NEWSSteve Harwell, Former Smash Mouth Singer, Dead at 56 After Suffering Liver Failure
Sep. 4 2023, Published 12:34 p.m. ET
Former Smash Mouth singer Steve Harwell died on Monday, September 4, at 56 years old, Rolling Stone confirmed.
One day before, TMZ reported the musician had only days to live after suffering liver failure. Harwell, who was receiving hospice care, "passed peacefully and comfortably” at his home in Idaho.
“Steve has been retired from Smash Mouth for two years now, and the band continues to tour with new vocalist Zach Goode,” band manager Robert Hayes told the outlet in a statement. “That said, Steve’s legacy will live on through the music.”
“Steve’s iconic voice is one of the most recognizable voices from his generation. He loved the fans and loved to perform,” the statement said of the band, who topped the charts and had five Top 40 singles “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.”
“His only tools were his irrepressible charm and charisma, his fearlessly reckless ambition, and his king-size cajones. Steve lived a 100 percent full-throttle life. Burning brightly across the universe before burning out," he concluded.
Steve Harwell was part of the musical group Smash Mouth.
Harwell, who was a consistent member of Smash Mouth, along with bassist Paul Delisle, previously made headlines for his outbursts before he left the group in 2021.
While at the Big Sip festival in Bethel, New York, in 2021, Harwell was caught slurring his words and giving the middle finger to fans, leading his rep to confirm that his Wernicke encephalopathy, a neurological condition, impacted his memory and motor functions.
“Steve has been dealing with long-term medical issues over the last eight years and during his last performance at the Big Sip stage, he suffered numerous symptoms directly linked with his current medical situation,” the rep said at the time. “As of today, Steve will be retiring from Smash Mouth to focus on his physical and mental health.”
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Steve Harwell was only given days to live before his September 4 death.
Harwell later spoke about his last time on stage.
“I’ve tried so hard to power through my physical and mental health issues and to play in front of you one last time, but I just wasn’t able to,” he said in October 2021. “I am so grateful to each and every one of you who has helped Smash Mouth sell over 10 million albums worldwide, put us on top of radio charts and those who have kept ‘All Star’ relevant as one of the top memes on the internet today.”
“I cannot wait to see what Smash Mouth accomplishes next and am looking forward to counting myself as one of the band’s newest fans," he added.
