Duncan Sheik soundtracked a generation of extremely online theater kids

Duncan Sheik, the singer-songwriter who turned "Barely Breathing" into an enduring '90s alt-pop hit before finding a second act on Broadway as the Tony-winning composer of Spring Awakening , died Thursday in Manhattan.

He was 56.

His mother, Suzanne Sheik, confirmed his death to The New York Times and said the cause was heart failure leading to cardiac arrest.

For many people, Sheik will forever be associated with "Barely Breathing," the deceptively catchy breakup song that became the breakout single from his self-titled 1996 debut.

The song reached No.

16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the chart for 55 weeks, earning Sheik a Grammy nomination and turning the soft-spoken musician into an unlikely star.

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For a generation of millennials, however, Sheik's most enduring work wasn't necessarily a song with his voice on it.

It was Spring Awakening .

The musical arrived on Broadway in December 2006, just as a new kind of teenage fandom was taking shape online.

You didn't necessarily have to live in New York or have the money for a Broadway ticket to become completely consumed by it.

Teenagers passed around grainy YouTube clips and shaky, questionably obtained recordings, memorized the cast album, traded photos and interviews, and followed the young cast, which included Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, and John Gallagher Jr., online.

Lauren "Lolo" Pritchard, Steven Sater, Lea Michele, Jonathan Groff, Duncan Sheik and John Gallagher Jr. at the 2022 the premiere of "Spring Awakening: Those You've Known" in New York City.