“Barely Breathing” singer Duncan Sheik appeared happy and energetic in his final public appearance prior to his death at age 56.

The singer was pictured on the red carpet at the Olivier Awards in London on April 12, 2026. He wore a black jacket and coordinating tie, and accessorized with sunglasses and a gray wide-brimmed hat.

He smiled and posed with his hands in his pockets for the outing.

The singer recently shared his final social media post, taking to Instagram with a thoughtful photo of himself in black and white.

In the snapshot, he wore a pair of black glasses, a golf cap, and a jean jacket. He did not include a caption.

Prior to that, on Sept. 7, he shared a serene photo of what appeared to be his city view from a hotel room, captioning the photo, “The sun it is leaving At the end of the evening In an airless room, some might assume.”

Fans took to the comments threads of his final posts to express their grief following Sheik’s passing, with one writing, “R.I.P. Duncan 😢 thank you for your music ❤️”

Another wrote, “Thank you for all you gave. Your art will inform future generations. You will be missed, Duncan.”

News broke on Thursday that the singer had been hospitalized in “critical but stable condition,” with his family noting in a social media statement that he was “receiving medical care.”

The family asked for privacy “during this incredibly difficult time” and thanked the public for their “continued love and support.”

However, on Friday, the family shared that the Grammy winner had died at the age of 56 “surrounded by love.”

“The world has lost a singular talent, and deeply influential voice in music and theater,” the singer’s family wrote of their “father, husband, son, brother, and friend.”

“He will be remembered for his sensitivity, wit, intelligence, and depth of spirit he brought to those who knew and loved him.

“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love from his fans, friends, collaborators, and the artistic community. His musical legacy will continue to inspire generations to come,” the statement continued.

The “Spring Awakening” songwriter’s cause of death was revealed on Friday to be heart failure leading to cardiac arrest, according to People.

Sheik rose to fame in 1996 with his ubiquitous runaway hit, “Barely Breathing” — a song for which he nabbed a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

In 2008, he received a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album for the Broadway cast recording of
“Spring Awakening.”