R.I.P. Adam Schlesinger (1967-2020)

Adam Schlesinger

On April 1, 2020, musician Adam Schlesinger passed away at the age of 52 in Poughkeepsie, New York after complications with the coronavirus. Over a storied career spanning 25 years, he created some of the most memorable tunes no matter what medium. In film he received an Oscar nomination for the titular song from That Thing You Do. He also was a founding member of the band Fountains of Wayne and wrote music for the musical TV series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. It's impossible to summarize everything that he left behind, but it's likely that if you've so much as turned on a radio or TV, you've heard his work. His legacy will live on with some of the catchiest music that helped to make other people better.

Schlesinger was born on October 31, 1967, in New York City, New York. He is the cousin of actor Jon Bernthal. He was also the grandson of musician Murray Bernthal. His career has spanned almost every conceivable medium. After breaking out with That Thing You Do!, he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. He would also write songs for various awards shows, including the Tony and Emmy Awards. He even would write pop songs, such as The Monkees, The Click Five, and Stephen Colbert. His music has been featured in several films including Music and Lyrics, where he wrote all of the music. 

He would also do work in the theater that included the musical adaptation of the John Waters film Cry-Baby. He was also working on a musical version of Sarah Silverman's memoirs "The Bedwetter" at the time of his death. It was scheduled to open in June. He also is responsible for co-writing all 157 of the songs featured on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Between all of his jobs, he would earn a Grammy and Emmy win along with Oscar and Tony nominations. He was massively talented and even had a big hit with his band Fountain of Wayne's song "Stacy's Mom." 

Over a prolific career, Schlesinger managed to make the world a brighter place with his approach to music. He was able to make quality songs that often had a cheeky undertone, and it's helped them to avoid the dated novelty appeal. Instead, they're the catchy, humorous tunes that are likely to continue to sing well into the future. He became one of the first noteworthy celebrities to die of COVID-19, and it makes his passing all the more unfortunate. His work will live on, continuing to entertain no matter what the mood is.