Duncan Sheik (‘Spring Awakening,’ ‘Barely Breathing’) Dead At 56

Duncan Sheik, the Tony- and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter who crafted the score for the hit Broadway musical Spring Awakening, has died. The cause of death is reported as heart failure leading to cardiac arrest. He was 56.

Prior to Broadway, Sheik had been best known for his radio hit “Barely Breathing” which spent 55 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for “Best Pop Vocal Performance” at the 1998 Grammy Awards.

Duncan Sheik, who had a pop smash with “Barely Breathing” in the 1990s but then found his biggest success with the long-running stage musical “Spring Awakening,” has died. He was 56.

The death was confirmed by his mother, who revealed he died of organ failure. Sheik had… pic.twitter.com/QASstdiW65

— Variety (@Variety) September 18, 2026

But then he turned his sights on Broadway with Spring Awakening, resulting in the envelope-pushing show that musicalized teenage angst and ran for 860 performances.

The cast of the original production included Jonathan Groff (who would go on to score a Tony for Merrily We Roll Along) and Lea Michele, who became a star two years later on the hit TV show GLEE.

Rest well, Duncan Sheik. Read more at AP News.