The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people from all walks of life, including the entertainment industry. Some folks, like Tom Hanks and Daniel Dae Kim, have caught the coronavirus and managed to survive, while others, like Star Wars actor Andrew Jack, have died from the disease. Sadly, we must count Fountains of Wayne member and That Thing You Do! songwriter Adam Schlesinger in the latter category.
Per Variety, Adam Schlesinger died earlier today as a result of coronavirus complications at the age of 52. Word came in yesterday that Schlesinger had been on a ventilator for the last two weeks, and while it was initially reported that he’d been put in a medically induced coma, his attorney, Josh Grier, described him as “very sick and heavily sedated” before he passed away. Schlesinger is survived by his two daughters.
Along with his time on Fountains of Wayne, which produced songs like “Stacy’s Mom” and “Hey Julie,” Adam Schlesinger was also a founding member of the bands Ivy and Tinted Windows, as well as worked as a songwriting contributor and producer for Fever High. Additionally, Schlesinger left quite the impact on the film, TV and theatre worlds during his musical career.
Movie-wise, Adam Schlesinger composed songs for movies like Ice Age: Continental Drift and Music and Lyrics, and his music could also be heard in Shallow Hal (which he co-composed), There’s Something About Mary, Josie and the Pussycats and Two Weeks Notice, to name a few. However, arguably his biggest film credit is writing and co-producing the title song for That Thing You Do!, the 1996 ‘60s-set comedy starring Tom Hanks, Tom Everett Scott, Johnathon Schaech, Steve Zahn, Ethan Embry, Lic Tyler and Charlize Theron, among many others.
You can listen to that Golden Globe Award-winning and Oscar-nominated single, which is performed by The Wonders within That Thing You Do!, below:
In the TV realm, Adam Schlesinger musically contributed to shows and specials like A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!, Good Luck Charlie, Sesame Street and Saturday Night Live, not to mention that he won Emmys for his work on the 65th and 66th Tony Awards, both of which were hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. More recently, Schlesinger served as the executive music producer of, as well as wrote songs for, The CW series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which wrapped up its four-season run last year.
All the previously mentioned accolades, along with him earning two Tony Award nominations for his work on the musical Cry-Baby with frequent collaborator David Javerbaum, made Adam Schlesinger an EGOT contender. While we mourn his passing, at least his music will continue to be heard in all these different projects and be introduced to new generations for years to come.
We here at CinemaBlend offer our condolences to Adam Schlesinger’s family and friends. If you were a fan of his, feel free to share your thoughts about him in the comments section.
