Fellow songwriters pay tribute to award-winning musician behind Stacy’s Mom and songs for film and TV

This article is more than 5 months old

This article is more than 5 months old

The award-winning singer-songwriter Adam Schlesinger, best known for his work with US rock band Fountains of Wayne, has reportedly died at the age of 52 after being diagnosed with coronavirus.

He died on Wednesday morning, according to Variety.

A statement from his family on Tuesday said he was in hospital in New York fighting Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.

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Chris Carrabba, from the band Dashboard Confessional, confirmed Schlesinger’s death. He tweeted: “I knew him best as a mentor, and a friend. We must take this seriously. People are sick and dying. It is hard to stay locked indoors but lives will be saved. Take care of each other. Rest In Peace, my dear friend.”

The singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins also paid tribute and said: “I’m heartbroken to hear about Adam Schlesinger’s passing. He was one of the first people I co-wrote a song with and we went on the road with Fountains of Wayne back in the day. He was really sweet and beyond talented. My heart goes out to his family and band mates.”

Acclaimed songwriter Diane Warren said: “RIP Adam Schlesinger. Love and prayers to his family. Thank U for the songs.”

Schlesinger was divorced and is survived by his two daughters. He was best known as the bass player and co-songwriter of Fountains of Wayne, the power-pop band whose hits included Stacy’s Mom and Hey Julie. They formed in New Jersey in 1995 and were named after a lawn ornament store in the state.

Schlesinger earned nominations for an Oscar, a Golden Globe, Tonys, Grammys and Emmys, winning the latter two.

In 2019, he won the Emmy for outstanding original music and lyrics for Antidepressants Are So Not a Big Deal from the TV musical drama Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

It was one of his three Emmy wins. Schlesinger won a Grammy in 2009 for his work on A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!

His Oscar nomination came in 1997 for writing the title track on That Thing You Do!, a musical-comedy film directed by Tom Hanks.

Hanks is another high-profile star to test positive for coronavirus. He and his wife, Rita Wilson, have recovered. The Luther star Idris Elba was also diagnosed with the virus.