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Duncan Sheik Dies at 56

His mother said organ failure caused his death, and producers say two upcoming New York stage productions linked to his work will proceed as planned.

Overview

  • Sheik died Thursday, Sept. 17, in a Manhattan hospital, a timing confirmed by multiple outlets and by his family.
  • His mother, Suzanne Sheik, told the New York Times that the immediate cause of death was organ failure, though some reports described cardiac arrest in early accounts.
  • The day before his death the family posted on his verified Instagram that he was "receiving medical care" and "remains in critical but stable condition," and they asked for privacy.
  • He is survived by his partner Nora Ariffin and their daughter Ines, and collaborators and producers issued public tributes mourning his loss.
  • Sheik is best known for the 1996 hit "Barely Breathing" and for composing the Tony- and Grammy-winning score to Spring Awakening, and his death arrives days before Off-Broadway openings of Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen and a Spring Awakening revival that producers say will go on as scheduled.