop Singer and Composer Duncan Sheik Dead at 56

Duncan Sheik, whose lilting breakup song "Barely Breathing" became a '90s radio staple before he reinvented himself as a Tony-winning Broadway composer, died Thursday in Manhattan at 56, reports the New York Times. His mother, Suzanne Sheik, said the cause was cardiac arrest. Earlier this week, news surfaced that he had been hospitalized for unspecified medical reasons. Sheik broke through with his 1996 debut album, then grew disenchanted with the pop machine even as his single lingered on the Billboard charts for more than a year.

He found his second act in theater, teaming with writer Steven Sater on Spring Awakening, which opened on Broadway in 2006 and won eight Tonys, including two for Sheik. He went on to score other stage works and release albums through 2022. The New Jersey native had a degree from Brown in semiotics, along with a deep interest in Buddhism. Rolling Stone notes that, during his college days, Sheik was in a band with future pop star Lisa Loeb. He is survived by his wife, daughter, parents, and half siblings.