I rarely post about the passing of a music artist (though I’ve written a few in the past: Eddie Money, Olivia Newton-John and Tina Turner are three that come to mind), but the passing of singer-songwriter and composer Duncan Sheik yesterday, September 17th, has hit me pretty hard. Perhaps it’s because he was still a relatively young 56, but also because it came as somewhat of a shock, even though he’d spent over a month in the hospital this past summer. I’ve followed him on social media for a couple of years (which also possibly contributes to my fondness for him), and though he’d mentioned being hospitalized in a couple of posts, he didn’t say what it was for, nor that his health condition was poor. The only thing that has been revealed as his cause of death is organ failure. He leaves behind his wife Nora Ariffin, their daughter and both of his parents. RIP Duncan.
Here is a post I wrote about him and his big hit “Barely Breathing” in 2023.
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 
Oh man… I know time waits for no one, but this stings.
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Yes it does…
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I saw that in an email today and it is very sad. I just took the time to listen to the lyrics and they were very powerful, they gave me goose bumps. Certainly a talented man. Thanks for sharing Jeff!
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Very sorry to hear this news, Jeff, and I’m sorry for your loss.
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Thanks, Marc. Not my personal loss, of course, but just very sad that a relatively young, talented guy who was also a husband and father has died.
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It seems unfair that someone goes so soon. But at least he was spared the terrible process of ageing. I read the blog of an 80yothe other day and his biggest fear is Alzheimer’s, for example
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Yes, that’s true, and my fear as well.
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I’m lucky. I’m an insulin-dependent diabetic, so if anything like that starts to happen, I’m just one od away… It’s very morbid, isn’t it? When we get older, we think about such things!
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I played the song Barely Breathing that you mentioned and his voice is so pure. Went onto ITunes to find him and oh my, what a great talent has been lost.
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Yes it was and yes it is. Thanks for commenting.
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Wow. So young. What a shame
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So sad – I saw it this afternoon while still being at work! A New York Times article reported the cause of death was cardiac arrest. I also recall seeing something a couple of days ago about Duncan Sheik being hospitalized. While sadly music history is packed with artists dying at even younger ages like the creepy 27 Club, 56 is really young!
“Barely Breathing” was a great pop song. After his initial music career had ebbed, apparently, Sheik successfully got into film and Broadway composition – something I had not known.
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56 is far too young an age to die.
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