Who was Duncan Sheik? - GMA Network

Duncan Sheik, the American singer-songwriter behind the 1996 hit “Barely Breathing” and the Tony Award-winning musical “Spring Awakening,” died due to cardiac arrest at the age of 56, his family announced Friday.

Sheik passed away Thursday night “surrounded by love,” according to a statement posted on his Instagram account.

A day before his death, his family said Sheik was receiving medical care for an undisclosed illness and was in “critical but stable condition.”

Born in New Jersey on November 18, 1969, Sheik grew up in a music-loving family. His Juilliard-trained grandmother introduced him to the piano as a child, but he soon gravitated toward the guitar, the instrument that would define much of his career.

Sheik broke through in 1996 with his self-titled debut album, which featured the hit single "Barely Breathing". The song peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned a Grammy nomination for best male pop vocal performance.

He continued releasing music in the years that followed, scoring a dance hit in 2002 with "On a High" from the album "Daylight".

Alongside his recording career, Sheik built a career in musical theater, composing works for Broadway and off-Broadway productions, including 2013 adaptations of "American Psycho" and "Because of Winn-Dixie".

The work that cemented Sheik's place in Broadway history was "Spring Awakening", which turned an 1891 play by the German writer Frank Wedekind into a musical about teenagers navigating the emotional and physical turmoil of adolescence. The show that opened in 2006 helped launch the careers of actors Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff.

Featuring music by Sheik and lyrics by Tony Award winner Steven Sater, the production won the Tony Award for best musical. Sheik also received Tony Awards for best original score and best orchestrations.

"His musical legacy will continue to inspire generations to come," the family said. —with a report from Reuters/VBL, GMA News