Duncan Sheik

Duncan Scott Sheik (born November 18, 1969 in Montclair, New Jersey) is an American singer-songwriter. Sheik's upbringing was split between his parents' home in South Carolina and that of his grandparents in New Jersey. There, Sh

Duncan Scott Sheik (born November 18, 1969 in Montclair, New Jersey) is an American singer-songwriter. Sheik's upbringing was split between his parents' home in South Carolina and that of his grandparents in New Jersey. There, Sheik's grandmother (a piano graduate of The Juilliard School) taught him to play the piano and encouraged his musical development. Sheik graduated from Phillips Academy in 1988, after which he studied semiotics at Brown University.

Sheik began his professional musical career playing for other acts, including Liz And Liza (with Lisa Loeb), and played on His Boy Elroy's 1993 album. Duncan Sheik's eponymous debut album spawned the 1996 hit single "Barely Breathing" in the U.S, which remained on the charts for 55 straight weeks. In 1998, he was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Barely Breathing".