Duncan Sheik

Duncan Scott Sheik (born November 18, 1969) is an American Grammy- and Tony-winning singer-songwriter and composer. Sheik initially found success as a singer, most notably for his 1996 debut single "Barely Breathing". Years later, he expanded his work to include compositions for motion pictures and the Broadway stage, leading him to involvement in the multiple award-winning musical Spring Awakening.

Biography

Early years

Born in Montclair, New Jersey, Sheik's upbringing was split between his grandparents' home in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and his parents' in New Jersey. His grandmother, a graduate of Juilliard, taught him to play the piano and encouraged his musical development. Sheik graduated from the Eaglebrook School before attending Phillips Academy, Andover, in 1988. He subsequently studied semiotics at Brown University. After college, he moved to Daly City, a suburb near San Francisco where he started his music career.

Career

Sheik began his professional career playing for other acts, including Liz and Lisa (with Lisa Loeb and Elizabeth Mitchell), and played on His Boy Elroy's 1993 album. Through connections from fellow Brown alum Tracee Ellis Ross, Sheik's music and good looks gained the attention of executives at Atlantic Records.

Sheik's 1996 eponymous debut album for Atlantic was certified Gold and spawned the #16 hit single "Barely Breathing" in the United States, which remained on the Billboard Hot 100 for a record-setting 55 straight weeks

. It also enjoyed lengthy stays on Billboard's Adult Contemporary and Adult Top 40 charts where it reached #2. In early 1998, Duncan was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Barely Breathing" but lost to Elton John's "Candle In The Wind".

A lay Buddhist, Sheik's involvement with Soka Gakkai has increased steadily over the years. In 2000, Sheik wrote the foreword to ''The Way of Youth: Buddhist Common Sense for Handling Life's Questions by Soka Gakkai leader Daisaku Ikeda.

In his second album, 1998's Humming, Sheik experimented in the studio with meticulous string arrangements while keeping the haunted vocal sound of his first album. Additionally, on some tracks Sheik took a step away from his pop roots to address larger social issues. In fact, some songs are laced with biting anger. Some sayWho
His next record, 2001's Phantom Moon, was a collaboration with poet and writer Steven Sater, who Sheik met through his Soka Gakkai involvement. The two collaboratively created the album by drawing inspiration from the each other's simultaneous work, with Sheik sending Sater the music and Sater sending Sheik the lyrics. The album continued the melancholic tone of Sheik's previous work and displayed his growing prowess as a composer and arranger.

In 2002, Sheik made a brief commercial comeback with the album Daylight, including success with the singles "On A High" and "Half-Life". Eschewing the Nick Drake-like sound of Phantom Moon, Daylight featured a lighter, more modern sound with production effects and electronic backgrounds. Sheik indicated in interviews that the record was an attempt to create an album of pure pop songs. Citation needed
Sheik composed original music for a New York Shakespeare Festival production of Twelfth Night, which opened July 21, 2002, at the Delacorte Theater.[1]

In 2003, he portrayed Bobby Darin in an episode of the television series "American Dreams".

Sheik composed the score for the 2004 film A Home at the End of the World, including two original songs.

Sheik's fifth album, White Limousine, was released on January 24, 2006, on the Zoe Records label. The first single released from the album was the title track. Like its predecessor Daylight, subtle electronic influences are a hallmark of Sheik's fifth studio album, as well as many songs that are politically charged. The album is both Sheik's first to be released outside of what is now Warner Music Group, and his first with companion software on a DVD-ROM to remix individual album tracks.

Working continually with Steven Sater, Sheik wrote the music for the Tony award winning musical Spring Awakening over a period of eight years. The musical, which premiered off-Broadway in New York in May 2006, opened on Broadway to much critical acclaim in December 2006. Spring Awakening is based on the controversial German expressionist play Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind. Sheik won two Tonys for his work on the musical —for Best Orchestration and Best Original Score (Music)—and the show won the Tony for Best Musical. The original cast recording album, released in December 2006, received the Grammy Award in 2008 for Best Musical Show Album. The guitar Sheik used to compose songs for Spring Awakening is on display at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.

On January 27, 2009, Duncan released Whisper House, his first new studio album since 2006 and first release under his new deal with RCA Records on their RCA Victor imprint. This marks Duncan's first full length album on a major label since 2002's "Daylight". Singer-keyboardist Holly Brook plays a prominent role alongside Sheik on some of the songs. Sheik toured throughout the first half of 2009 in support of the album.[2] He currently resides in New York City.

A production of Duncan Sheik's original musical, also titled Whisper House, is in the works. The musical is set to be directed by actor Keith Powell.[3]

Sheik was also a judge for the 7th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists.

Charity

In 2008 he participated in a music album called Songs for Tibet, which is an initiative to support Tibet, Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso and to underline the human rights situation in Tibet. The album was issued on August 5 via iTunes and on August 19 in music stores around the world.

Work

Musicals

Nero (Another Golden Rome) - 2006
Spring Awakening - 2006, 2007—2009
The Nightingale - 2006
Whisper House - In production

Plays

Goose by Martin Snyder - 2009/10

Discography

Studio and compilation albums

Note: All certifications based on current data from RIAA's website: www.riaa.com

Duncan Sheik (June 4, 1996), Atlantic) (Certified Gold)
Humming (October 6, 1998), Atlantic) (Out Of Print)
Phantom Moon (February 27, 2001, Nonesuch) (Out Of Print)
Daylight (August 27, 2002, Atlantic) (Out Of Print)
White Limousine (January 26, 2006, Zoe)
Brighter/Later: A Duncan Sheik Anthology (October 24, 2006, RHINO)
Greatest Hits: A Duncan Sheik Collection (March 6, 2007, RHINO)
Whisper House (January 27, 2009 RCA Victor)

Extended play albums

At the Reservoir (1997, Atlantic)
Humming Along (1998, Atlantic)
White Limousine EP (2005, Zoe)
Whisper House EP (2008)

Singles

Other recordings

"Wishful Thinking" from Great Expectations: The Album - Atlantic Records - 1997
"In the Absence of Sun" from The Saint Soundtrack - Atlantic Records - 1997
"Songbird" from ''Legacy: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours (CD) - Atlantic Records - 1998
"Embraceable You" from Red Hot + Rhapsody: The Gershwin Groove (CD) - Antilles Records - 1998
"View from the Other Side" from Friends Again (CD) - Warner Bros. Records - 1999
"Now or Never" from Boys and Girls: Music from the Dimension Motion Picture (CD) - Ark 21 Records - 2000
"I am a Pilgrim" from Transamerica: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (CD) - Nettwerk Records - 2005
"A Purple Trail" from Other Songs and Dances, Vol. 1 (CD) - Backlight Records - 2006

Videography

On Stage at World Café Live: Duncan Sheik (DVD) - Decca Vision - 2007

Signed Music Artists