Adam Schlesinger, one of the lead songwriters of Fountains of Wayne and the musical series “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” died April 1 due to complications from COVID-19. He was 52.
Variety reported that the Grammy and Emmy Award-winning musician was in a medically induced coma earlier this week in an upstate New York hospital and died the morning of April 1.
“He’s very sick and is heavily sedated, as are all people on ventilators, but no one has used the word ‘coma’ to me,” Josh Grier, his longtime attorney, told Variety March 31.
In 2003, Schlesinger, who grew up in a secular Jewish home, co-wrote Fountains of Wayne’s most famous song “Stacy’s Mom,” and was nominated for two Grammy Awards.
Schlesinger went on to receive many accolades for his work over the years including Oscar, Tony and Emmy nominations.
In 1997, he received an Oscar nod for writing mythical band The Wonders’ hit song in Tom Hanks’ “That Thing You Do.” He also collected two Tony nominations for the musical “Cry-Baby” in 2008, and Emmy nominations for songs on “Sesame Street.”
He also is credited for penning “Way Back Into Love” from the flim “Music and Lyrics,” starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore, and most recently created many of the songs on Jewish musical TV series “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” which aired on the CW for four seasons. He won an Emmy for the song “Antidepressants Are So Not a Big Deal,” alongside the show’s creator and star, Rachel Bloom, and Jack Dolgen.
In January, Schlesinger and Bloom announced they were reuniting for a musical adaptation of Fran Drescher’s ’90s sitcom “The Nanny.”
According to the news service Jewish Telegraphic Agency, he also was adapting Sarah Silverman’s memoir, “The Bedwetter,” into a musical. Performances off-Broadway were scheduled for April 25 but have been delayed.
Schlesinger is survived by his wife, Katherine Michel, and two daughters.
