Adam Schlesinger, member of the group Fountains Of Wayne and an Emmy-winning songwriter for the television series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, died Wednesday morning after being hospitalized for testing positive for the coronavirus, Variety reports. The esteemed musician was 52.
News of Schlesinger’s condition first broke Tuesday, saying he had been hospitalized for more than a week in upstate New York and was on a ventilator, though reportedly not in a coma. His longtime attorney, Josh Grier told Variety, “He’s very sick and is heavily sedated, as are all people on ventilators, but no one has used the word ‘coma’ to me.” In another update, Schlesinger’s girlfriend spoke to TMZ and said that he “has been sedated to facilitate his recovery. He is in critical condition, but his condition is improving slightly and we are cautiously optimistic.”
Schlesinger was one of a rising number of music industry figures who had recently been diagnosed with the virus. Legendary songwriter John Prine, producer, songwriter, and musician Andrew Watt, and Universal Music CEO and chairman Lucian Grainge have all been diagnosed with the virus in recent weeks.
Schlesinger’s life and career include Oscar, Tony, Grammy, and Emmy nominations, with wins for the latter two. His most recent award came at the 2018 Emmy Awards, where he picked up a win for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for the Crazy Ex Girlfriend song “Antidepressants Are So Not A Big Deal.”