Duncan Sheik

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Duncan Sheik
Duncan Sheik.jpg
Background information
Birth name Duncan Sheik
Born (1969-11-18) November 18, 1969 (age 55)
Montclair, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres Rock, pop, alternative rock, acoustic rock
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, composer
Instruments Guitar, piano, vocals, electronics
Years active 1993-present
Labels Atlantic, Nonesuch, Elektra, Zoë, Rounder, Universal, Rhino Entertainment
Website www.duncansheik.com
Awards
Grammy Awards
2008 Best Musical Show Album
Spring Awakening
Tony Awards
2007 Best Orchestrations
Spring Awakening
2007 Best Original Score
Spring Awakening

Duncan Sheik (born November 18, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and composer. Initially finding success as a singer, most notably for his 1996 debut single "Barely Breathing", he later expanded to compositions for motion pictures and the Broadway stage, such as the successful musical, Spring Awakening, where he won multiple Tonys and a Grammy. Sheik practices Nichiren Buddhism and is a member of the US branch of the worldwide Buddhist association Soka Gakkai International.[1]

Early career

After being raised by both his parents in Montclair, New Jersey and his grandparents in Hilton Head, South Carolina (of whom his Juilliard-trained grandmother taught him piano), and after graduating from Phillips Academy, Andover in 1988, Sheik studied semiotics at Brown University,[2] and moved to Los Angeles. Playing for other artists, including Liz and Lisa (with Lisa Loeb and Elizabeth Mitchell), Sheik also played on His Boy Elroy's 1993 album through his connections from fellow Brown alum, Tracee Ellis Ross. He is the half brother of Broadway actress Kacie Sheik.

In 1996, Sheik released his self-titled debut album, which was certified Gold and spawned the #16 peaking hit single, "Barely Breathing", which itself remained on the Billboard Hot 100 for a record-setting 55 consecutive weeks. The popular track also enjoyed Top 20 success at Adult Contemporary radio and topped the Adult Top 40 charts. The song garnered a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

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

Later career

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 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 the New York Shakespeare Festival production, Twelfth Night.[3]

In 2004, Sheik composed the score for A Home at the End of the World, and, later, composed the score for Through the Fire.[4]

In 2006, Sheik released White Limousine, an album which included companion software on a DVD-ROM to remix individual 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.[5]

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.[6]

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.[7] In a message to fans in his tumblr blog,[8] 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." A remixed version of the album was released the following year.[9]

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.[10]

In 2013, Sheik wrote the music and lyrics to the musical adaptation of American Psycho,[11] which opened at the Almeida Theatre in London (and which will now be staged on Broadway in 2016[12]). That same year, Sheik wrote the music for the musical adaptation of the novel Because of Winn-Dixie, which opened at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.[13] Dixie was a collaboration with director John Tartaglia and Nell Benjamin, who wrote the book and lyrics. The star is an Irish wolfhound trained and provided by William Berloni Theatrical Animals, Inc. If the show moves to Broadway, it will be the first play with a dog as the lead.

In 2015, Sheik wrote the New York stage and film musical thriller Noir, along with collaborator Kyle Jarrow. Inspired by live radio plays and classic film noir, the musical was directed by Rachel Chavkin.[14] In addition, Sheik will release a new studio album, titled Legerdemain, in October of this year.[15]

Currently, Sheik is composing the music for a feature-film adaptation of Spring Awakening, an adaptation almost a decade in the making.[16]

Discography

Albums

Year Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales threshold)
US
[17]		 US Heat
[18]
1996 Duncan Sheik
  • Release date: June 1996
  • Label: Atlantic
 83 1
1998 Humming
  • Release date: October 6, 1998
  • Label: Atlantic
 163 —
2001 Phantom Moon
  • Release date: February 27, 2001
  • Label: Nonesuch
 — —
2002 Daylight
  • Release date: August 22, 2002
  • Label: Atlantic
 110 —
2006 White Limousine
  • Release date: January 26, 2006
  • Label: Zoë
 — —
2009 Whisper House
  • Release date: January 27, 2009
  • Label: RCA Victor
 181 —
2011 Covers 80's
  • Release date: June 7, 2011
  • Label: Sneaky
 — —
2015 Legerdemain
  • Release date: October 9, 2015
  • Label:
 — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions Album
CAN
[20]		 US
[21]		 US AC
[22]		 US Adult
[23]		 US Dance
[24]		 US Pop
[25]
1997 "Barely Breathing" 12 16 19 2 — 10 Duncan Sheik
"She Runs Away" — — — 24 — —
"Reasons for Living" — — — — 3 —
1998 "Wishful Thinking" — 103 — — — — Great Expectations (soundtrack)
"Bite Your Tongue" — — — — — — Humming
1999 "That Says It All" — — — — — —
2001 "A Mirror in the Heart" — — — — — — Phantom Moon
2003 "On a High" — — — 21 1 — Daylight
"Half-Life" — — — — — —
2006 "White Limousine" — — — — — — White Limousine
"The Dawn's Request" — — — — — —
2009 "Earthbound Starlight" — — — — — — Whisper House
"Play Your Part" — — — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

EPs

Musicals

Film and television

1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
  • "View from the Other Side", Friends
  • "A Body Goes Down", Jeff Buckley: Goodbye and Hello
  • "Now or Never", Boys and Girls
2002
2003
2004
2005
2007
2010
  • "Mama Who Bore Me", 90210
2012
  • "Barely Breathing", Glee
  • "Barely Breathing", Girls

Other appearances

In 1998, Sheik recorded "Embraceable You" for Red Hot + Rhapsody, a George Gershwin tribute to increase AIDS awareness, and also recorded "Songbird" for another tribute, Legacy: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours.

In 1999, Sheik produced singer/songwriter Micah Green's debut album,[28] as well as his 2012 follow-up.[29]

In 2000, Sheik wrote the foreword to The Way of Youth: Buddhist Common Sense for Handling Life's Questions, by Soka Gakkai International leader Daisaku Ikeda.

In 2000, Sheik sang a duet with singer Howard Jones on Jones' single Someone you need.

In 2006, Sheik recorded the song, "A Purple Trail", for Other Songs and Dances, Vol. 1.

In 2008, Sheik participated in Songs for Tibet: The Art of Peace, an initiative to support Tibet, Dalai Lama and Tenzin Gyatso.[30]

See also

References

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External links

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  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Loveline, 1996-09-08.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ [1] Archived April 12, 2011 at the Wayback Machine
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  30. ↑ [2] Archived July 24, 2008 at the Wayback Machine
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