Smash Mouth vocalist Steve Harwell has died at the age of 56 just one day after TMZ reported he had entered hospice care following liver failure resulting from alcohol addiction. The band’s manager confirmed to Rolling Stone that he “passed peacefully and comfortably surrounded by family and friends” at his Boise home.
“Steve Harwell was a true American Original. A larger than life character who shot up into the sky like a Roman candle,” Smash Mouth wrote in a statement posted to social media. The statement continued:
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% full-throttle life.
Burning brightly across the universe before burning out.
Good night Heevo Veev.
Rest in peace knowing you aimed for the stars, and magically hit your target.
Born in 1967 in Santa Clara, CA, Harwell formed Smash Mouth in 1994 with bassist Paul De Lisle, guitarist Greg Camp, and drummer Kevin Coleman. After performing around San Jose for a few years, the band caught major label attention with the demo of “Nervous In The Alley” and released the group’s debut album, Fush Yu Mang, on Interscope Records in 1997. The album included the hit single “Walkin’ On The Sun”, which reached the #1 spot on Billboard’s Modern Rock chart.
Smash Mouth – “Walkin’ On The Sun”
The band’s second album, 1999’s Astro Lounge, featured that smash hit “All Star”, which made it into the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 as well as the 2001 film Shrek. The Shrek soundtrack also included the band’s cover of the Monkees‘ “I’m A Believer”, which would be featured on the group’s third, self-titled album in 2001. Smash Mouth continued releasing albums after moving to Universal, including a greatest hits comilation, All Star Smash Hits (2005), and a Christmas album, Gift Of Rock (2005).
Harwell appeared on the reality show The Surreal Life ahead of the group’s fifth album, Summer Girl. 2012’s Magic would be the final Smash Mouth album, and the only released without the group’s primary songwriter Greg Camp.
More recently, Smash Mouth has continued to perform live, mostly for nostalgic millennials, but Harwell has shown signs of poor health for years. He collapsed on stage at a festival in 2016 and then retired from the band in 2021 after a disturbing performance attributed to long-term medical issues including mental health and substance abuse problems and cardiomyopathy that impacted his memory and motor functions.
Smash Mouth – “All Star”
Smash Mouth – “I’m A Believer” (Monkees)
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