Remembering Adam Schlesinger

Age 52, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Passed away on April 1, 2020

Alongside Chris Collingwood, he was a founding member of Fountains of Wayne, a group named for a Route 46 store that sold outdoor furniture and lawn ornaments. The band, which produced the 2003 hit song “Stacy’s Mom," was nominated for two Grammys — best pop performance by a duo or group for “Stacy’s Mom” and best new artist.

Schlesinger was also known for his songwriting work, on TV and on Broadway as well as in movies. He was nominated for an Academy Award for the title song of the 1997 Tom Hanks film “That Thing You Do!” (Hanks was among the first celebrities to test positive for the coronavirus disease in March.)

Actor Jon Bernthal (“The Punisher”), who is set to star in the upcoming New Jersey-set “Sopranos” prequel movie “The Many Saints of Newark,” is Schlesinger’s cousin.

“This is my Big Cousin Adam,” he posted on Instagram Tuesday, sharing news that Schlesinger was on a ventilator and being treated for the coronavirus disease. “He is one of the most talented people in the world. As a boy I’d be blown away watching and listening to him play and sing. He taught me how cool it is to be an artist.”

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