Steve Harwell, Smash Mouth singer, dies at 56
Steve Harwell, the vocalist for the American rock band Smash Mouth, has passed away at the age of 56.
The tragic news was confirmed by Smash Mouth’s manager, Robert Hayes, who said Harwell “passed peacefully and comfortably” on Monday, September 4th, at his home in Boise, Idaho.
Confirmation of Harwell’s death arrives after it was recently confirmed that he reached the final stages of liver failure and only had “a week or so” to live.
“Steve’s iconic voice is one of the most recognizable voices from his generation. He loved the fans and loved to perform,” Hayes said in a statement.
Adding: “Steve Harwell was a true American Original. A larger than life character who shot up into the sky like a Roman candle. Steve should be remembered for his unwavering focus and impassioned determination to reach the heights of pop stardom. And the fact that he achieved this near-impossible goal with very limited musical experience makes his accomplishments all the more remarkable.“
Before concluding: “His only tools were his irrepressible charm and charisma, his fearlessly reckless ambition, and his king-size cajones. Steve lived a 100 per cent full-throttle life. Burning brightly across the universe before burning out.”
Harwell had previously been a rapper in the group F.O.S. before joining Smash Mouth. He also had pursued acting work, landing himself a brief role in Rat Race before Smash Mouth began to take off and eventually secure iconic status thanks to the inclusion of the song ‘All Star’ on the Shrek soundtrack.
Sadly, tragedy beset Harwell’s life in 2001 when his son, Presley, died at the age of six months following a battle with acute lymphocytic leukemia. The singer then set-up a research fund in his son’s name to help improve treatment for the condition. The loss is said to have had a marked impact on Harwell’s life thereafter.
It was previously reported that Harwell was in ill health in 2021, a time when he allegedly performed while drunk, slurring his words and shouting threatening comments towards the audience. He subsequently retired from the band to work on his health.
Following the retirement announcement, the band issued a statement to the Los Angeles Times explaining that Harwell had left the band to address “longstanding medical issues”.
“Despite Steve’s best efforts to work through these ailments, he is heartbroken to share that it has become impossible for him to continue doing what he loves most, performing in front of the band’s millions of fans around the world,” they added.
In 2015, Harwell was also diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, which led to other medical issues like heart failure and Wernicke’s encephalopathy. The disease was noted to have “greatly impacted his motor functions, including speech and impaired memory,” according to a spokesperson via TMZ.
“Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of being a Rockstar performing in front of sold-out arenas and have been so fortunate to live out that dream,” Harwell said in a public statement at the time. “To my bandmates, it’s been an honour performing with you all these years, and I can’t think of anyone else I would have rather gone on this wild journey with.”
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