Duncan Sheik Dies: ‘Barely Breathing’ Singer-Songwriter, ‘Spring Awakening’ Composer Was 56

September 18, 2026 7:53am Duncan Sheik (2022) Cindy Ord/Getty Images) Duncan Sheik, the singer-songwriter whose song “Barely Breathing” was a era-defining hit in the 1990s and who composed the Tony-winning Broadway hit Spring Awakening, died Thursday, September 17, of cardiac arrest. He was 56. His death was announced to The New York Times today by his mother, Suzanne Sheik. The news comes just days after Sheik’s hospitalization in New York City was confirmed by a representative for his family on Instagram. That statement did not explain the nature of his illness, but noted that he was in critical but stable condition. Sheik’s passing falls just as two stage musicals he composed – the new Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen and his 2006 Tony-winning Spring Awakening – are about to receive major Off Broadway productions. Watch on Deadline MORE TO COME… Must Read Stories Read More About: Subscribe to Deadline Get our Breaking News Alerts and Keep your inbox happy. Sign Up