Duncan Sheik, the Grammy- and Tony-winning singer-songwriter behind the 1996 hit "Barely Breathing" and the composer of the Broadway musical Spring Awakening, died Sept. 17 at a Manhattan hospital. His mother, Suzanne Sheik, told The New York Times he died of organ failure; his death was confirmed in a statement shared on his Instagram account Sept. 18. "Barely Breathing" spent 55 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Sheik a Grammy nomination for best male pop vocal performance. Sheik and lyricist Steven Sater created Spring Awakening, which opened on Broadway in 2006, won eight Tony Awards in 2007 including best musical, and earned Sheik Tonys for best original score and best orchestrations; the cast recording later won a Grammy for best musical show album. The family statement said Sheik "passed away last night surrounded by love" and named him a father, husband, son, brother, and friend; he is survived by his wife Nora Ariffin and their 7-year-old daughter Ines. Before his death, Sheik had been working on Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen, a new musical scheduled to begin off-Broadway performances in September.
