# Duncan Sheik Dies at 56

> Tony- and Grammy-winning 'Spring Awakening' composer Duncan Sheik dies at 56.
- Title: Duncan Sheik Dies at 56 · Seattletimes | Shortify
- Summary: Tony- and Grammy-winning 'Spring Awakening' composer Duncan Sheik dies at 56. Duncan Sheik, composer of the Tony-winning musical 'Spring Awakening', died at…
- Keywords: duncan sheik, spring awakening, tony awards, grammy awards, broadway, barely breathing, american psycho, alice in wonderland, glee, girls, news, local
- Source: Seattletimes — https://seattletimes.com/entertainment/duncan-sheik-tony-and-grammy-winning-spring-awakening-composer-and-pop-star-dies-at-56
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: duncan sheik, spring awakening, tony awards, grammy awards, broadway, barely breathing, american psycho, alice in wonderland, glee, girls, news, local
## 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.
## Key takeaway

Duncan Sheik, composer of the Tony-winning musical 'Spring Awakening', died at 56 after a career spanning radio hits and Broadway shows.