Songwriter Adam Schlesinger, best known for co-founding Fountains of Wayne, has been hospitalized due to the coronavirus, but has not been placed in a medically induced coma as suggested elsewhere. Variety first reported the news and Schlesinger’s long-time attorney, Josh Grier, confirmed the details to Rolling Stone.
Schlesinger has been in a hospital in upstate New York for over a week and is receiving good care. Grier said that while he is unable to visit Schlesinger, the doctor reports he’s received have not once used the term “coma.” He says Schelsinger, per doctor reports, is “heavily sedated,” as is necessary to be on a ventilator and added, “The doctors are doing everything they can think of and they’re cautiously optimistic.”
“Thank you for the outpouring of love for Adam and his family. Adam has been hospitalized with COVID-19,” Jaime Herman, another attorney for Schlesinger, said in a statement. “He’s on a ventilator and has been sedated to facilitate his recovery. He is receiving excellent care, his condition is improving and we are cautiously optimistic. His family appreciates all of the love and support.”
News of Schlesinger’s condition began to spread late Monday night on a Facebook fan page for his other band, Ivy. That post, which was later shared on Twitter, cited information posted by an acquaintance of Schlesinger’s, who stated the musician had been on a ventilator for two weeks and was supposedly in a medically induced coma.
Schlesinger co-founded Fountains of Wayne with Chris Collingwood, with the group best known for their Grammy-nominated hit “Stacy’s Mom” off 2003’s Welcome to Interstate Managers.
Along with playing in two other bands, Ivy and Tinted Windows, Schlesinger has had a wildly prolific music career that’s found him writing for television, film and the theater. He earned an Oscar nomination for writing the title track to Tom Hanks’ 1997 film, That Thing You Do, while he’s won three Emmys during his career: two for songs he wrote for the Tony Awards in 2011 and 2012, and one for his work as executive music producer on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
