More and more members of the entertainment industry are succumbing to complications caused by the coronavirus. The latest to do so is Emmy winner and Fountains of Wayne cofounder, Adam Schlesinger.
Variety reports that Schlesinger’s condition was first revealed Tuesday, Mar. 31, by his attorney. Schlesinger had been in the hospital for more than a week according to his attorney and was “very sick and heavily sedated” by Tuesday. He passed away on Wednesday morning.
The 52-year-old was a recent Emmy winner, picking up a trophy for outstanding original music and lyrics for the song “Antidepressants Are So Not A Big Deal” on the sitcom “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” His work as an executive music producer on “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” earned him a total of 10 Emmy nominations.
Schlesinger was also an Academy Award nominee for his work on the song “That Thing You Do,” the theme song for the Tom Hanks film of the same name. The song did reasonably well on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 41.
Schlesinger was, also, nominated for a Tony thanks to his work on the musical theater adaptation of John Waters’s film, “Cry-Baby.” Before his death, he was collaborating with actress Sarah Silverman on the off-Broadway musical, “The Bedwetter.” Production on that musical was also halted by the coronavirus pandemic.
His work with Fountains of Wayne was nominated for two Grammys, most notably for the song “Stacy’s Mom,” which reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the group’s most successful song. However, his Grammy win came from his work on the comedy album “A Stephen Colbert Christmas.”
A number of Schlesinger’s colleagues have mourned his passing, thanking him for his contributions to the industry.
The Guardian reports that Chris Carraba from Dashboard Confessional confirmed Schlesinger’s death and hailed him as “a mentor, and a friend.”
American singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins shared that Schlesinger’s passing has left her heartbroken. According to her, Schlesinger was “really sweet and beyond talented.”
Award-winning songwriter Diane Warren simply wished his family “love and prayers.”
Schlesinger joins a growing list of celebrities whose careers have been ended by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Andrew Jack, who worked as a dialect coach and acted in the new “Star Wars” films, was one of the more recent deaths brought about by coronavirus complications. Other celebrities who have died because of coronavirus complications include Floyd Cardoz, best known for winning “Top Chef Masters,” and Broadway star Mark Blum.
As of the Apr. 1 situation report posted by the World Health Organization, there are now 823,626 confirmed cases of the coronavirus around the world. Total deaths are at 40,598.