Adam Schlesinger, Fountains of Wayne co-founder, has died from coronavirus at age 52
Adam Schlesinger, the New Jersey native who co-founded music groups Fountains of Wayne and Ivy, and was known for his work on the TV show "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," has died from coronavirus-related complications, according to The Associated Press. The Emmy and Grammy award-winning musician was 52.
Schlesinger had been sedated on a ventilator at hospital in upstate New York for several days after contracting coronavirus, according to the AP.
Schlesinger, a father of two, has been a career musician since the '90s. He formed rock band Fountains of Wayne with college friend Chris Collingwood in 1995 — and with Schlesinger on bass and backup vocals, the band had a hit just one year later with "Radiation Vibe."
In 1997, Schlesinger received an Academy Award nomination for writing the title song to the movie "That Thing You Do!" — the first film Tom Hanks directed. He has also been nominated for 10 Emmy awards for his song-writing work on TV shows, three of which he won. The 2003 Fountains of Wayne hit "Stacy's Mom" was nominated for a Grammy.
Some of the late musician's most popular work are the songs he wrote alongside Rachel Bloom for the CW musical comedy series "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend." Schlesinger's compositions for the show earned him a nomination for six Emmys, and one win.
Bloom posted a tribute to Schlesinger Wednesday night. "I have so much to say about Adam Schlesinger that I am at a complete loss for words," she wrote on Instagram. "He is irreplaceable."
Aline Brosh McKenna, who co-created the show, tweeted a memory of Schlesinger on Wednesday, writing, "he was the most brilliant, the most funny, the most clever, the most musical."
"Adam was so funny, so kind, so opinionated, so clever, so passionate," she wrote, along with a recording of Schlesinger's demo for the song "What'll It Be?". "... I love that guy. I love all the memories."
Many other friends and past colleagues payed tribute to the late musician on social media.
Atlantic Theater Company, where Schlesinger worked with actress and comedian Sarah Silverman to compose "The Bedwetter," posted on Facebook that they are "devastated" by the loss. They said that "Adam was an extraordinary composer, musician, writer, and most notably, human being."
Rick Springfield posted on Twitter that Schlesinger was "one talented man and the world will be a less tuneful place without him." He said that he wrote songs with Schlesinger while he lived in New York and that he had "a brilliant gift for melody."
Iconic California-based record store Amoeba Music posted a tribute to Schlesinger's work on Twitter. The store posted a photo of some of Schlesinger's most notable albums, accompanied by a note saying "rest in peace."
