Duncan Sheik dies

Duncan Sheik, the Tony- and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter who crafted the music for 'Spring Awakening', died at 56.

Instagram post

His Instagram post said: 'The world has lost a singular talent and deeply influential voice in music and theater. His musical legacy will inspire generations.'

“The world has a lost a singular talent, and deeply influential voice in music and theater”

Spring Awakening success

Spring Awakening ran for over 860 Broadway performances starting in 2006 and won eight Tony Awards including best musical.

Barely Breathing hit

His radio hit 'Barely Breathing' spent 55 weeks on Billboard Hot 100 peaking at No. 16.

Spring Awakening impact

The musical, adapted from Frank Wedekind's 19th-century play, portrays teenage angst with frankness about incest, abortion and suicide.

Sheik's mission

Sheik said his mission was to ensure theater composers pay attention to what the rest of the world listens to.

“I don't mean to be disrespectful to more traditional theater composers”

Collaboration with Sater

Sheik and playwright Steven Sater, who met while chanting, created Spring Awakening with pop-contemporary music.

American Psycho adaptation

Sheik adapted Bret Easton Ellis's 1991 novel 'American Psycho' into a Broadway musical.

You Are What You Wear

For 'You Are What You Wear', Sheik asked old girlfriends what they wore in the late 1980s.

Legacy and survivors

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