Smash Mouth’s former main singer and frontman, Steve Harwell, passed away at his Boise, Idaho, home. Age-wise, he was 56.
Robert Hayes, the band’s manager, confirmed his passing and stated that acute liver failure was the reason for it. He claimed that Harwell “passed peacefully and comfortably” while “surrounded by family and friends.”
Smash Mouth was started in 1994 by Harwell. With singles like “Walking on the Sun” from 1997 and “All Star” from the 1999 album Astro Lounge, he and the band—which also included Greg Camp on guitar, Paul De Lisle on bass, and Kevin Coleman on drums—took off to fame. The band’s rendition of the Monkees’ popular song “I’m a Believer” and “All Star” both made appearances in the 2001 animated film Shrek.
Hayes said that Smash Mouth sold about 10 million albums worldwide with Harwell.
After a performance in Upstate New York in which he appeared to be lost and was slurring his words, Harwell left Smash Mouth in 2021.
In a statement, Harwell said that he had ongoing physical and mental health problems and needed to address them. For years, the singer battled alcoholism. Harwell’s manager, Hayes, claimed that he led a “100% full-throttle life.”
Harwell, who Hayes referred to as a “true American original,” should be honored for his unwavering dedication and resolve to reach the pinnacles of musical glory, Hayes added. He claimed that the fact that Harwell accomplished it with little prior musical training made his accomplishments all the more impressive.