Adam Schlesinger, the co-founder of pop-rock band Fountains of Wayne and an Oscar-nominated songwriter, has died from complications related to coronavirus. He was 52.
“As many of you are aware, Adam had been hospitalized with Covid-19 and although he had been making some small improvements over the last few days, Adam’s condition was critical and he was ultimately unable to recover from Covid-19 complications,” read a statement from the band’s attorney, provided to CNN. “He was truly a prolific talent and even more so, a loving and devoted father, son and friend.”
It added: “We are terribly sorry to convey this loss.”
Schlesinger’s band, which was co-founded with Chris Collingwood, was best known for its 2003 hit “Stacy’s Mom,” a humorous track about a young boy who has a crush on his friend’s mother. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award.
But Schlesinger had success before that as a songwriter. He co-wrote the title track to the 1996 Tom Hanks film “That Thing You Do,” and received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for his work.
After success with Fountains of Wayne, Schlesinger continued to branch out, earning Tony nominations for his work on the musical “Cry-Baby” and numerous Emmy nominations for other work, which included collaborations with Stephen Colbert and “Sesame Street.”
