Duncan Sheik

Duncan Sheik is an American singer-songwriter and composer, who is most notable for his 1996 debut single "Barely Breathing". He expanded to compositions for motion pictures and the Broadway stage, such as Spring Awakening.

In 1996, Sheik released his self-titled debut album, which was certified Gold and spawned the hit single, "Barely Breathing", which itself remained on the Billboard Hot 100 for a record-setting 55 straight weeks, enjoying success on Billboard's Adult Contemporary and Adult Top 40 charts, and garnering a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

In 1998, Sheik released Humming, an experimental follow-up with meticulous string arrangements.

In 2001, Sheik released Phantom Moon, a Nick Drake-influenced album which was a collaboration with poet and writer Steven Sater.

In 2002, Sheik released Daylight, a brighter, more modern-sounding album which included the singles, "On A High" and "Half-Life".

In 2002, Sheik composed original music for a New York Shakespeare Festival production of Twelfth Night.[2]

In 2004, Sheik composed the score for A Home at the End of the World, and, two years later, composed the score for Through the Fire.[3]

In 2006, Sheik released White Limousine, an album which included companion software on a DVD-ROM to remix individual album tracks.

In 2006, Sheik wrote the music for Spring Awakening, another collaboration with Sater. Written over a period of eight years, the musical, which premiered off-Broadway in New York during the summer, opened on Broadway to critical acclaim later in the fall. Based on the controversial German expressionist play, The Awakening of Spring by Frank Wedekind, the musical won Tony Awards for "Best Orchestration" and "Best Original Score" (Music), as well as "Best Musical". The original cast recording album received the Grammy Award in 2008 for "Best Musical Show Album", and the guitar that Sheik used to compose songs for the Spring Awakening is currently on display at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.[4]

In 2008, Sheik was a judge at the 7th annual Independent Music Awards.

In 2009, Sheik released Whisper House, a concept album which provided the score for the musical of the same name.[5]

In 2011, Sheik released Covers 80's, which included covers of popular 1980s songs. Concert dates in support of the album were later canceled due to Sheik seeking treatment for alcohol addiction.[6] In a message to fans in his tumblr blog,[7] Sheik noted that he had entered a treatment center on the same day his latest album was released and had told his staff, "My record is coming out and I’m checking in." In 2012, Sheik wrote Alice By Heart, an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, along with collaborator Sater. Directed by Jessie Nelson with musical direction by Lance Horne, the musical was workshopped at the Royal National Theatre and commissioned by the National Theatre Connections.[8]

Currently, Sheik is composing the music for the musical adaptation of American Psycho.[9]