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Adam Lyons Schlesinger (October 31, 1967 – April 1, 2020) was an American musician, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He was a founding member of the bands Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, and Tinted Windows, and was also a member of the band Fever High. He also wrote songs for television and film, for which he won three Emmy Awards, a Grammy Awards, and the ASCAP Pop Music Award, and was nominated for Academy Awards, Tony Awards, and Golden Globe Award. He died of complications from COVID-19 at age 52.
Schlesinger and Javerbaum co-wrote the closing song "I Have Faith in You" for Javerbaum's play An Act of God, which opened on Broadway on May 28, 2015. The song is performed by Jim Parsons, Chris Fitzgerald, and Tim Kazurinsky.
Schlesinger and Sarah Silverman collaborated on a musical titled The Bedwetter, based on her The Bedwetter. The musical was set for previews to begin on May 9, 2020, at the Atlantic Theater Company's Linda Gross Theater; opening night was scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, 2020. The dates were later postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The musical ultimately premiered in previews in April 2022. Prior to his death, Schlesinger had been working on the music for a stage adaption of the television series The Nanny.
Schlesinger's television composing work includes theme music, songs, and/or score for I Love You, America (Hulu), The Maya Rudolph Show (NBC), ', the 2011 and 2012 Tony Awards, the 2011 and 2013 Emmy Awards, Big Time Rush, T.U.F.F. Puppy (Nickelodeon), Good Luck Charlie (Disney Channel), The Fresh Beat Band (Nickelodeon), Kathy (Bravo), Crank Yankers, Wedding Band (TBS), the Billboard Music Awards, Bubble Guppies (Nick Jr.), The Howard Stern Show, Sesame Street, Comedy Central Night of Too Many Stars, Robert Smigel cartoons for Saturday Night Live, The Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade with Neil Patrick Harris, The Comedy Awards (Comedy Central), American Dreams, Stephen King Kingdom Hospital, The In-Laws, The Man Show, Supernoobs, Too Late with Adam Carolla, The Dana Carvey Show, House of Buggin, My Kind of Town , Johnny Test , and others. His songs have been licensed for use on numerous television series, including Scrubs , The Hills , Gossip Girl , Melrose Place , Felicity , Roswell'', and others.
He wrote songs for and was executive music producer of the scripted comedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on The CW.
He was the main composer and producer for Brooklyn-based synth-pop duo Fever High.
Fountains of Wayne was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2003 for Best New Artist and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Stacy's Mom".
Schlesinger and David Javerbaum received two nominations for the Tony Awards in 2008, Best Musical and Best Original Score, for the musical Cry-Baby. They also received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Music and Lyrics for their song "Much Worse Things", performed by Elvis Costello and Stephen Colbert on the television special and album The album, co-written by Schlesinger and Javerbaum, and co-produced by Schlesinger and Steven M. Gold, won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.
Schlesinger received a Daytime Emmy Awards nomination at the 2013 Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Original Song -- Children or Animation for his "Elmo the Musical Theme" for Sesame Street. He and Molly Boylan received a 2011 Daytime Emmy nomination for the song "I Wonder" from Sesame Street.
Schlesinger and Javerbaum received a 2012 Emmy Award for Outstanding Music And Lyrics for their song "It's Not Just for Gays Anymore", performed by Neil Patrick Harris as the opening number of the 65th Tony Awards telecast; and a 2013 Emmy Award for Outstanding Music And Lyrics for their song "If I Had Time", performed by Harris as the closing number of the 66th Tony Awards telecast.
Schlesinger received two 2016 Emmy nominations for his work on the CW series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for "Settle for Me" (co-written with Rachel Bloom and Jack Dolgen), and Outstanding Main Title Theme (co-written with Rachel Bloom).
He received a 2017 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for "We Tapped That Ass" (co-written with Rachel Bloom and Jack Dolgen) from the CW series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
He won the 2019 Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for "Antidepressants Are So Not a Big Deal" and was nominated for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music for "Meet Rebecca" (Season 4 Theme) from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (both co-written with Rachel Bloom and Jack Dolgen).
On June 16, 2020, the tribute album Saving for a Custom Van was released in Schlesinger's memory on Father/Daughter Records. The title is a reference to the Fountains of Wayne song "Utopia Parkway". The 31-track album features covers of songs Schlesinger wrote or performed by artists such as Kay Hanley, Ben Lee, and Prince Daddy & the Hyena. His collaborator Rachel Bloom and his Fountains of Wayne bandmate Jody Porter also participated. All proceeds from the album were donated to the MusiCares COVID-19 relief fund.
Schlesinger's former bandmates in Tinted Windows briefly re-united in May 2021 to perform a livestream event in his memory.
An Indianapolis-based Fountains of Wayne tribute band, Utopia Parkway, performed two sets in 2021 in honor of Schlesinger.
Rachel Bloom, who was a close friend and worked with Schlesinger on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, addressed his death and how the loss affected her in her 2024 Netflix special, Death, Let Me Do My Show.
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