Earlier in April, Fountains of Wayne bassist and songwriter Adam Schlesinger tragically passed away after complications caused by coronavirus. Following his death, Schlesinger was honored throughout the entertainment world. Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard said Schlesinger helped him “realize a life-long dream” before covering Fountains Of Wayne’s “Barbara H.” Earlier this week cast of That Thing You Do! said the 1996 film’s boy band The Wonders would reunite to honor Schlesinger, wrote the film’s theme song.
Taking a moment to honor the songwriter, Mark Ronson shared a six-minute tribute to Schlesinger on Instagram.
In the video, Ronson looked back at the work Schlesinger contributed to the world with a nearly 7-minute DJ set backed by music from Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Dolly Parton, Prince, Aerosmith, Rakim, Three 6 Mafia, Lady Gaga and more. In addition to words from Rachel Bloom, co-creator and star of My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Ronson shared his own thoughts on Schlesinger in the video’s caption.
Schlesinger wrote one of the most memorable, beloved pop songs from any film of modern times, “That Thing You Do”—a jangly ear worm that has made its way into the canon. He was also beyond versatile—starting off in acclaimed indie band Fountains of Wayne and ending up as composer for the brilliant and adored TV comedy-musical “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”… Adam passed away from CV earlier this month but MUSIC LIVES FOREVER. so thank you for the music
It’s clear Schlesinger had a significant impact on a lot of musicians, so these tributes are likely to continue as the music world mourns his tragic loss.