(JTA)—Adam Schlesinger, known as one of the lead songwriters of the pop rock band Fountains of Wayne and the musical series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, died Wednesday, April 1 at 52 from coronavirus complications, Variety reported.
Schlesinger, who grew up in a secular Jewish home, had been in an unnamed hospital in upstate New York for over a week.
Fountains of Wayne’s most famous song was Stacy’s Mom, for which Schlesinger and co-songwriter Chris Collingwood were nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2003. He won a Grammy in 2010 for A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!
In addition, Schlesinger garnered a host of Oscar, Tony, and Emmy nominations, including an Oscar nod in 1997 for writing an original song in the Tom Hanks film That Thing You Do; two Tony nominations for the musical Cry-Baby in 2008; and Emmy nominations for songs on Sesame Street.
In recent years, he worked on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, the very Jewish musical show that aired for four seasons on the CW. He co-wrote the majority of the show’s music and won an Emmy for the song Antidepressants Are So Not a Big Deal, alongside the show’s creator and star, Rachel Bloom, and Jack Dolgen.
Schlesinger is survived by his ex-wife Katherine Michel, a graphic designer, and their two daughters.